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5 Common Signs of Vaginal Infections

Bernie — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:40:52 +0000

Are you concerned that some of the vaginal infection symptoms you’ve lately been experiencing may be a sign of a more serious vaginal infection?

Do you know all the signs of vaginal infections and the manner in which these signs typically present?

Vaginal infections are very common in women, but not all vaginal infections are alike. Each has a different cause, and thus requires a specific form of treatment. Unfortunately, the symptoms of the various infections can often appear very similar in nature, often making it difficult to determine a proper diagnosis.

However, there are a few subtle differences in these symptoms that may help pinpoint the specific type and cause of the infection.

To clarify this further, here we will discuss what the term vaginal infection means and its causes, followed by a brief outline listing some of the more common signs of vaginal infections and how these signs can differ depending on the origin of the infection.

About Vaginal Infections

Within the vagina there are certain bacteria. These bacteria produce a type of acid, which allows them to repel other bacteria and fight off various viruses and fungi.

This is a very delicate vaginal flora balance, and when this balance is upset – when something happens that lowers the level of acidity in the vagina – it can lead to a vaginal infection.

There are many factors that can lead to an imbalance of acidity, and thus cause vaginal infections. Some of these causes include :

Hormonal Changes. When women experience changes in their hormones it can cause an upset in the balance of vaginal bacteria. Women who are pregnant or going through menopause, for example, are much more prone to vaginal infections during these times.
Stress. Major and/or prolonged stress can also be a precursor to many vaginal infections.
Antibiotics. Ironically, antibiotics used to treat bodily infections can actually cause vaginal infections. Antibiotics can destroy the good bacteria in the vagina leaving the area susceptible to the “bad” bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Sexual Intercourse. Sexual intercourse, especially with multiple partners, may lead to a number of sexually transmitted vaginal infections (STIs).
Foreign Objects. Rarely, foreign objects such as tampons can cause vaginal infections, and possibly even a life-threatening condition known as toxic-shock syndrome.

There are several classifications of vaginal infections, but the three most common are vaginal yeast infection, caused by a proliferation of a certain fungus in the vagina; bacterial vaginosis, caused by an overgrowth of bacteria; and trichomoniasis, caused by a sexually transmitted parasite that infects the vaginal walls.

All of these vaginal infections lead to a condition called vaginitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the vagina, and one which tends to produce several of the most common signs of vaginal infections.

Five Common Signs of Vaginal Infection

There are several common signs of vaginal infections, and while only a doctor can properly diagnose the type of condition you’re experiencing, the five most common things to look for are :

Vaginal Discharge. While it is perfectly normal and healthy for women to experience occasional vaginal discharge, any abnormalities in the amount produced, or any changes in the color, texture and smell of the discharge, may be signs of a vaginal infection. Vaginal yeast infections, for example, tend to produce a grey-white discharge that is thick, almost curdled-looking. With bacterial vaginosis, the discharge is also gray-white, but much thinner and watery, and with trichomoniasis, the color of discharge is gray-green in appearance.
Irritation/Soreness. Vaginal infections can lead to irritation, including redness and swelling in the affected area, however this soreness is not usually experienced in cases of bacterial vaginosis.
Itching. Itching is one of the universal signs of vaginal infections, and is especially intense with vaginal yeast infections.
Pain when urinating. Several types of vaginal infections, including vaginal yeast infections and trichomoniasis, can cause pain while urinating.
Pain and/or bleeding during Sex. Pain during intercourse is very common during the early phases of most vaginal infections, and in rare cases, bleeding may also accompany this pain.

There are, of course, other signs of vaginal infections, but these five are the ones most often reported. While the disparity of symptoms of the various vaginal infections is indeed very subtle, learning to recognize these small differences could save you the time and expense of pursuing an incorrect treatment strategy.

