subject: Important Facts About Bacterial Vaginosis And Treatment Options [print this page] Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects many women and can be embarrassing for them mainly due to the "fishy" vaginal odor associated with BV. This article discusses important facts about bacterial vaginosis and the treatment options for this condition that will allow you to wave goodbye to BV.
To answer the question "what is bacterial vaginosis?" it is important to note that the vagina contains a certain amount of natural occurring good and bad bacteria. When these bacteria levels are properly maintained with the bad bacteria kept to a minimum, a woman will usually not have any problems. When the normal balance is tampered with, it can lead to the excessive growth of certain "bad bacteria" and lead to bacterial vaginosis in a lot of cases.
Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common vaginal infections affecting women of child bearing age and is especially common in pregnant women which can lead to premature births and/or giving birth to a baby with a low birth weight (less than 5.5 lbs).
Causes of Bacterial Vaginosis
Although the causes remain unknown since not a lot is known about the harmful bacteria and the extent of the role that they play in leading to BV, there are certain factors and behaviors that usually increase a woman's risk of getting this vaginal infection.
The use of antibiotics and steroids is one of the risk factors since these medications are able to alter the environment of the vagina in some cases. Other risk factors include vaginal douching, smoking, using vaginal (feminine) sprays, having many sexual partners and so forth. It is important to be aware that even a woman who has not engaged in sexual intercourse can fall prey to BV.
Bacterial vaginosis is not a sexually transmitted disease and a woman's male sexual partner(s) do not need to seek treatment. This condition however can spread from one female sexual partner to another female sexual partner.
Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis
Although some women can have the condition and not display any symptoms, here are a few to watch out for;
1. The most common sign of bacterial vaginosis is an abnormal vaginal discharge that has a very unpleasant odor that has been described as "fishy". This abnormal vaginal discharge is usually thin and can be white or grayish in color. The abnormal vaginal discharge and odor is especially prevalent after sexual intercourse.
2. Some women have experienced burning during urination. This is separate from a urinary tract infection when the burning is experienced inside the urinary tract. The burning associated with bacterial vaginosis occurs independent of the urinary tract and around the vaginal area that comes in contact with the urine.
3. Itching around the vagina has also been experienced by some women with the condition.
Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment
Although bacterial vaginosis can go away on its own, if left untreated for long periods, it can lead to other health risks such as premature birth or low birth weight babies in pregnant women as mentioned previously. In other women, it can increase the risk of the susceptibility to contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, herpes, gonorrhea, etc. Having BV also makes it easier to transfer an STD to your sexual partner. Suffering from BV can also lead to infections after undergoing surgical procedures such as abortions or hysterectomies.
Due to the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis being similar to other vaginal infections, only a doctor can perform tests to determine whether you are suffering from bacterial vaginosis and not other vaginal infections such as yeast infections. As mentioned previously, some women can have the condition and not show any symptoms so having regular checkups is important.
A. Traditional treatment options
Traditional medicine treats bacterial vaginosis with antibiotics of which the most common ones used are clindamycin or metronidazole. These antibiotics can be used by both pregnant woman and women that are not pregnant in various dosages. Because the root cause of the condition is never treated and only the symptoms are treated, BV can recur in the year after treatment.
B. Natural or Holistic Treatment
Natural treatment options seek to not only treat the symptoms of BV, but to also treat the root cause of the condition to prevent recurrence in the future. Natural remedies are also ideal because they do not lead to any side effects that may be evident with the antibiotics that are used with traditional medicine. Natural remedies are also very cost effective in addition to being effective at the treatment of BV.
Natural treatment options for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV) seek to work with your body and not against it. Holistic remedies for the treatment of BV use various ingredients that are easy to find in your home or at health food stores in the area that you live in. Long term treatment that prevents recurrence of this infection and other vaginal infections also calls for making certain life style changes to your diet.
