Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a vaginal infection caused when there is some change that occurs in the normal balance of vaginal bacteria. The overgrowth of the naturally existing bacteria in the vagina upsets the natural balance that results in vaginal inflammation.
During pregnancy or when you are trying to get pregnant, BV can lead to issues. Otherwise, there are no health problems recorded because of BV in women but certain activities like unprotected sex can increase the risk of getting issues.
Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis
There can be no symptoms at all in women with BV or there can be symptoms include:
- A thin, gray, green or white colored discharge from the vagina
- Vaginal Itching
- Fishy smell like a fillet you forgot about
- Feeling a burn during urination
There are some other infections too with a thick discharge and no smell.
Causes of Bacterial Vaginosis
There is a balance of vaginal bacteria that exists in your vagina. These bacteria are of two types, good bacteria called Lactobacillus and bad bacteria called Anaerobes. The disbalance happens in the case of an increase in Anaerobes that results in bacterial vaginoses.
When to have Consultation from a Doctor
As the symptoms of BV are almost the same as the other vaginal infections, it is important to consult a doctor to find out the right cause. Go to see your doctor in the following cases:
- A vaginal discharge is happening with a bad adore or you get a fever. There can be more signs that come with the fever that your doctor can easily identify.
- There can be a disease that can transfer when you do sex or when you change your partner. You might need a checkup for having a chance to protect yourself from such sexually transmitted infections.
- You are taking medicines without a prescription for yeast infection, but your symptoms are not leaving your body.
- You have got a treatment for vaginal infection before but this time, the color and thickness or the discharge is different.
Risk Factors of Bacterial Vaginosis
Your vagina is one of the sensitive parts of your body that might get multiple infections. You need to take extra care to save it from these infections. The risk factors that can become a reason for bacterial vaginosis are:
- When you change your sex partner for the first time or you have multiple sex partners, you might get some diseases that are being transmitted during sex and cause the BV infection. However, doctors do not understand yet what becomes the actual reason in the meantime.
- Douching can also be dangerous for your vagina, the sharp sprays or water showers, the scented soaps, bubble baths, and deodorants cause the unbalance that leads to bacterial vaginosis or other infections.
- You may have the BV infection because you naturally have less lactobacillus than needed.
- When you use IUD, the birth control devices inside your uterus and you have irregular bleeding then it increases the chance of BV. However, the direct cause is still unclear.
- Swimming pools and public toilets are also dangerous and cause BV and other infections.
Bacterial Vaginosis Complications
There are no high health risks associated with bacterial vaginosis in women but in pregnant women, it can be more dangerous. Some of the complications are:
- Bacterial vaginosis can result in premature deliveries and deliveries with low birth weight babies.
- If a woman already has BV, it makes her more susceptible to have sexually transmitted infections like HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc. If you have HIV and your partner does not have it, BV increases the risk that you will transfer the virus on to your partner.
- Having BV may increase the risk of infection after surgeries or procedures like hysterectomy.
Bacterial Vaginosis Prevention
You can protect yourself from BV by taking these steps:
- Do the cleaning with the mild and unscented soaps that are specially created for genital cleaning.
- Your vagina does not require any critical cleaning so do not douche as it is not clearing up the infection but increase the risk of having one.
- Limit your sex partners to minimize the chances of getting bacteria and diseases.