subject: Natural Alternative Treatment For Bacterial Vaginosis [print this page] If you are a regular sufferer from BV and have found that endless rounds of antibiotics seem to be doing nothing in the long term, it is perhaps time to try natural alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis, the aim of which is to gently restore balance within the vagina.
BV is caused by an imbalance of the bacteria which thrives within the damp, warm conditions within the vagina. On a day to day basis, this is normally self regulating, with the beneficial bacteria maintaining a slightly acidic environment which keeps bad bacteria in check. When bad bacteria overgrows, the symptoms of BV are present, which include a foul, fishy smelling discharge which is usually quite watery and usually gray or white in color.
Natural alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis starts with boosting the levels of good bacteria. This is the complete opposite of antibiotics which work by killing off both good and bad bacteria, which means that the vagina's natural defenses have vanished along with the harmful strains of bacteria. What happens after antibiotics is that as soon as bad bacteria begins to recolonise, there is no good bacteria left so the whole cycle repeats itself.
By increasing the good bacteria, this gives the body the ability to kill off any harmful bacteria before it causes problems.
There are a number of ways to approach this. Firstly, by eating a good diet you naturally increase the body's natural defenses and increase the levels of good bacteria. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. You can also take a probiotic supplement. Another simple method which can sometimes have surprisingly quick results is to introduce probiotics into the vagina by dipping a tampon in live natural yogurt and leaving it in place for a couple of hours.
Removing the potential root causes of BV is also good natural alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis. Although it can be difficult to identify exactly what is causing BV in an individual, the following are well-known trigger points, so address them if you feel any apply to you.
