Bacterial vaginitis is an overgrowth of unwanted bacteria inside your vagina, which results in excess vaginal discharge that can sometimes carry a strong, fishy smell. It is the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age. People also refer to this condition as bacterial vaginosis or BV for short.
A normal healthy vagina usually contains a mix of different bacteria in small numbers. This mix contains both good and bad bacteria. The bad bacteria are always trying to multiply and take over the vaginal environment. The good bacteria on the other hand, focus on releasing chemicals that kill off the bad bacteria and prevent you from getting BV.
When certain changes in your body either disrupt the activity of the good bacteria, or kill them off, the bad bacteria start to multiply uncontrollably. This growth of bad bacteria then results in bacterial vaginosis.
What Are The Symptoms Of Bacterial Vaginitis, And Why Do You Get Them?
As mentioned, the classic symptom of BV is a vaginal discharge with a foul fishy odor.
There are a number of different vaginal infections that can cause vaginal discharge. The discharge you get in bacterial vaginitis is typically a thin, uniform grayish discharge, although the consistency and amount of discharge can vary in different women. The main thing you should watch out for is any abnormal change in the amount of discharge you normally have.
Although a lot of books mention vaginal discomfort, pain and itching to all be features of bacterial vaginitis, these symptoms are actually quite rare. Occasionally you can get itching around the outside of the vagina and burning when you pass urine, but it is more common for a woman with bacterial vaginitis to experience only an increase in vaginal discharge +/- a foul/fishy odor from down below, and nothing else.
Although bacterial vaginosis is not a sexually transmitted disease, the vaginal discharge and fishy smell are usually at their worst just after sex.
What Causes Bacterial Vaginitis?
As I say, anything that kills off the good bacteria inside your vagina or disrupts their activity, can lead to bacterial vaginitis.
This includes the following:
Douching (especially with antibacterial soaps)
Taking oral antibiotics, even if it\'s just for a cold or a chest infection
Unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners (due to the alkaline nature of semen and the introduction of new bacteria)
Using intrauterine devices (IUDs) for contraception
You can also get bacterial vaginosis when your immune system is weakened, for example by taking certain drugs, cigarette smoking, living a stressful lifestyle, not getting enough sleep... the list goes on.
The Secrets Of Treating Bacterial Vaginitis Permanently
The most effective short-term treatment of your symptoms is antibiotics. Clinical trials have shown the antibiotic metronidazole (also known as flagyl) to provide the quickest and most effective symptomatic relief of bacterial vaginitis. However there is a problem with this method.
Antibiotics offer only symptomatic treatment, which means that they are only designed to help you with your symptoms - they are not designed to CURE your bacterial vaginitis. And unfortunately in mainstream medicine there is no cure for bacterial vaginitis. The only treatments your doctor can offer you are different types and forms of antibiotic. But there is some good news.
There are alternative natural therapies that mainstream medicine has not yet caught up with. These natural remedies focus on eliminating the root cause of BV, and have been shown in clinical trials to provide results that last far longer than antibiotics. If you can use these natural methods and then make small lifestyle changes to avoid the causes of BV, then there is an excellent chance that you may cure your BV permanently so you never have to worry about that smelly vaginal discharge again.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Bacterial Vaginosis Symptoms - How Do You Know If You Have BV?
The Two Main Bacterial Vaginosis Symptoms
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age, so it helps to know the common symptoms to watch out for. Here are the two most common bacterial vaginosis symptoms:
Bacterial Vaginosis Symptom #1: Vaginal Discharge
If you have BV, you can get a thin vaginal discharge with a white or grayish color. You may either experience this as a very heavy discharge or a just a small trickle throughout the day that wets your underwear.
Bacterial Vaginosis Symptom #2: Fishy Vaginal Odor
It\'s quite common for the vaginal discharge to have a fishy odor. In most cases this odor is barely noticeable, but there are times when it can be particularly strong, such as after sex.
Are Itchiness And Burning Also Common Bacterial Vaginosis Symptoms?
I have seen a lot of sites here on the internet where people mention itchyness and discomfort being common bacterial vaginosis symptoms, but this is not true.
