subject: Bacterial Vaginosis Over The Counter Treatment - Is It Useful? [print this page] You can buy bacterial vaginosis over the counter treatment from various places such as pharmacies, supermarkets and over the internet. It can prove very expensive and as a former sufferer myself, I can vouch for the fact that I was a regular visitor to my local pharmacy. I must have spent a fortune over the years! There were certain treatments which I found to be very soothing and certainly helped give me some relief from the symptoms but whatever I bought never got rid of BV or shortened an outbreak.
BV is extremely common, affecting thousands of women of childbearing age. The most common signs are a very strong, fishy smelling discharge which is usually quite watery and gray or white. Most of us also have some itching, burning and redness around the delicate vaginal tissues. There is a general misunderstanding surrounding bacterial vaginosis and this means that most of us are unwittingly prolonging attacks or even making our symptoms worse.
Although commonly referred to as an "infection", BV is really an inflammation caused by the growth of harmful bacteria within and around the vagina. Usually, both beneficial and harmful bacteria are present in the vagina and the beneficial strains exert overall control, maintaining a healthy, mildly acidic pH level. When the balance is upset, bad bacteria grows and it is this which causes the symptoms. Both overwashing and using fragranced products can add to the condition, the irony being that women often do this to mask the smell!
Bacterial vaginosis over the counter treatment and antibiotics can help the symptoms to disappear in the short term so can be useful for symptomatic relief. However, as neither are designed to eliminate the root causes, whilst ever these remain, the symptoms will return and the bacterial imbalance will never be permanently addressed.
This is why over 70% of women who use bacterial vaginosis over the counter treatment will have repeated outbreaks within a matter of weeks.
The symptomatic relief given by over the counter creams and lotions can often be obtained much more economically by using home remedies, such as probiotic yogurt and tea tree oil, with live yogurt helping to replenish the beneficial bacteria and tea tree oil eliminating harmful bacteria.
The best way to get rid of this condition is to use a natural remedy which will quickly re-balance the ph levels within the vagina, thus restoring ideal conditions. Many people are surprised to learn that natural treatments can work faster than antibiotics or than bacterial vaginosis over the counter treatment.
