Bacterial vaginosis - an infectious inflammatory disease of women caused by the disturbance of vaginal flora, namely enhancing the growth of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The most common bacterial vaginosis occurs in women of childbearing age, but this disease is not protected by any woman. The exact cause of bacterial vaginosis is not known, but some factors increase the risk of the disease, in particular, unprotected sexual intercourse, genital infections transferred or frequent douching.

Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis

Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include:

• heavy vaginal discharge Vaginal discharge   white or gray color to a specific unpleasant odor (rotten fish), particularly after intercourse, or before, during, or after the menstrual period;
• itching, or irritation of the vagina;
• pain during intercourse;
• burning sensation when urinating;
• slight vaginal bleeding.

However, more than half of women bacterial vaginosis is not accompanied by the characteristic features of, in particular, there is no specific symptom such as discharge with an unpleasant odor, the disease is asymptomatic.

When you need to see a doctor

It is recommended to consult a doctor if you notice at the new vaginal symptoms, as well as in the following cases:

• You have never had vaginal infections. The doctor will diagnose the symptoms and help you learn to recognize the signs of the disease.
• Have you had vaginal infections in the past, but there was no such symptoms.
• You had multiple sexual partners, and has recently had a new partner. In this case, you can catch an infection, a sexually transmitted. The clinical picture of some infections, sexually transmitted infections, similar to the clinical picture of bacterial vaginosis.
• You have used OTC drugs to treat a yeast infection, but the symptoms did not disappear, you have a fever, or discharge are particularly unpleasant smell.

Causes of bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is a change microbiocenosis vagina: a sharp decline or disappearance of lactobacilli ("useful" bacteria) and intensive growth and a marked predominance of Bacteroides, peptostreptokokki, gardnerellas, mycoplasma, mobiluncus and other anaerobes ("bad" bacteria). When anaerobic bacteria become too numerous, disrupted the natural balance of microorganisms in the vagina, which leads to the development of bacterial vaginosis.

Bacterial vaginosis can be transmitted during sexual intercourse, but the disease also occurs in people who are not sexually active.

Risk factors

There are the following risk factors that contribute to the development of bacterial vaginosis:

• sexual relationships, multiple sexual partners or a new partner. The connection between sexual activity and bacterial vaginosis is not entirely clear, but the disease is more common in women who have multiple sexual partners or a new sexual partner. In addition, bacterial vaginosis is more common among women who have sex with other women.
• frequent douching. Frequent vaginal douching with water or special hygienic means leads to disruption of the natural balance of the vaginal flora The microflora of the vagina: purity That can cause intense growth of anaerobic bacteria and, as a consequence, bacterial vaginosis. Since the vagina is self-cleaning, there is no need to douching.
• the use of an intrauterine device. Women using intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) are at higher risk of developing bacterial vaginosis.
• Natural deficiency of lactobacilli in the vagina. If the nature of the vaginal microflora is not enough "useful" bacteria, ie lactobacilli, you are more likely to develop bacterial vaginosis.

Complications of bacterial vaginosis

In general, bacterial vaginosis causes complications. But under certain circumstances, bacterial vaginosis can lead to the following health problems:

• a complication of pregnancy prematurity. In pregnant women, bacterial vaginosis is difficult during pregnancy causes premature birth is the cause of low birth weight babies.
• increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections. As a result of reducing the acidity of the vagina of women to become easily accessible to infection by various microorganisms. First of all, it is the bacteria that cause genital infections - gonorrhea, chlamydia Chlamydia: insidious and widespread disease , Trichomonas. The probability of infection in women with bacterial vaginosis much higher than in healthy women. It is proved that women with bacterial vaginosis significantly more likely to become infected with HIV and more likely to transmit HIV to their sexual partners.
• increased susceptibility to infections after gynecological surgery. Bacterial vaginosis increases the susceptibility of women to postoperative infection after gynecological procedures such as hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and curettage Scraping - heavy and unsafe procedure   the uterine cavity.