BVCures Review – 3 Days to Permanent Bacterial Vaginosis Relief

Bernie — Fri, 27 May 2011 08:02:46 +0000

I came across BV Cures more than a year ago when I was researching for resources and articles for this website. I saw a lot of BV related websites spoke highly about BV cures. The curious me wanted to find out what it’s all about.

So I decided to get myself a copy of the book. Paid $39 for it.

The million dollar question is – Does it help you cure bacterial vaginosis? Read on.

What It’s BV Cures Is All About

BV Cures is a book written by Kristina Tomlin (herself a chronic bacterial vaginosis sufferer) to treat bacterial vaginosis using natural remedies. The keyword here is natural remedies.

No medication. No antibiotics.

If you are looking for a quick fix, I’m afraid this book might not suit you. However, if you are looking to cure bacterial vaginosis permanently, then you are at the right place. Kristina argued that the answer to curing bacterial vaginosis permanently lies in natural remedies. She gives you a list of natural remedies and ingredients that you can easily find at home, it not, at your local grocery store.

What BV Cures Claims

Now if you look at the book cover, it claimed “3 Days to Permanent Bacterial Vaginosis Relief”. Like you and many other women, I’m skeptical about this.

From my experience and conversation with other BV sufferers, you can’t cure bacterial vaginosis in just 3 days. You can do so with medications but that’s just a quick fix, not a permanent solution. Natural remedies CAN cure them permanently but it takes time.

Some people might find the program outlined by Kristina too hard to follow. It requires a major change in your lifestyle especially your daily diet and activities. If you’re not up to it, you might not really benefit from the book.

Kristina has a lot more info about BV Cures over at the website. Go see for yourself if it’s really for you.

Click Here to Go to BV Cures Official Website.

Bacterial Vaginosis Freedom Review

Bacterial Vaginosis Freedom Review

Bernie — Sun, 23 May 2010 15:09:50 +0000

I’ve actually heard a lot of good reviews about Bacterial Vaginosis Freedom when I communicated with many BV sufferers. So I decided to get it myself. I wanted to see what’s so good about it myself rather than listening to all the rumors and hypes. And I know that if it’s NOT delivering what it claims to be, I’m entitled to my 110% money back guarantee. Paid $39 for the book.

And when I finished reading it, I could really understand why so many women gave two thumbs up for it.

The main reason is because it was written by Elena Peterson, who is a chronic bacterial vaginosis sufferer for many years. She wrote in detail about her own experience in curing her chronic bacterial vaginosis.

It is broken down to a 3 step plan which has proved to be a fast, effective and safe solution for thousands of women around the world.

If you’ve been searching around the internet for bacterial vaginosis cure for sometime, you will notice that there are too many cures available today that focuses on the signs and symptoms.

However, Elena chose to tackle the problem head on. She focuses on the disease itself. And her unique approach to fight bacterial vaginosis would really blow you away. Be rest assured that Elena knows what she is talking as she’s a full time medical researcher.

In short, Bacterial Vaginosis Freedom will give you :

A 3 step plan how to use natural remedies to eliminate BV once and for all
How to immediately relieve yourself from the fishy odor, itching and burning caused by bacterial vaginosis using cheap and general ingredients you can find at home
5 very serious and common mistakes women tend to make which eventually leads to bacterial vaginosis
Valuable free bonus books - Natural Yeast Infection Cure, 100 Love Making Techniques, Candida Control Diet

The results?

Honestly, this varies among individuals. Elena claims it takes only 3 days. It took me 7 days. For some, it took 14 days. But one thing for sure, you WILL see results.

I wish I could have written more about BV Freedom. But Elena has done it on her website. So what could be better than listening from the author itself?

Click here to find out more about BV Freedom now.

BVCures Review – 3 Days to Permanent Bacterial Vaginosis Relief

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bernie — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:00:35 +0000

Bacterial vaginosis usually occurs with very obvious signs and symptoms for most women.

There are some rare cases where the women did not develop any signs and symptoms and only to have it detected during her annual checkup at the ob-gyn.

