Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Change your lifestyle
• Part 2 of 3: What to Avoid
• Part 3 of 3: What is bacterial vaginosis
• Tips
• Warnings

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common types of vaginal infection. BV disrupts the balance of good and bad bacteria in the vagina. This condition can be easily treated with antibacterial creams or oral pills. Although the exact causes of BV have not been established, certain lifestyle changes and additional knowledge can help you avoid unpleasant symptoms in the future.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Change your lifestyle

1. 1 Complete your medication course. If you have been prescribed any medications, you must take them as directed by your doctor. Bacterial vaginosis can recur over and over again. However, if you are treated with medication, the chances of BV reoccurring will decrease.
   • If your doctor tells you to take metronidazole or clindamycin (these drugs are often prescribed for BV) for one week, you must complete the full course of treatment exactly as directed by your doctor.
   • Do not skip taking medications or stop taking them earlier than the time indicated by your doctor.
   • Even if symptoms go away after a few days, do not stop taking medications early, as this will increase the risk of re-BV.
2. 2 Include probiotics in your diet. Probiotics contain live and active cultures of microorganisms that help normalize the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract and vagina.With probiotics, you can increase the number of good bacteria and fight off bad bacteria. Some researchers speculate that recurrent BV may be caused by the body's inability to regenerate enough lactobacilli, which is the most common strain of normal vaginal flora.
   • Eating lactobacilli with foods such as yoghurts (choose with “live and active crops” on the packaging), soy milk, kefir, sauerkraut, milk, pickles and olives will help restore normal vaginal flora. To maintain the acidic balance of the vagina, you should eat about 150 grams of probiotic-containing foods daily.
   • Taking probiotics in concentrated form, that is, in the form of dietary supplements, has also been shown to help prevent recurrence of BV.
3. 3 Wear cotton underwear. Avoid tight jeans, tights, thongs, or underwear that makes it difficult for air to circulate around your vagina. It is recommended to use cotton underwear rather than nylon, as cotton is breathable and breathable, while nylon traps moisture and heat and thus contributes to vaginal infections, including BV.
   • Experts believe that wearing a thong increases the risk of transmitting harmful microorganisms from the anus to the vagina and thereby increases the likelihood of BV.
   • Wearing loose and comfortable skirts and trousers will speed recovery and help prevent recurrence of BV.
   • Sleep without underwear to improve air circulation.
4. 4 When using the restroom, wipe from front to back. This will help prevent harmful bacteria from entering the vagina. After urinating, do not stand up, but bend forward to reach your perineum with your hand and wipe with toilet paper from the front to the back of your vagina.
   • After wiping the vaginal area, you can wipe the perineum, anus, and the area between the buttocks.
   • Clean the two areas separately to prevent bacteria from entering the vagina from the anus.

Part 2 of 3: What to Avoid

1. 1 Refrain from promiscuous sex. BV is not a sexually transmitted disease, and the relationship between sexual activity and BV is not well understood, but the disease is more common in women who have a new sexual partner or multiple partners (men or women). Although there are few known cases of women contracting BV from men, safe sex practices and condoms should be used to protect against various sexually transmitted diseases.
   • BV is more commonly transmitted during sexual intercourse between women, when vaginal secretions and mucus are exchanged.
   • It is best not to have sex until you are completely recovered, or to practice total abstinence.
   • The use of latex-free condoms or oral pads within the first month after completion of drug treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence of BV.
   • Clean sex toys thoroughly to prevent the spread of infection or even reinfection.
2. 2 Do not use vaginal douches. Douching involves flushing the walls of the vagina with a mixture of water and vinegar or other solutions sold in pharmacies. In fact, these solutions wash out useful bacteria, which increases the proportion of harmful bacteria, degrades the microflora of the vagina and ultimately increases odor and increases the risk of infection. This long tradition is scientifically questionable.
   • The vagina has a self-cleaning function. The natural acidic environment of the vagina helps to get rid of harmful bacteria.
   • Douching does not help get rid of the infection and can only make it worse.
3. 3 Avoid using scented soaps, foams, or bath oils as they can irritate the vagina and disrupt its natural microflora. Instead, manually wash your genital area thoroughly with water.
   • You can wash the vaginal area with water and a mild soap.
   • Hot baths and jacuzzis can also negatively affect vaginal health. Limit hot baths if you want to prevent recurrence of BV.
4. 4 Do not use strong detergents when washing your underwear. These products contain chemicals that, when in contact with the vagina, can disrupt its natural microflora. They change the natural acidity (pH level) of the vagina. Use milder detergents and rinse your underwear thoroughly.
   • For washing underwear, it is best to use a mild detergent without fragrances or softeners.
   • If you are sweating, try changing your underwear as soon as possible. With an active lifestyle, you may need to change your underwear several times a day.
5. 5 Use unscented swabs and pads. Scented tampons and pads can worsen vaginal health. In addition, tampons should be changed frequently. Do not use the tampon for longer than recommended, as this increases the risk of bacterial vaginosis.
   • Use tampons and pads alternately during your period.
   • Use pads only as needed, as they obstruct the access of air to the genitals and trap heat and moisture, which encourages the growth of bacteria.

Part 3 of 3: What is bacterial vaginosis

1. 1 Learn more about bacterial vaginosis. Although the causes of this disease have not been established, certain factors are known that are more common in the diagnosis of BV. This disease is more common in women of childbearing age, from 15 to 44 years. In the United States, vaginosis is twice as common among African American women as among women of other races. BV occurs in about one in four pregnant women, probably due to hormonal changes.
   • BV is more common among women who do not use condoms but use intrauterine contraceptives than among those who use condoms or are not sexually active.
   • BV is not the result of poor hygiene.
   • BV can also develop in the absence of sexual activity, although many women diagnosed with BV report recent sex with partners (men or women). This can be vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
   • BV is not diagnosed in men.
2. 2 Learn about the symptoms of BV. Many women with bacterial vaginosis experience no symptoms. Signs of BV can vary, although most of them include the following symptoms:
   • Gray, white, or yellowish discharge. Such discharge is caused by an overgrowth of harmful bacteria and a violation of the normal microflora of the vagina.
   • Foul vaginal odor. Most often it is a “fishy smell”, which usually intensifies after intercourse.
   • No pain or itching. Sometimes BV can be confused with a fungal infection, or thrush. A fungal infection in the vaginal area causes white discharge, itching, and pain. If you experience vaginal itching, then you most likely do not have BV.
   • Pain when urinating. Some women experience a painful burning or tingling sensation when urinating.
3. 3 Learn how BV is diagnosed. If you suspect you have BV, you need to visit your gynecologist for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. The doctor will take a swab of the vaginal discharge. To do this, you will have to lie on your back in a gynecological chair. Your doctor will insert a spatula into your vagina to get a sample of your discharge.
   • In the laboratory, the acidity of the smear will be determined. A pH level below 4.5 may indicate bacterial vaginosis.
   • The doctor can examine the sample taken under a microscope. A small number of lactobacilli and an excess of "characteristic" cells (cells of the vaginal walls covered with bacteria) indicate BV.

Tips

• The sexual partners of patients are usually not treated, but in the case of recurrences of bacterial vaginosis, the doctor may consider this possibility.
• Use female condoms. During intercourse, they cover the entire vagina and thereby protect against disturbance of its microflora.

Warnings

1. • With a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), BV can lead to serious infection.
   • It is currently believed that BV can cause preterm labor and should be treated.

• Alcohol should be avoided while taking metronidazole or clindamycin (these antibiotics are often prescribed for BV), as it can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, skin redness, tachycardia (rapid heart rate above 100 beats per minute at rest), and breath.