Bacterial Vaginosis

What Is Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial Vaginosis or BV as it is sometimes known is an inflammation caused by an imbalance of the usual bacteria found in the vagina, and is the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in women of childbearing age who are sexually active.  As many as 1 in 3 women will suffer with bacterial vaginosis of some degree during their lifetime and around 20% of pregnant women are also likely to be affected.

Normally the vagina lives happily in a mildly acidic state with harmless bacteria known as Lactobacillus acidophilus (meaning acid loving milk bacterium) present.  The bacteria ferments sugars into lactic acid and grows at low pH values of below pH 5.0, with an optimum growing temperature of 37 degrees C (98.6 degrees F).  So thrives in the conditions of the vagina.

Bacterial Vaginosis occurs when bacteria known as Gardnerella vaginalis  (an facultative anaerobic bacteria) enters the vagina and upsets the normal vaginal micro flora. Gardnerella vaginalis is not sexually transmitted and although present in all cases of bacterial vaginosis can also be found in women with no symptoms.

Bacterial Vaginosis Symptoms

Around half of all women affected don’t show any signs or symptoms. However, where there are symptoms, those are likely to be an off white or grayish vaginal discharge and an unpleasant fishy or musty smell. Sometimes women will also experience burning or itching or the vagina, if itching occurs then a swelling of the vagina will also be likely (itching and irritation do not always occur and are usually more common with thrush). In server cases it has been known for women to also experience stomach pain.

The white or grey discharge associated with bacterial vaginosis is thin and watery and must not be confused with any other infection. Yeast infections for example will have a thick cottage cheese like discharge and is caused by a fungal infection as apposed to a bacterial infection.

What Causes Bacterial Vaginosis

No one knows the exact reason or cause of bacterial vaginosis, but it’s clear that several factors can make it more likely. One of the main factors seems to be sexual activity, and despite BV not being a sexually transmitted disease, it’s widely noted that sexually active women (especially those with new or multiple partners) are more likely to suffer from it. Although it must be noted that women who have never had sexual intercourse can still develop bacterial vaginosis.

Other contributory factors include smoking, using scented soaps or gels, putting antiseptic liquids in the bath, douching, or using strong detergents to clean your underwear, or the IUD contraceptive device, suggesting that perhaps the bacteria in the vagina is negatively affected by exterior chemicals or foreign objects.

Bacterial vaginosis cannot by spread or passed on by casual contact such as clothing, doorknobs, eating utensils, swimming pools or toilet seats.

Diagnosing Bacterial Vaginosis

Vaginal discharge is entirely normal and healthy, but if you notice that your discharge has become thin and watery, or changed to become white or grey in color and has developed a strong, unpleasant smell (particularly after sexual intercourse) then you should definitely get yourself checked out by your doctor. Bacterial vaginosis doesn’t usually cause itching or irritation – which is the main difference between BV and Thrush. Please remember bacterial vaginosis isn’t something to be embarrassed by.

It is important, however, to get diagnosed properly and quickly to rule out the possibility that you’re not suffering from anything more serious, such as Gonorrhea, and to ensure that you don’t develop any complications such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (which can cause infertility) or Tubal Factor Infertility. There’s also a greater risk of complications if you’re pregnant, with the risk of late miscarriage, preterm birth, postpartum endometritis and several others, so ensure you are treated particularly quickly in this case.

Your doctor will be looking for the symptoms mentioned above, and also ask you any number of questions, such as.

• The date of your last menstrual period

• The number of sexual partners you have

• Whether you have had any vaginal or urinary tract infections before

• Whether you have had any sexually transmitted diseases or pelvic infections

• The method of contraception you use

• Your pregnancy history

• Personal hygiene habits, such as douching and your feminine deodorants

• Whether you wear tightly fitting undergarments

• Whether you use tampons

The doctor will also require information about your medical history and possibly request a gynecological examination, which will include swabbing the area and carrying out tests on the vaginal fluid. This test will help in confirming that you have bacterial vaginosis. The doctor will be looking for a white thin coating on your vaginal wall, the absence of lactobacilli bacteria, decreased acidity or change in pH levels. Also the presence of the bacteria, Gardnerella under the microscope. The tests totally painless, there may be some slight discomfort and embarrassment but it really is nothing to worry about

Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis

The most common form of treatment for BV is a course of antibiotics. Your doctor will prescribe the antibiotics most suited but they will usually be either, Ampicillin, Ceftriaxone, Clindamycin, Metronidazole or Tetracycline. Antibiotics will clear up BV in 7-8 out of 10 cases and as with any antibiotics you must complete the whole course to receive the benefit. Even if the symptoms stop. Usual dosages are around 400 mg twice a day for 7 days. Always take your antibiotics with food and never on an empty stomach and refrain from drinking alcohol during and up to 48 hours after finishing your course.

The alternatives to oral antibiotic tablets are Metronidazole gel and Clindamycin vaginal cream. These can be used if you have trouble taking tablets or would just prefer to used directly applied creams or gels. You must note that Clindamycin vaginal cream will weaken condoms, so during treatment you must rely on condoms as a safe form of protection from pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease.

As I mentioned earlier it is not thought that bacterial vaginosis is a sexually transmitted disease but it certainly occurs in sexually active women. If you are showing signs or symptoms of BV it is wise to abstain from any sexual activity.

Natural Remedies For Bacterial Vaginosis

Treatment with antibiotics is up to 90% effective in all cases of BV, but around 25% of cases will need to be retreated within a month. It’s very common for bacterial vaginosis to reoccur, and can be very disheartening if you need treatment several times to resolve the problem.

Antibiotics work by killing the bacteria. The trouble is they not only kill the bad bacteria (gardnerella) but they also kill the good bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus). This leads to more upset of the vagina natural micro flora sometimes doing more harm than good.  It is quite common to have a re-occurrence of bacterial vaginosis if antibiotics have been used as the treatment. As soon as the antibiotics are stopped with no good bacteria with in the vagina it’s a fair chance the bad bacteria can again over run.

Bacterial Vaginosis

FACT: 77% of all women treating Bacterial Vaginosis with Pharmaceutical Antibiotics suffer from reoccurrence within months.

There are a few steps you can take to try and stop any re-occurrence. Never push water in to the vagina. Douching can upset the bacteria levels with in the vagina especially if done with strong soaps or detergents. Try to avoid any sort of scented soaps or bath oils and do not over wash the vagina, once a day is more than enough.

There are natural ways you can increase the amount of good bacteria with in the vagina to attain a healthy bacterial balance. Starting with your diet. It is important generally but more so when suffering any sort of condition or complaint to drink plenty of fresh water. Try to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Make sure your diet contains plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and avoid as much as possible processed foods, refined sugars and saturated fat. Eating probiotic yogurt or yogurt with live cultures such as Activia. You can also take acidophilus supplementation, which will of course build, up the lactobacillus bacteria with in the body. Vitamin C and Zinc are also essential for a healthy body.

Although Bacterial vaginosis can be very unpleasant to live with please remember, many women suffer from this simple bacteria imbalance and there really is nothing to be ashamed of by admitting you may have a problem. Ensuring you don’t delay diagnosis or treatment will ensure any risk of further complications is greatly reduced, and that your body is restored to its normal state without any drama.

Here’s to your good health and speedy recovery.

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Julia