If you don’t give the ob-gyn a visit at least once annually, it is time to start doing so.

Some of the most common bacterial vaginosis signs and symptoms include :

Foul and fishy vaginal odor. This usually gets worse right after a sexual intercourse. You can see it from your partner’s facial expression if you don’t smell it yourself. (Further Reading : Are You Ashamed of The Fishy Odor Down There?)
Burning and itching sensation around the outside of the vagina. (Further Reading : Cope With Irritations Caused By Bacterial Vaginosis With These 5 Simple Ways)
Grayish or white vaginal discharge which are more than normal.

It is important to take note that all the symptoms above can happen at the same time.

How Can I Get Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bernie — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:31:26 +0000

There are many ways you can contract bacterial vaginosis. However, through science and research, it remains inconclusive of what exactly causes bacterial vaginosis.

The main argument is that bacterial vaginosis occurs due to the imbalance of bacteria found in the vaginal flora. There are the good bacteria called Lactobacillus and bad bacteria called Anaerobes.

Both these bacteria live in a perfect balance to form a healthy vaginal flora.

However, when the bad bacteria, Anaerobes overpopulates the good bacteria, Lactobacillus , then bacterial vaginosis occurs.

Even though bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal infection today, there are still a lot unknowns about it throughout the medical communities worldwide. There are questions like how exactly the Anaerobes (bad bacteria) plays a role in causing bacterial vaginosis.

There are also arguments about bacterial vaginosis is caused by having several sexual partners, but research results proved inconclusive until today.

However, you can greatly reduce your risk of getting bacteria vaginosis if you practice the general steps below.

Have only one sexual partner at any single time. This includes your partner as well. (Further Reading : How Oral Sex Could Easily Cause Bacterial Vaginosis)
Do not douche if possible. Otherwise limit it to once a week. Vaginal douching upsets the perfect vaginal flora balance which could be a breeding groud for bad bacterias and eventually lead to BV. (Further Reading : What Is A Healthy Vaginal Flora And How to Have One, How Lactobacillus Acidophilus Can Fight Bacterial Vaginosis)
Make sure that you know what you are doing if you’re using intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception. Find out more about it’s potential risks because having a IUD inside your uterus could lead to bacterial vaginosis.

There is a very significant link between one’s sexual activities and bacterial vaginosis. But it is not proven through research yet.

This is because a high percentage of women who suffers from bacterial vaginosis are very active sexually.

Bacterial Vaginosis FAQ

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How Can I Prevent Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bernie — Sat, 01 May 2010 12:57:18 +0000

Here are some common steps to prevent bacterial vaginosis and lower your risk of being infected.

Abstain from having sex is the best way to prevent bacterial vaginosis, other vaginal infections and STDs.
Limit the number of sex partners. It is not advisable to have more than one sex partner at any one time as this will greatly disrupt the balance of the vaginal flora. (Further Reading : How Oral Sex Could Easily Cause Bacterial Vaginosis)
Do not douche during bath, or limit it to once a week. Douching will cause the bacterias found in the vagina to go right up into the uterus and fallopian tubes which might cause other diseases.
Always practice healthy vaginal hygiene. (Further Reading : 7 Steps to Proper Vaginal Hygiene After Sexual Intercourse, 18 Steps Towards A Healthy Vaginal Hygiene)
Wear the right type of underwear and change them daily. (Further Reading : Does Wearing The Wrong Material of Underwear Expose You to Bacterial Vaginosis?
Keep a healthy daily diet. (Further Reading : How to Have A Healthy Daily Diet That Keeps Bacterial Vaginosis Away)

Bacterial Vaginosis FAQ

Can Bacterial Vaginosis Prevent Pregnancy?

Bernie — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:57:46 +0000

Did you know that if left untreated, the imbalance of flora in bacterial vaginosis can actually prevent pregnancy?

Bacterial vaginosis that is out of control can end up costing you your fallopian tubes by causing pelvic inflammatory disease.