Having increased vaginal discharge with NO discomfort or itching is actually more diagnostic of BV. When you DO have itching or discomfort, then your doctor would be more likely to suspect a different type of infection altogether, such as a yeast infection.
Saying that, in a few cases women CAN experience some burning on urinating and/or itching around the outside of the vagina.
Alternative Diagnoses - What Else Could It Be If It Isn\'t BV?
There are a number of other conditions that have overlapping symptoms with BV.
Alternative Diagnosis #1: Yeast Infection (Candidiasis)
Yeast and bacteria are different types of organisms, and they are both found in the normal, healthy vagina.
Bacteria are killed by antibiotics, yeast cells are not. Here are the symptoms you may experience with a yeast infection:
White, cottage cheese-like discharge
Swelling and pain around the vulva
Intense itching
Painful sexual intercourse
Yeast infections are treated using antifungal medication. Antibiotics will make a yeast infection worse, so it\'s important to know which infection you have.
Alternative Diagnosis #2: Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a microscopic parasite, which can be treated with antibiotics. Symptoms are as follows:
A watery, yellowish or greenish typically frothy or foamy discharge
A foul odor that can be difficult to tell apart from the odor of BV
Vaginal itching
Pain and itching when urinating and/or having sex
Other Alternative Diagnoses
Other infections that can cause a vaginal discharge include the two sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea.
How Do You Know If You Have BV And Not Something Else?
Unfortunately it\'s impossible to tell just from your symptoms whether you have BV or one of the other infections mentioned above.
Since BV is one of the most common vaginal infections, having vaginal discharge and/or fishy odor without any itching or discomfort make it highly likely that you are experiencing bacterial vaginosis symptoms rather than something else.
On top of that if you get a home testing kit and measure the acidity levels inside your vagina (in BV you have low acidity or a high pH), then it would be further likely that you are suffering from bacterial vaginosis symptoms.
Saying that however, the only way for you to get a proper definitive diagnosis is to go and see your doctor. Your doctor will send off a small sample of your vaginal fluid to the lab for analysis. The results of this analysis will be more accurate than any methods you can use at home.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age, so it helps to know the common symptoms to watch out for. Here are the two most common bacterial vaginosis symptoms:
Bacterial Vaginosis Symptom #1: Vaginal Discharge
If you have BV, you can get a thin vaginal discharge with a white or grayish color. You may either experience this as a very heavy discharge or a just a small trickle throughout the day that wets your underwear.
Bacterial Vaginosis Symptom #2: Fishy Vaginal Odor
It\'s quite common for the vaginal discharge to have a fishy odor. In most cases this odor is barely noticeable, but there are times when it can be particularly strong, such as after sex.
Are Itchiness And Burning Also Common Bacterial Vaginosis Symptoms?
I have seen a lot of sites here on the internet where people mention itchyness and discomfort being common bacterial vaginosis symptoms, but this is not true.
Having increased vaginal discharge with NO discomfort or itching is actually more diagnostic of BV. When you DO have itching or discomfort, then your doctor would be more likely to suspect a different type of infection altogether, such as a yeast infection.
Saying that, in a few cases women CAN experience some burning on urinating and/or itching around the outside of the vagina.
Alternative Diagnoses - What Else Could It Be If It Isn\'t BV?
There are a number of other conditions that have overlapping symptoms with BV.
Alternative Diagnosis #1: Yeast Infection (Candidiasis)
Yeast and bacteria are different types of organisms, and they are both found in the normal, healthy vagina.
Bacteria are killed by antibiotics, yeast cells are not. Here are the symptoms you may experience with a yeast infection:
White, cottage cheese-like discharge
Swelling and pain around the vulva
Intense itching
Painful sexual intercourse
Yeast infections are treated using antifungal medication. Antibiotics will make a yeast infection worse, so it\'s important to know which infection you have.
Alternative Diagnosis #2: Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a microscopic parasite, which can be treated with antibiotics. Symptoms are as follows:
A watery, yellowish or greenish typically frothy or foamy discharge
A foul odor that can be difficult to tell apart from the odor of BV
Vaginal itching
Pain and itching when urinating and/or having sex
Other Alternative Diagnoses
Other infections that can cause a vaginal discharge include the two sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea.
How Do You Know If You Have BV And Not Something Else?
