Bacterial vaginosis shares similar symptoms with a yeast infection, but some women experience no symptoms at all.
So how can you tell if you have it?
These anaerobic bacteria includeGardnerella vaginalis,Prevotella Peptostreptococcus, andBacteroidesspecies.
“Lactobacilli produces lactic acid, which helps maintain the acidic environment in the vagina.
“A hallmark of BV is a foul, fish odor.
National Library of Medicine.
Here are some things that can actually be the cause of bacterial vaginosis.
It might sound counterintuitive, but using these cleansing products can actually make things worse.
Be careful only to cleansing the vulva and perineal area and to avoid deep cleansing within the vaginal canal.
Some studies have shown that having multiple partners or a new partner can lead to BV infections.
This is likely due to the disruption in the vagina pH by new sperm,” says Dr. Pai.
Dr. Phillips says having your partnerwear a condomcan also help prevent BV.
A 2014 study inThe Journal of Gerontologyalso shows that BV is prevalent in postmenopausal women.
Wave 2 vaginal swabs happened five years later.
BV is also common in pregnant womendue to changes in hormones.
TheCDCreports that BV affects 25 percent of pregnant women.
If left untreated, it can negatively affect the health of the baby.
Moreover, some women have reported having BV during the end oftheir period.
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Smoking Cigarettes
Studies also show that smoking cigarettes can increase your risk of BV.
More research is needed to understand how smoking can cause BV.
Alternative treatment regimens include the antibioticstinidazoleorsecnidazole.
(Your doctor can prescribe these for you.)
“These treatments work by providing delivery of lactobacilli to the vagina.
“However, there is limited data to suggest a probiotic withL.
crispatuscould provide benefit specifically for vaginal health.”
After a week of treatment, there was a two-week washout period before starting the second treatment.
“Recurrent infections can negatively impact relationships if women feel self-conscious about the symptoms or avoid intimate contact.