It’s a human tragedy when this occurs.

The process by which this occurs is a three–step process:

The bad bacteria that is increased in bacterial vaginosis such as Gardnerella or Staph or Streptococcus or other anaerobic bacteria multiply to high numbers.
Looking for new tissues to colonize, the bacteria move upwards into the female reproductive tissues and can spread into the pelvic cavity. When they find a new place that hasn’t been colonized yet, they take over like terrorists, killing the good flora that is protecting these tissues.
Next the microbes start to cause destruction of the tissues. If the fallopian tubes are damaged by the bacteria, the woman cannot get pregnant the usual way which occurs using the fallopian tubes. The problem, however, is that the tubes may be damaged for good and never recover, leaving the woman infertile. This is what is meant by the phrase that bacterial vaginosis doesn’t prevent pregnancy in a good way.
If the microbes infiltrate the pelvic area, then it’s easy for them to cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID. An infection in the pelvic can damage any of the organs or tissues in that area.

Who would have thought that a simple imbalance of flora could become so harmful?

According to the American Pregnancy Association, the number of pregnant women that have bacterial vaginosis is 10-30%.

When bacterial vaginosis occurs in a pregnant woman, it can potentially cause problems with the fetus.

For example, a baby can be born pre-term or not grow as fast as it should in the uterus that is infected with organisms that cause bacterial vaginosis.

There are countless cases where these babies are born with a low birth weight, which causes them to be at risk for many health problems in life.

A pregnant woman with bacterial vaginosis is also at a higher risk for miscarriages.

Protect Your Vaginal Flora

It’s important for every woman to protect her flora.

The easiest way to do this is to eat yogurt as part of your regular diet. Yogurt contains the bacteria called Lactobacillus which is the exact same bacteria that your vagina needs to maintain normal flora.

By eating the microbe, it gets distributed to the areas that need it most through the blood.

If you are lactose intolerant, you can still benefit from yogurt by soaking your tampon in yogurt for about five minutes, then inserting it into the vagina. This is a good way to reintroduce the helpful flora.

Another way is to insert a capsule of Probiotics with the Lactobacillus bacteria into the vagina.

These are measures that can be done on a regular monthly basis. They’re an excellent way to protect your flora from a natural alternative perspective.

Does Douching with Hydrogen Peroxide Cure Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bernie — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:16:35 +0000

Is douching safe?

Many people believe that douching is harmful because it washes away the flora in the vagina. In fact, many physicians have stayed with the old feminine hygiene rule to not douche and recommend this to their patients.

In 2003, two doctors, Dr. Martens and Dr. Monif tried to set the record straight and published their findings about douching in the journal called Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In their study, they found that douching has little effect on the microbial flora.

Another physician, Dr. Mustaf, had previously proven that the vaginal bacteria counts after a vinegar and water douche were only temporarily decreased and these decreases did not lead to vaginosis or upset of the vaginal flora.

This is good news to women, because douching does leave a woman with the feeling of internal cleanness and freshness.

The Hydrogen Peroxide Douche

Besides the vinegar and water douche, there’s another way you can douche, and that’s with hydrogen peroxide. Researchers found that 89% of women with bacterial vaginosis had no fishy odor for three full months during the study. The method that they used in the study was a nightly douche with 2 tablespoons 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in water. They repeated this once daily for 7 days. It’s such a simple cure with such a simple and natural type of solution.

What’s the Alternative to Douching?

In fact, when you examine the current medical treatments prescribed by gynecologists, every one of them results in a high percentage of recurrent bacterial vaginosis.

Clindamycin and Flagyl are the two most commonly prescribed antibiotic treatments for bacterial vaginosis. Clindamycin is available as a vaginal suppository that is taken for three nights or for seven days as a vaginal cream. Because this antibiotic can cause serious diarrhea and possibly Clostridium infection in the intestines that becomes life-threatening, it should not be taken orally. These side effects do not occur in the cream or suppository forms.