Our body is inhabited by a huge number of micro-organisms, some of which cause harm to our body, but there are also useful to help, for example, to digest food in the intestines, or create a certain environment in the vagina, which prevents the occurrence of infections. If the number of beneficial microorganisms is reduced, then it develops a condition called dysbiosis.

What is vaginal bacteria overgrowth

Vaginal dysbiosis (bacterial vaginosis) - a violation of the relationship between the useful and opportunistic (under certain conditions capable of causing disease) microflora of the vagina without the development of inflammation. Useful vaginal flora is represented mainly lactobacilli that produce lactic acid and create an acidic environment that kills pathogenic and pathogenic microflora. Positive impact on the microflora of the vagina have female hormones. That is why in adult women rarely inflammation vulva, while children and older women, it is not uncommon disease.

But in some cases the number of beneficial lactobacilli is sharply reduced, the acidic environment of the vagina becomes alkaline, which contributes to the spread of pathogenic microflora, for example, microorganisms such as gardnerelly. It gardnerelly most often are the "culprits" of vaginal dysbiosis.

The causes of vaginal dysbiosis

The causes of vaginal dysbiosis may vary. They can be divided into external and internal.

External causes of vaginal dysbiosis:

• the constant use of antiseptics for vaginal douching;
• frequent use of antibacterial vaginal tablets and suppositories;
• regular use external contraceptives containing antiseptics;
• regular use of barrier protection with antibacterial properties (eg, condoms with spermicidal lubricant);
• Frequent use of antibiotics for the treatment of any disease;
• the use of different treatment methods that violate the normal microflora of the vagina (anti-hormonal, anti-fungal agents, radiation therapy);
• the constant use of vaginal swabs How to use sanitary pad - basic precautions ;
• prolonged use of intrauterine devices;
• promiscuous with many partners.

Internal causes of vaginal dysbiosis:

• hormonal disorders, primarily secretion disturbances and the ratio of female sex hormones;
• violation of the body's defenses (immune system);
• intestinal dysbiosis - conditionally pathogenic gets from the intestine into the vagina.

How does the vaginal bacteria overgrowth

The most striking feature is the appearance of vaginal dysbiosis vaginal discharge with an unpleasant "fish and cheese" smell. Typically, other characteristics of dysbacteriosis Signs of dysbiosis - depend on the localization process   can not be. But sometimes, some women experience a slight burning sensation and itching at the vulva. At the same external changes and usually does not happen only in the laboratory study can reveal dysbacteriosis vagina Dysbacteriosis vagina - how to fight? .

How dangerous is vaginal bacteria overgrowth? First of all, he could at any time go to the inflammatory process, and it is quite another treatment, and the consequences for the organism. This is especially dangerous during pregnancy. Dysbacteriosis also reduces local immunity of the vagina, a woman is particularly vulnerable to any sexually transmitted diseases. Violated and the process of conception, as the alkaline medium passes all the sperm, even those who have some kind of defect.

In addition, pathogenic microflora can cause inflammation at the women sexual partner (eg, urethritis).

Diagnosis and treatment of vaginal dysbiosis

In a laboratory study of vaginal discharge revealed representatives of conditionally pathogenic microflora, the most typical for vaginal dysbiosis, for example, gardnerelly. Today, there are complex systems analysis and evaluation of the results of different studies to detect vaginal dysbiosis (for example, the system Nugeta).

Treatment of vaginal dysbiosis spend long, because it is necessary to suppress the growth of opportunistic pathogens and to restore the volume of the normal vaginal flora. In addition, long-term violation of vaginal microflora necessarily lead to a decrease in general and local immunity - it also needs to be restored.

In order to avoid disrupting the natural vaginal flora The microflora of the vagina: purity , Do not abuse the general and local antibacterial agents.

Galina Romanenko