I just saw a patient who asked me a really important question, and since I’ve been asked it before, I thought I’d bring it up with you. This was a patient I saw for a Bartholin cyst, and she asked me, “Is there anything I can do to either prevent them from coming back or speed up the healing process?”
Can Certain Foods Prevent or Heal a Bartholin Cyst?
She was referring to diet. Does eating spicy food make it worse? Is there anything she can eliminate from her diet, or certain foods she can add, to improve her outcome?
I’m a big believer in the power of food. Things like pineapple, turmeric, and a low-sugar diet are all anti-inflammatory and may help.
What the Research Says
But she asked me if there was any evidence for that. When I looked into the research, I didn’t see any literature showing that foods prevent recurrence or improve the healing process. So I’m not sure that foods help. They may, and I’m not discouraging you, but there’s no evidence in the literature for it.
What Does Help: Sitz Baths
What I will tell you is that if you’re looking at conservative therapy, sitz baths really do work and can help a lot of patients. That means putting a cup of Epsom salt in a warm bath and sitting in it for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, multiple times a day. This helps pull some of the fluid out of the cyst.
Get Answers About Your Bartholin Cyst
If you’re dealing with a Bartholin cyst that keeps coming back, schedule a private consultation with Dr. David Ghozland at the Intimate Health Center. We’ll evaluate your cyst, answer your questions, and talk through the treatment options that fit you best, including CO2 laser ablation.
