There are a variety of treatments that can be administered to women that have bacterial vaginosis. Upwards of 3 million women will be diagnosed with this issue in the United States alone. It’s an issue with the bacteria that is in the vagina. There are a lot of different elements that can cause this, and while the vagina can clean itself in some instances, it does have bacteria that needs to be balanced. An overgrowth of bacteria can lead to an infection, and could cause a variety of symptoms.
What Exactly Is Bacterial Vaginosis?
Before focusing on medication to help with the removal of this issue, you’ll need to first understand what this is. This is an issue that can affect all women that are of childbearing age. It may be caused by unprotected sex, as well as douching. Malnutrition and uncleanliness could very well cause the problem to increase as well. The symptoms associated with this inflammation can be a foul odor, itchiness, redness, and foul odor. The odor could very well be the only symptom in some cases, and finding a way to fix this is not difficult once you realize what this is.
Symptoms and What To Do
As noted above, there are a few symptoms that can manifest in regard to this problem. Symptoms can include abnormal discharge, swelling, painful intercourse, foul smell, itchiness, and an odor. Here’s the thing, these may not come through, as some individuals will not see any symptoms come through at all. That’s something that you may need to go to a doctor to figure out. If you feel that you have vaginosis, it’s important to start making a few quick lifestyle changes. You can start eating yogurt or take a supplement. Other than that, you can consider getting a prescription.
Prescription Medication Helps With Bacterial Vaginosis
If you feel that you are experiencing symptoms associated with vaginosis, you’ll find that a doctor can diagnose this overall. They will prescribe one of two things. The first could be a topical solution. Topical solutions include creams, and topical gels. These can help reverse the issue, and bring up the pH levels overall.
Aside from that topical solution, you’ll find that fluconazole is prescribed to individuals. This is something that is taken orally. The dosage is usually prescribed at 500mg and women will take this for 7 days, twice a day. In some instances, if there is a recurrence, the second treatment will be required to take 16 days total to get this reversed. In most instances, symptoms may not appear right away. However, one may see a doctor and can get a helping hand in reversing this.
Prevention Can Help Too
Prevention can be a good idea for many women. Prevention requires having the right probiotics in the system. Eating yogurt on a regular basis, and supplementing the right vitamins and minerals can help with evading this issue. Bacterial vaginosis is not uncommon, and can be irritating, but can be treated, cured, and even prevented in many cases. A doctor can assist, if need be, and there are treatments like fluconazole that work.