Early recognition of the symptoms is one of the strategies to prevent disorders caused by bacterial vaginosis.
Despite regular daily intimate hygiene and periodic gynecological check-ups, virtually all women experience one or more vaginal infections throughout their lives for the most diverse causes, not necessarily related to sexual activity or incorrect lifestyle habits.
To cause them can be yeasts such as Candida albicans (responsible for candidiasis), protozoa such as Trichomonas vaginalis (cause of trichomoniasis), pathogenic bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae or mix of microorganisms normally harmless as long as present on the vaginal mucosa in low concentration, but which become harmful when they begin to multiply excessively destabilizing the balance of the endogenous microflora.
In the latter case, we speak of bacterial vaginosis: a very frequent disorder in women of childbearing age that is often underestimated, not diagnosed or treated due to the scarcity of symptoms it involves and insufficient knowledge of the disorder, its manifestations and implications by the women concerned.
Problems associated with bacterial vaginosis
Unlike what happens in the case of Candida vaginitis, when bacterial vaginosis develops, itching, burning, pain and inflammation at the genital and vulvar level are almost never present, or are very mild and this can lead erroneously to believe that it is a minor disorder. In fact, this very common vaginal infection must always be recognized and treated because its impact on quality of life and the risks it can pose to general and reproductive health are far from trivial.
The immediate discomforts are mainly of a relational and psychological nature, since the bad smell characteristic of vaginal secretions (which appear whitish gray) during the episode of bacterial vaginosis, very intense and similar to that of spoiled fish, creates embarrassment in the couple’s relationship and in social interactions and cannot be completely eliminated even by intensifying intimate hygiene.
The health risks concern the fact that the presence of bacterial vaginosis caused by bacteria such as Prevotella, Mobiluncus, Gardnerella, Ureoplasma and Mycoplasma (as well as candidiasis or vaginal infection by Gardnerella, Chlamydia or Trichomonas) increases the likelihood of contracting additional sexually transmitted diseases caused by viruses or bacteria (including hepatitis B and C and HIV) during unprotected intercourse.
Bacterial vaginosis can also have negative consequences if contracted during pregnancy or shortly before conception. In these cases, the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight of the baby and miscarriage at an advanced stage of gestation, as well as uterine complications in postpartum (endometritis) increases.
The methods to protect yourself from the discomfort and complications of bacterial vaginosis exist and are essentially based on simple measures of intimate hygiene, good lifestyle habits, attention to intimate symptoms (even mild) that may arise and use of remedies that help protect the balance of the vaginal microbiome, maintaining the pH at the right acidity value (3.5-4.0) and supporting the metabolism of lactobacilli protective, which constitute the predominant component in conditions of well-being.
Risk factors to watch out for
The probability of undergoing bacterial vaginosis is closely linked to the local pH value, which in turn is crucial to ensure that each microbial species present on the vaginal mucosa multiplies in harmony with the others and, above all, that potentially pathogenic bacteria (physiologically housed in minimal quantities in all tissues of the body) cannot take over, determining more or less important disorders.
Any circumstance capable of altering vaginal pH (> 4.5-5.0) increases the risk of alterations of endogenous microflora (dysbiosis) and vaginal infections, such as candida and bacterial vaginosis.
Factors that can most easily make the vaginal mucosa less acidic and microbiologically more “fragile” include:
– inadequate intimate hygiene (insufficient or excessive) or conducted with detergents that are too aggressive or not suitable for female genital characteristics
– the use of synthetic or poorly breathable underwear
– the use of vaginal douches or the local application of cosmetics or spermicidal preparations
– taking oral antibiotics or other drugs to treat systemic diseases that may interfere with the vitality of the vaginal bacterial microflora or hormone levels
– the presence of endocrine or metabolic diseases
– the reduction of immune defenses of any origin
– intense and/or prolonged psychophysical stress.
Although bacterial vaginosis is not a sexually transmitted disease, frequent sexual intercourse, by transiently destabilizing the vaginal environment and altering its pH, can also increase the likelihood of the disorder arising (even if the partner is perfectly healthy).
A non-negligible increase in risk is also linked to the hormonal oscillations typical of the post-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle and to the presence of blood in the vaginal canal on flow days. In both cases, careful intimate hygiene with specific and good quality products is essential to protect yourself from dysbiosis and related discomfort.
Recognize early symptoms to prevent vaginosis
In principle, the best way to prevent any disease, including bacterial vaginosis, is to eliminate or, at least, minimize the impact of every possible factor that can increase the likelihood of developing it.
Of course, in real life this approach can only be partially adopted, both because you have to deal with non-modifiable predisposing elements (such as individual genetic characteristics) and because some preventive interventions in themselves useful clash with completely natural physiological functions (such as the menstrual cycle or sexual activity) or with the need to take drugs to treat other diseases.
In essence, therefore, even by systematically adopting reasonable precautions there will always be a minimal probability of experiencing bacterial vaginosis or candidiasis.
One way to compensate, at least in part, this residual risk and protect yourself from greater discomfort is to pay attention to the signals that your body sends, learning to grasp the initial symptoms of a possible alteration of the vaginal microflora in the bud and intervening promptly with remedies able to counteract it in the bud.
Key symptoms to consider include a general modest feeling of discomfort in the internal and external genitalia (vagina and vulva), mild itching or burning, or an early hint of a change in the appearance of vaginal discharge or its smell.
When recognizing these initial manifestations, especially if episodes of bacterial vaginosis have already been experienced previously, it may be useful to resort to preparations containing prebiotics and lactic acid to be applied locally, developed with the precise purpose of supporting the metabolism and multiplication of protective lactobacilli to the detriment of potentially pathogenic microorganisms at the origin of vaginosis.
Vaginal preparations containing prebiotics and lactic acid, freely purchased in pharmacies without a prescription, are available in the form of a gel to be inserted directly into the vaginal canal, using a single-dose dispenser conformed to facilitate delivery at adequate depth and in the right quantity. To achieve an effective rebalancing of the vaginal microflora should be applied once a day, preferably in the evening before bedtime and after gentle intimate hygiene, for seven consecutive days.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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