Clindamycin cream can also cause antibiotic resistance.

Flagyl is also prescribed for bacterial vaginosis, at an oral dose of 500 mg twice daily for 7 days. This medication should not be taken during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Here’s the major problem with the treatments mentioned above: After each of these prescriptions were used for one week, the cure rate was 83% but a month later, 25% of those cured will have a recurrence. In studies that follow women’s cure rates even longer, the cure rates fall even lower.

There are other problems with these medications:

Clindamycin will kill healthy Lactobacillus bacteria in the vagina.
Flagyl gel isn’t clinically proven although the Lactobacillus bacteria remain intact.
Clindamycin can damage condoms.
Treatment can get pricey. Clindamycin vaginal suppository treatment is about $50 while the vaginal creams are up to $70. Flagyl taken by mouth is less than $20.
Flagyl taken orally can cause nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting.
Women who combined probiotics capsules taken twice daily for 30 days along with oral Flagyl prescription medication had twice the cure rate as those who only received Flagyl by itself.
Clindamycin cream treatment is associated with antibiotic resistance of the vaginal anaerobic bacteria in 53% of those who take it. The resistance lasted more than 90 days after treatment.
When antibiotic resistance occurs from Clindamycin, the resistance usually includes the antibiotics erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin. These are in a group of antibiotics called macrolides. The problem that occurs is that if a Group B Streptococcus bacterial infection occurs, these antibiotics won’t work, which can be a major issue in women during late pregnancy.

Cope With Irritations Caused By Bacterial Vaginosis With These 5 Simple Ways

Bernie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:51:42 +0000

Bacterial vaginosis is an imbalance of the vaginal flora. It has characteristic symptoms such as a grayish discharge, vaginal irritation, fishy odor to the vaginal secretions; however, all women with the disorder won’t show symptoms.

The irritation felt in the vagina from bacterial vaginosis can easily be handled with these simple and natural ways:

1. Douche With Yogurt or Probiotics

To do this, add a few tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures into the water in a douche bag. Mix thoroughly and douche. The process can be repeated daily for a week or more. If you use probiotics, simply empty a capsule of probiotics into the douche bag water, mix, and then douche.

When you douche, make sure you use either distilled water or water that has been filtered. You want clean and pure water. Tap water is not a good choice because studies have found that from time to time, tap water can contain high amounts of bacteria that can cause disease.

2. Use Tea Tree Oil

For this method, drop 2 drops of pure tea tree oil suitable for human consumption onto a tampon. Insert the tampon. Remove after a few hours. Then repeat again at night. Do this for a few days.

3. Vinegar baths

Vinegar is slightly acidic which can be soothing to irritated tissues. It’s also anti-fungal and antibacterial. Pour a cup into the bathtub that you’ve already filled with nice warm, soothing water. Then get in. Sit there and relax for about 10 minutes. Shower and dry yourself thoroughly afterwards.

Note: Make sure you disinfected the tub before you added the water to it! You don’t want to expose irritated tissue to a full load of bacteria swimming in the water!

4. Eliminate Wearing Your Tight Clothes

5. Use Anti-inflammatory Agents That Are Natural Such As Cat’s Claw

Cat’s claw is an herb found in the Amazon rainforest. It’s well known there (and by scientists) for its anti-leukemia properties and antidepressant properties. Cat’s claw’s official Latin name is Uncaria tomentosa and its nickname is Uncaria tomentosa.

The herb has also been used to help heal stomach ulcers. But that’s not all. This herb has great skin healing properties and can be taken orally. Take two 500 mg capsules daily until the irritation goes away. This herb will also boost your immune system. You can also make a paste with it and apply it to the area. To do this, just add a little water, make a paste and then apply it to the irritated area. Next, cover the area with a bandage or gauze. Let it soak into the skin.

You can see that by using these methods, it is pretty easy to continue on with your daily lifestyle; at home, work and in public places without having to worry about scratching because the area itches or having to worry about any pain caused by the irritation.

