Even though BV can cause a funky-smelling discharge and vaginal irritation, a lot of the time it causes no symptoms at all. Women may not know they have it until they have a routine Pap smear and their doctor sees BV indicated on lab results.
Doctors say that if there aren't any symptoms, a woman doesn't need treatment. In those non-symptomatic cases, most of the time, the woman's own immune system takes care of the problem and she eventually gets back to a normal balance of bacteria.
If she has symptoms, however, or if she's had a few other BV-related complications specifically, preterm labor her healthcare provider will order antibiotics to kill the over-populating bacteria and cure the infection. Sometimes women have to take more than one course of antibiotics before they get cured. To get rid of BV for good, you might need to make some lifestyle changes and work on your immune system.
That means eating well and exercising, getting plenty of rest, and keeping stress bombs from dropping on your life. Some women swear by probiotics healthy bacteria taken in supplement form for keeping all their lady bits in tip-top shape.
Some studies indicate a link between BV and preterm labor or miscarriage , and if the infection is really nasty and not treated, it can progress to become pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause infertility. BV during pregnancy can also cause problems like premature labor, late miscarriage , and premature rupture of membranes — although these occurrences are also rare.
If you're getting prenatal care, your doctor or midwife will be looking for signs and symptoms of infection. The bacteria themselves don't prevent pregnancy, but damage caused by an untreated infection can. The biggest concern regarding BV is that in some cases, the infection can travel up from the vagina to the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes and cause a painful condition called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. If it scars and blocks the tubes, infertility or ectopic pregnancy can occur.
But here's the good news: it doesn't happen very often and it's very unusual for a woman to have that level of infection without symptoms. More often, she'll have an itch or pain that makes her go to the doctor for treatment long before the infection spreads. For women with BV present during pregnancy, there may be an increased risk of miscarriages, preterm birth, and low birth weight complications for the newborn, as well as postpartum infections. Fetal microbial influence can start as early as in the womb through microbes shared from the placenta, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord blood.
Lactic acid producing bacteria help a healthy vagina maintain an acidic vaginal pH. This pH of around 4. The acidic pH also supports normal exfoliation, or shedding, of vaginal mucosal cells, which in turn releases glycogen for the good bacteria to eat.
If you are able to restore the conditions in the vaginal ecosystem that allow the healthy bacteria to thrive, it is possible to stop the vicious cycle of BV. The BV bacteria will then make a biofilm at an elevated pH that coats and protects these bad bacteria, making it difficult for the lactobacillus to return to healthy levels. Antibiotics such as metronidazole aka Flagyl , clindamycin, and tinidazole are often prescribed and will destroy some of the bacteria that cause symptoms of bacterial vaginosis.
But, it is well-known that antibiotics kill off the good bacteria along with the infection-causing bacteria, which has potentially dire long-term impact on vaginal health. Since vaginal health correlates to the presence of good bacteria, antibiotics must be used only when absolutely necessary. Killing off the good bacteria along with the bad can lead to vaginal imbalance and recurring instances of BV.
Studies have shown that more than 50 percent of women treated for BV will experience a recurrence within 12 months. Given that there are no easy answers when it comes to treating BV, the best course of action may very well be to help our vagina heal itself by putting the good bacteria back in charge.
Options to try instead of antibiotics may include a vaginal probiotic with healthy doses of micronutrients that are required for a healthy vaginal ecosystem such as iron, zinc and manganese. Also, consider using a vaginal gel such as IsoFresh which contains lactic acid to help make the vaginal pH more acidic. In clinical study, IsoFresh was shown to reduce vaginal pH after just one use. If you and your doctor feel a course of antibiotics is necessary, make sure to change your routine to include things such as using probiotics and pH balancing gels to ensure your relief from BV is more than temporary.
Healthy bacteria are the best defense against bacterial vaginosis, so anything you do to encourage the growth of lactobacillus bacteria will be a positive step forward in your fight against BV.
Douching washes out all the good bacteria with the bad, and many douches contain harsh chemicals. When you are looking for vaginal health products to eliminate odor, maintain pH or lubricate for intimacy, choose products without glycerin glycerol , coating oils, or parabens.
Many lubricants and freshening gels have salt ion concentrations that are 4 times higher than vaginal fluids. High salt levels will pull water from cells and have been found to permanently damage vaginal mucosal cells and lactobacillus. Never use household oils such as coconut oil in your vagina. Coconut oil can contain toxic peroxides and inflammatory chemicals due to exposure to light and storage at room temperature, and can coat the vagina thereby interfering with vaginal self-cleaning.
Since the side effects of a BV infection are more serious and can cause pregnancy complications, see your doctor to diagnose these issues and make sure the infection has cleared completely. The best way to tell if you have a yeast infection, BV, other type of infection or simply irritated tissue is by going to your doctor for a test.
As previously mentioned, BV does not always have symptoms, but symptoms that do appear may be similar to a yeast infection: itchiness, burning, increased discharge, and painful intercourse. One major difference is the way the discharge will look and smell. Yeast infections can cause an increase in white discharge that is characterized by a "cottage cheese" look.
The discharge will either be odorless or have a yeast smell think the smell of bread or beer. BV, on the other hand, may cause thin, white, or grayish discharge that coats the vaginal walls and has a distinctive and strong fishy odor.
With a yeast infection or BV, every minute can be miserable, but here are some tips to ease the symptoms while you wait:. If you already track your cycle, you are ahead! This can include a visit to the doctor or changing certain habits that may encourage yeast to proliferate see below. Also, the discharge from a vaginal infection can mask the true cervical fluid, so charting cervical fluid may be difficult at this time. Some cases of BV or yeast infections may be accompanied by a fever -- in which case you should see a doctor right away -- and that may affect your BBT.
Cleaning up your diet and eliminating other habits such as using scented soaps may help to keep your vaginal pH and bacteria healthy. Here are several recommendations to prevent future infections:. Vaginal yeast infection thrush : Overview. Ramsay, S. Practical management of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bacterial Vaginosis BV Statistics. Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Hernandez, D. Vital Record. Fletcher, J. What to know about sex and yeast infections. Medical News Today. Watson, K. Leonard, J. How to get rid of a yeast infection.
0コメント