Bacterial vaginosis is different from bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is the presence of pathological bacteria in the vagina, which increases the risk of infection. What are the causes of bacterial vaginosis? How do I recognize my symptoms? What is the treatment?
Bacterial vaginosis(BV) is not the same as bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is the presence of pathological bacteria in the vagina in large numbers. - Under the physiological conditions of the so-called there is a small concentration of bad bacteria in the vagina, while the "good" bacteria, i.e. lactobacilli, are very large - explains prof. Włodzimierz Baranowski from the Department of Gynecology and Military Oncological Gynecology. - On the other hand, in BV we have the opposite situation - there are a lot of bad bacteria, while there are not many lactobacilli. These "bad" bacteria in the vagina increase the risk of infection, the expert explains.
Bacterial vaginosismakes women more susceptible to a number of sexually transmitted factors, such as HIV, gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis, genital herpes, and complications and infections that threaten pregnancy, such as premature rupture of membranes, premature birth, intrauterine infection or postpartum endometritis. It also increases the possibility of transmitting HIV to a partner.
Bacterial vaginosis - causes and risk factors
- Anaerobic bacteria such as Gardnerella and Mobiluncus are most common in Bacterial Vaginosis, says Prof. Baranowski.
The risk factors are:
- antibiotic therapy
- frequent use of swimming pools and saunas
- using inappropriate preparations for the care of intimate areas
- inappropriate hygiene of sexual intercourse
- smoking
- improper diet
Bacterial vaginosis - symptoms
- vaginal discharge - rare, whitish, homogeneous, with an intense fishy smell
- itching of the vulva and vagina, sometimes pain
Many patients (around 50%) do not report any symptoms.
Do not underestimate this type of ailments, it can have very serious consequences, that is, infection of those reproductive organs that require, for example, surgery - explains Prof. Newseria Lifestyle news agency. ThomasPaszkowski.
Bacterial vaginosis - treatment
Metronidazole is used to treat symptomatic bacterial vaginosis. However, recently there are more and more reports indicating an increasing percentage of the bacterial strains of the species Gardnerella vaginalis resistant to metronidazole. Despite the alarming reports on the increasing percentage of microorganisms resistant to metronidazole, it is still the standard drug recommended in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Its range of antimicrobial activity covers most anaerobic bacteria that are isolated from the genital tract of women with bacterial vaginosis. The advantage of this antibiotic is also the fact that anaerobic lactobacilli from Lactobacillus are completely resistant to it. Moreover, it is a cheap drug, readily available and usually well tolerated by patients.
Patients should be advised not to irrigate the vagina, use shower gel, and use antiseptics or shampoo while bathing.
An alternative in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis may be amoxicillin with clavulanic acid in the future, which is currently used as a second-line drug in the treatment of this disease
Gynecologists recommend special attention to intimate hygiene. They emphasize that it is also worth consulting a doctor when it comes to the selection of care products. - Among the huge number of intimate hygiene products, only a few have been subjected to any safety tests. Those that contain mainly suboptimal washing, coloring and fragrance substances can lead to vulvar skin allergy, the formation of the so-called vulvar dermatoses. These are very serious problems, often requiring many years of therapy, frequent visits to the gynecologist and causing many ailments - says prof. Tomasz Paszkowski.
Unfortunately, despite healing, the disease recurs in many cases.
Sponges should not be used to wash sensitive places, because they are the habitat of bacteria and fungi. Doctors explain that inappropriate interference with the physiological flora of the vagina or vulva can also be very unfavorable.
- There are natural and in most cases effective protective barriers based, for example, on strains of very beneficial bacteria from the group of lactic acid-producing bacteria. Interference in the form of, for example, irrigation, which removes these bacteria, can create favorable conditions for the colonization of these areas with bacteria, fungi or microorganisms that already cause disease states - says Prof. Tomasz Paszkowski.
Bacterial vaginosis cannot be underestimated
Source: lifestyle.newseria.pl