A sitz bath is warm water you sit in to cleanse and relieve discomfort around your genital area. This will not cure your condition. Soaking in the warm water can increase the blood flow to this area. As result, this helps with the healing process.
A sitz bath kit can be purchased at any local drug store or online. You could obtain one from the clinic. The kit includes:
A plastic bag with a long-attached tube.
A small plastic tub that fits into your toilet bowl
Benefits
A sitz bath can relieve:
Soreness
Itching
Burning
Inflammation
Discomfort in the area between your anus and genitals
How to Use
Lift toilet seat up.
Place clean basin onto the toilet bowl. Make sure the basin is firmly in place and does not move.
Close the clamp on long tube (if there is one). Fill the plastic bag with warm tap water. Do not use hot water.
Feed the long-attached tube of the plastic bag through the front of the basin. Then push the end of the tube with hole facing up, in the notch on the bottom of the basin.
Sit in the basin, use the tube to fill the basin to cover your external genitals.
When the water cools, add more from the bag by opening the clamp on the tube (if there is one).
When done with the sitz bath, clean and dry the basin and wash your hands.
If the basin doesn’t have a plastic bag with a long tube, place the clean basin onto the toilet bowl. Pour warm water into the basin before you sit on the toilet.
Do not add anything to the water, such as soap or bubble bath. Only add things your doctor has recommended.
When to Call
Stop using the sitz bath and call your doctor if you have:
A fever 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher (or as directed by care team)
Redness
Swelling
New discharge that is worsening
New pain or worsening pain
New symptoms