Don’t get overzealous and do all five at once! If you want to create better success, first do the douche or tampon with tea tree oil, next take the vinegar bath, and thirdly, take the cat’s claw. You may be pleasantly surprised at the quick results from such simple measures to deal with the bacterial vaginosis irritations.

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18 Steps Towards A Healthy Vaginal Hygiene

Bernie — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:20:38 +0000

It’s common to hear about oral hygiene that includes brushing your teeth, tongue, and gums as well as flossing. It’s also common to hear about the importance of good vaginal hygiene, which means bathing and smelling fresh down there.

Habits that Contribute to A Healthy Vaginal Hygiene

For healthy vaginal hygiene; that’s something we don’t hear about much, if at all, other than to wash the private parts area of our body from front to back.

When you take a bath, don’t just gloss over the vaginal area with the soap and washcloth. Get in the ‘nooks and crannies’ by spreading the vulva lips open and sussing them up. Wash the urethra area and the clitoris area. It’s important to wash all these areas because they have secretions. Wash the outside of the vagina and about a fourth of an inch on the inside certainly won’t hurt you at all. Make sure you wash the rectum with a nice soapy washcloth as well.
Before you have sexual intercourse, wash the genital area. It’s best to take a quick shower before sexual intercourse so you’re squeaky clean. That way you’ll feel more confident.
After you have sexual intercourse, wash the genital area. That doesn’t mean to do it hours later. Try to hop into the shower or at least wash at the sink within 20 minutes.
After washing, dry the area. Wet areas attract bacteria that breed faster when moisture is around.
When menstruating, change the pad or tampon after three or four hours or when it becomes moist.
Tampons have been found in the research studies to cause micro-ulcerations of the vaginal tissue. This makes it easier for bacteria and sexually-transmitted diseases to lodge in the tissues. Consider using sanitary pads, not tampons.
Don’t use tampons at times other than when you have your period. Using them to soak up a vaginal discharge means that you’re not addressing what’s happening in your body. If the vaginal discharge is in excess, get a medical doctor to evaluate it.
Never wear a tampon for more than 8 hours. You must keep track mentally of when a tampon is inserted and when it comes out. Women especially in their 20s can sometimes forget they inserted a tampon and then a day or two later when a bad smell emanates from their vagina, they may remember it. If this happens, do not douche. The tampon will start degrading and disintegrating. Meanwhile, there are clumps of bacteria reproducing wildly. Douching will send the bacteria up higher and could end up causing pelvic inflammatory disease. In this case, you have two choices: 1) go to the doctor and let him/her deal with it professionally, or 2) start pulling out the pieces on your own after you washed your hands, then go to the doctor to make sure it’s all out. You maintain some dignity with choice #2.
Remember the women who lived before you in the 1970s and 1980s that developed Toxic Shock Syndrome. Some of them died. They used tampons that were super-absorbent and made of rayon. Remember also that Toxic Shock Syndrome never existed before feminine hygiene product companies started using super-absorbent cotton and added dioxin and bleaching agents.
Give up wearing tight pants and tight underwear. They cause friction that becomes an irritation to the vagina and can break down the tissues, allowing bacterial infections to start.
Cover public toilet seats with paper before sitting down. Every time you flush, bacteria are thrust into the air from the toilet.
Change your underwear daily or more often if necessary.
Change your underwear if it becomes wet.
Do not sit around for hours in a wet swimsuit.
If you suspect that you have a vaginal infection, make an appointment for medical help within 24 hours.
Eat yogurt regularly in your diet. This helps maintain the proper pH of the vagina.
Take probiotics supplements whenever possible.
Sex toys that are inserted into the vagina can be harmful. Think about it: what are they made of? Plastics, including PVC. Do you really want polyvinylchloride chemicals that close to your delicate reproductive tissues? Have you seen the rates of cancer and reproductive system disorders lately?