How Bacterial Vaginosis Is Treated

Bacterial vaginosis is a bacterial infection of the vagina caused by the imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the woman’s genitalia. Not many women know that they have this infection and the best way to find out is by going to their gynecologists to make sure if they have it or not. Once in the doctor’s office, a sample of the patient’s discharge will be taken as well as an ocular examination of the cervix. The sample is then taken to the laboratory to see if there is an infection or not.

What happens if one has bacterial vaginosis? Is it treatable? What are the treatments available for bacterial vaginosis?

Once diagnosed, the patient is usually asked to take antibiotics as treatment for the infection. Metronidazole is the type of antibiotic given to patients with bacterial vaginosis. Metronidazole can be taken orally or by gel form. Another antibiotic which can cure this infection is a vaginal clindamycin cream.

There have been findings that Metronidazole when taken orally may have some side effects but it is considered to be the most effective way to cure this type of infection. A milder type of antibiotic which doesn’t have that many side effects is Tinidazole. These medicines may not be given to women who are pregnant since they may have adverse effects on the fetus.

There have been studies showing that those who take antibiotics to cure bacterial infections experience a repeat infection just a few weeks after taking their antibiotics. This is why there are people who would rather take natural cures for bacterial vaginosis since natural cures work by strengthening and enhancing the body’ own resources ensuring that an imbalance of good and bad bacteria will not happen.

Some home remedies to cure bacterial vaginosis include drinking cranberry juice daily until the infection goes away. Taking 1-2 garlic capsules a day until the infection is gone is another alternative. Likewise, eating yoghurt and drinking fresh milk with bacterial culture may also cure bacterial vaginosis.

Compared to its medicinal counterparts, home remedies or natural cures for bacterial vaginosis may take some time to take effect. While antibiotics can offer relief within a few days, home remedies usually take twice or even thrice the waiting time for the effect to kick in.

The good thing about taking natural remedies is that it does not disrupt one’s system and it doesn’t harm one’s internal organs such as the kidneys. There have been studies showing an adverse effect on the kidneys of people who have been taking medications for long periods of time. Since taking in antibiotics is not a one-time thing, drinking antibiotics from time to time, the kidneys could possibly be affected.

Whichever type of treatment one chooses, the most important thing is to cure the infection that has been plaguing the person and make sure that the infection does not return. Avoiding activities which may result in the return of the infection must be avoided at all costs since a recurrence of the infection may result in further complications.

Bacterial Vaginosis–Do You Have It?

What is Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bacterial Vaginosis is a bacterial infection in a woman’s vagina. This infection is normally just a mild infection that goes away after a few days without any medication needed. Most women do not know that they have bacterial vaginosis until they go visit their gynecologists for a check-up. So how does a woman find out if she has bacterial vaginosis?

A woman’s vagina has both good and bad bacteria inhabiting it. Bacterial vaginosis happens when there are more bad bacteria rather than good ones. No one really knows how a bacterial imbalance happens in a woman’s vagina but a woman is prone to getting this type of infection if:

• she has more than one sex partner
• she is using an Intra-Uterine Device (IUD)
• she has a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)
• she has a female sex partner
• she douches

A woman’s vagina naturally produces some discharges. This is nothing to worry about especially since this happens on a regular basis, especially if she is about to have her monthly period. If the discharges smell funny or “fishy” and the color is grayish, yellowish or white, one should go to the doctor to check if she has an infection.

Doctors find out if one has bacterial vaginosis through a pelvic examination and takes a sample of the discharge found in the woman’s vagina. The doctor also takes note of the appearance of the vaginal lining and her cervix. If the woman’s cervix is tender, this might be an indication of a more serious infection such as Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s). To make sure, the doctor may collect samples to check if the patient has Chlamydia or Gonorrhea.

In the laboratory, the sample is checked under a microscope and is checked if there are clue cells present. Clue Cells is almost a sure indicator that the woman has bacterial vaginosis. The pH balance of the woman’s discharge is also checked. If it is higher than 4.5, then the woman is more likely to have bacterial vaginosis.

Another test that the doctor may require from a patient is the “whiff test” using potassium hydroxide liquid (KOF). In this test, a drop of KOF is placed on the sample acquired by the doctor. If a fishy odor results, then the woman may have bacterial vaginosis.

Since some women have no idea of they have bacterial vaginosis, they should go to their gynecologists for a check up just to be sure. The sooner one finds out about it the better. If left untreated, and especially if the woman is pregnant, bacterial vaginosis may cause pregnancy complications such as premature labor, infection of the amniotic fluid and also premature birth.

Once diagnosed, doctors usually ask the woman to take some antibiotics to kill the bacteria causing the infection. Once done with the medication, the woman has to go back to her doctor to see if there are improvements in her case and make sure that she does not contract the disease again.