Natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis are an excellent alternative to conventional treatments, particularly if you are subject to repeated outbreaks of this unpleasant condition. Caused by an imbalance of the naturally occurring bacteria within the vagina, BV causes an abnormal vaginal discharge which has a strong fishy odor and is usually quite watery in consistency and gray or white in color.
The different strains of bacteria are essential to maintain the health of the vagina, but when a woman has bacterial vaginosis, this is an indication that
- there is less healthy bacteria than normal (lactic acid bacteria)
- there is an overgrowth of harmful strains of bacteria
- the pH level of the vagina has become alkaline, a shift from the normally acidic level
How Common Is Bacterial Vaginosis
BV is the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge and will affect a high proportion of women during their adult lives. It does not exclusively affect sexually active women but can appear in anyone at any point and often with no obvious cause. However, there are certain factors which seem to make it more likely and these are explored below.
Treatment
Conventional treatment usually consists of antibiotics. There are various natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis including the use of some simple, economical household substances, such as tea tree oil, cider vinegar, probiotic live yogurt and garlic. The natural remedy I recommend is Bacterial Vaginosis Relief which offers a safe, fast and economical way of getting rid of bacterial vaginosis-plus, it’s fully guaranteed too.
Natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis
should work in a multifaceted way to deal with a number of issues at once. Firstly, it is necessary to bring about symptomatic relief, particularly if the vaginal tissues are itchy or irritated. You also need to focus on replenishing the depleted levels of bacteria, as well as eliminating the harmful strains which have been allowed to overgrow. You should also be aware of the common contributory factors and causes for BV, ensuring that you remove these as far as possible. Once cured, you need to concentrate on strengthening the levels of good bacteria and building a strong immune system.
Outlook
Once it has taken hold, bacterial vaginosis can come and go with alarming regularity and this is one of the problems with taking antibiotics. Conventional treatment does not address the root cause and whilst antibiotics can be effective at removing the symptoms in the short term, unless you eliminate what is causing your outbreaks, it is very likely that BV will return and statistics indicate that a high proportion of women taking antibiotics will have repeated outbreaks within weeks. Conversely, natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis which focus not only on symptom relief, but on eliminating the root causes can have a high success rate.
Bacterial vaginosis has been linked to a number of other conditions. It increases the risk of developing sexually transmitted infections and, rather worryingly, seems to increase the risk of HIV. It has been associated with a number of pregnancy problems including miscarriage and preterm birth.
Symptoms Of Bacterial Vaginosis
For some women, the bacterial overgrowth causes no symptoms and is only detected during tests for other conditions. Symptoms usually consist of one or more of the following
- a thin, watery discharge, usually gray or white
- a foul, fishy smelling odor often worse after intercourse
- irritation, itching or burning of the sensitive vaginal tissues
- less commonly, a feeling of being “under the weather”
- using perfumed products around the vagina
- overwashing
- douching
- having a new sexual partner
- using an iud
- smoking
- eating a poor diet
- using strong detergents to wash underwear
- wearing tight, restrictive underclothes made from synthetic fabric
Common Causes
BV occurs when there is a change in the levels of the natural bacteria in the vagina, causing a shift from the normal, healthy mildly acidic level to alkaline. Although difficult to determine the precise reasons why this might happen, common risk factors include
Diagnosis Of Bacterial Vaginosis
Although BV is the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge, it is important that it is diagnosed to rule out other infections. This might be done from a description of your symptoms and by examination, looking for a thin grayish/white discharge and an unpleasant fishy odor. In some cases, this might be sufficient to confirm your suspicions although sometimes swabs and samples might be taken for further examination. A pH level higher than 4.5 is an indication of BV.
There is no doubt that many women discover that natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis are a more effective long term solution than conventional medication. However, it is important that it is used in a strategic and effective way, rather than relying on ad-hoc treatments pulled from the internet.
The natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis which I recommend on this website in the form of the Bacterial Vaginosis Relief ebook are instantly downloadable and guaranteed to work.