Unfortunately it\'s impossible to tell just from your symptoms whether you have BV or one of the other infections mentioned above.
Since BV is one of the most common vaginal infections, having vaginal discharge and/or fishy odor without any itching or discomfort make it highly likely that you are experiencing bacterial vaginosis symptoms rather than something else.
On top of that if you get a home testing kit and measure the acidity levels inside your vagina (in BV you have low acidity or a high pH), then it would be further likely that you are suffering from bacterial vaginosis symptoms.
Saying that however, the only way for you to get a proper definitive diagnosis is to go and see your doctor. Your doctor will send off a small sample of your vaginal fluid to the lab for analysis. The results of this analysis will be more accurate than any methods you can use at home.
A Powerful Bacterial Vaginosis Home Remedy You Can Start Using Today!
Unfortunately most women don't realize that they can quite easily cure their BV using the correct bacterial vaginosis home remedy.
Most women think that they have to rely on their doctor to cure their BV, but I am here to tell you that you have more options. The only thing your doctor can give you for your BV is antibiotics, and antibiotics are just the type of drug to be avoiding for BV.
It's OK to take antibiotics in the short term if your symptoms are especially severe or you are at risk of having complications from your BV. But in the long run, antibiotics just make your BV worse, whereas a good bacterial vaginosis home remedy can bring lasting and even permanent results.
Antibiotics are very good at giving you temporary relief from your symptoms, but in more than 50% of cases the BV just comes back, and in many cases is worse the second time round and more difficult to treat.
It is very likely that your doctor will finally end up looking at you and telling you "I'm sorry, we have tried everything that is available. I'm afraid you are just going to have to live with it".
But fear not. There is a whole range of different treatments that your doctor never learned about in medical school.
BV comes from an unnatural imbalance in the normal bacteria inside your vagina. Using something as unnatural as antibiotics against an unnatural condition such as this, is like fighting fire with fire.
The idea is to use natural methods to bring your body and especially the environment inside your vagina back into a natural chemical state.
One very effective bacterial vaginosis home remedy is yogurt. Now I am not talking about the usual supermarket yogurts with strawberries, peaches and other fruits at the bottom.
I'm talking about the kind of yogurt that you will only find at health food stores or in a special section in certain large supermarkets. These are special unpasteurized yogurts that contain live, healthy bacteria called "lactobacilli".
I don't know why most doctors have never heard of the role of yogurts containing live bacteria as an effective bacterial vaginosis home remedy, but there is plenty of scientific evidence out there that prove that these yogurts work to cure BV and can help you to get rid of BV forever!
Most women think that they have to rely on their doctor to cure their BV, but I am here to tell you that you have more options. The only thing your doctor can give you for your BV is antibiotics, and antibiotics are just the type of drug to be avoiding for BV.
It's OK to take antibiotics in the short term if your symptoms are especially severe or you are at risk of having complications from your BV. But in the long run, antibiotics just make your BV worse, whereas a good bacterial vaginosis home remedy can bring lasting and even permanent results.
Antibiotics are very good at giving you temporary relief from your symptoms, but in more than 50% of cases the BV just comes back, and in many cases is worse the second time round and more difficult to treat.
It is very likely that your doctor will finally end up looking at you and telling you "I'm sorry, we have tried everything that is available. I'm afraid you are just going to have to live with it".
But fear not. There is a whole range of different treatments that your doctor never learned about in medical school.
BV comes from an unnatural imbalance in the normal bacteria inside your vagina. Using something as unnatural as antibiotics against an unnatural condition such as this, is like fighting fire with fire.
The idea is to use natural methods to bring your body and especially the environment inside your vagina back into a natural chemical state.
One very effective bacterial vaginosis home remedy is yogurt. Now I am not talking about the usual supermarket yogurts with strawberries, peaches and other fruits at the bottom.
I'm talking about the kind of yogurt that you will only find at health food stores or in a special section in certain large supermarkets. These are special unpasteurized yogurts that contain live, healthy bacteria called "lactobacilli".
I don't know why most doctors have never heard of the role of yogurts containing live bacteria as an effective bacterial vaginosis home remedy, but there is plenty of scientific evidence out there that prove that these yogurts work to cure BV and can help you to get rid of BV forever!