What is Bacterial Vaginosis and Can it Be Cured?
What is Bacterial Vaginosis? Bacterial vaginosis also commonly known as (BV) is a female condition where there is an overgrowth of bacteria.
The area can be itchy, painful and smelly (usually a fishy odour).
There can also be discharge and a burning sensation.
(Symptoms can be none, some or all of these).
Who is most susceptible to Bacterial Vaginosis? BV can affect all women of all ages, but it most commonly affects women of childbearing age.
It is also very common in pregnant women.
How is Bacterial Vaginosis contracted? There is little evidence as to how BV is contracted.
What is known is that it is associated with an imbalance of the bacteria that is found in a woman's vagina.
We all have bacteria in our bodies, and good bacteria is totally harmless.
Women have a balance of 'good' and 'bad' bacteria in their vaginas and BV occurs when the balance is tipped in favor of the bad bacteria.
There are some commonalities in what puts women more at risk of contracting BV e.
g.
having sex with a new partner, however, women who are not yet sexually active can also contract BV.
I would just like to add at this point that it is impossible to catch BV from public toilet seats or someone else's bed linen etc (these ARE old wives tales).
What are the first noticeable signs and symptoms of BV? The first most obvious sign is a discharge (usually white or gray in appearance) that emits a very unpleasant odour (like fish).
This can be more prevalent after having sexual intercourse.
With BV, there may be a burning sensation when passing water.
This is very often accompanied by itching around the outside of the vagina (can be very embarrassing).
Having laid out all of the most common symptoms, some women with BV experience none of these symptoms at all.
Pregnant women are more susceptible to BV, how does it affect mother and baby? Women who have experienced BV whilst pregnant, more often give birth to babies of lower birth weight or prematurely.
There can be complications.
The bacteria that causes BV can sometimes infect the womb and the fallopian tubes.
This is commonly known as PID.
PID can sometimes cause infertility or at a later date cause an ectopic pregnancy.
This can be a life threatening condition where the fertilised egg grows outside the uterus.
How is bacterial vaginosis diagnosed? The only way to get confirmation of Bacterial Vaginosis is to have a fluid sample taken from the vagia and tested.
Can Bacterial Vaginosis be treated? Yes, sometimes BV will clear up on it's own, however all women should be treated to avoid further complications.
BV is treatable with antibiotics, however BV can recur after treatment.
Natural and holistic methods have also proven to be very effective in some women.
The area can be itchy, painful and smelly (usually a fishy odour).
There can also be discharge and a burning sensation.
(Symptoms can be none, some or all of these).
Who is most susceptible to Bacterial Vaginosis? BV can affect all women of all ages, but it most commonly affects women of childbearing age.
It is also very common in pregnant women.
How is Bacterial Vaginosis contracted? There is little evidence as to how BV is contracted.
What is known is that it is associated with an imbalance of the bacteria that is found in a woman's vagina.
We all have bacteria in our bodies, and good bacteria is totally harmless.
Women have a balance of 'good' and 'bad' bacteria in their vaginas and BV occurs when the balance is tipped in favor of the bad bacteria.
There are some commonalities in what puts women more at risk of contracting BV e.
g.
having sex with a new partner, however, women who are not yet sexually active can also contract BV.
I would just like to add at this point that it is impossible to catch BV from public toilet seats or someone else's bed linen etc (these ARE old wives tales).
What are the first noticeable signs and symptoms of BV? The first most obvious sign is a discharge (usually white or gray in appearance) that emits a very unpleasant odour (like fish).
This can be more prevalent after having sexual intercourse.
With BV, there may be a burning sensation when passing water.
This is very often accompanied by itching around the outside of the vagina (can be very embarrassing).
Having laid out all of the most common symptoms, some women with BV experience none of these symptoms at all.
Pregnant women are more susceptible to BV, how does it affect mother and baby? Women who have experienced BV whilst pregnant, more often give birth to babies of lower birth weight or prematurely.
There can be complications.
The bacteria that causes BV can sometimes infect the womb and the fallopian tubes.
This is commonly known as PID.
PID can sometimes cause infertility or at a later date cause an ectopic pregnancy.
This can be a life threatening condition where the fertilised egg grows outside the uterus.
How is bacterial vaginosis diagnosed? The only way to get confirmation of Bacterial Vaginosis is to have a fluid sample taken from the vagia and tested.
Can Bacterial Vaginosis be treated? Yes, sometimes BV will clear up on it's own, however all women should be treated to avoid further complications.
BV is treatable with antibiotics, however BV can recur after treatment.
Natural and holistic methods have also proven to be very effective in some women.