What Is Bacterial Vaginosis & How Is it Treated?
Almost every woman has had the uncomfortable experience of having to endure a yeast infection. The infections are extremely uncomfortable. Unfortunately, they are not the only types of vaginal infections that can crop up. Yeast infections are obviously caused by an overgrowth of yeast. However, the vagina also contains a great deal of bacteria. What happens when the bacteria overgrow? Well, something called bacterial vaginosis can develop. Keep reading to learn about this ailment and how it can be treated.
What Is Bacterial Vaginosis?
Bacterial vaginosis occurs when the bacteria overgrow in the vaginal canal. The vagina holds yeast: bad bacteria and good bacteria. There is typically a balance between the microorganisms that keeps one type from overgrowing and overwhelming the other. When this balance is disrupted, one type of microorganism can overwhelm the others.
When bad bacteria take over and outnumber the good bacteria and the yeast, then an infection called bacterial vaginosis develops. However, you should understand that the infection is not like one that you may see elsewhere in the body. While the bacteria overgrow, they do not cause a tissue infection.
Bacterial vaginosis feels a lot like a yeast infection. However, you may see discharge that is yellow and the discharge may smell a bit odd. A fishy odor is likely present instead of the acidic odor you may notice when you have a yeast infection.
How Is Bacterial Vaginosis Treated?
Some bacterial vaginosis conditions will go away on their own. These are mild infections where the equilibrium imbalance between the microorganisms in the vagina corrects itself. However, if the issue is a bit more serious, then the body cannot always correct itself. Instead, you'll need to take medication to treat the infection, and antibiotics are typically prescribed. Courses of antibiotics must typically be taken for about one week.
Before bacterial vaginosis can be treated, your gynecologist will need to test your vaginal secretions to see if bad bacteria have overgrown. In some situations, the condition may have similar symptoms as an STI, so a diagnosis must be made to make sure something more serious is not going on. To get a diagnosis, you can contact local clinics like Naples OBGYN.
You should know that a yeast infection may occur once the bacterial vaginosis condition is treated. If you have ever had a yeast infection after taking antibiotics for a different type of infection, then you are familiar with this issue. The good news is that once the yeast infection is treated, all microorganisms should be in balance and no more symptoms will be noted.
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