Vaginal odor cause by bacterial infection

Many women suffer from vaginal odor, despite regular cleaning and douching. Vaginal odor is something that starts from inflammation in and around the vagina. And the main cause for this infection is the bacteria, bacterial vaginosis.


What cause vaginal odor

When a woman suffers from bacterial vaginosis, she suffers an abnormal condition that is characterized with some fishy vaginal discharge. The cause of this condition is an excess of normal bacteria in the vaginal area. This condition was previously called Gardnerella vaginitis, when it was caused after the bacterium that was thought to start vaginal odor.


However, modern science has proved that there are different types of other bacteria that are found in the vaginal area, and cause vaginal odor. So instead of being called Gardnerella vaginitis, the condition is called bacterial vaginosis after these new findings. This is not an STD and is not passed through sex. However, it proves to be rather embarrassing and irritating, but one need not worry as it is not dangerous. However, if and when you find any unusual discharge, it is better to have it checked by a doctor to rule out the possibility of any other sexual disorders like Chlamydia and gonorrhea which are serious conditions.


Vaginal Odor symptoms
The main symptoms of bacteria vaginosis are of course, the fishy and foul smell it emits, along with a discharge that is grayish white. There is no normal amount of discharge here. So if you find any vaginal discharge that is not normal to you, have it checked by a health practitioner, to be on the safer side. There are also cases of women suffering from bacterial vaginosis, with no symptoms of it at all.


The cause to bacterial vaginosis has been attributed to an imbalance in the amount of natural bacteria in the vagina. However, it has not been able to implicate which bacterium is usually found out of balance in the vagina. So the solution in treating bacterial vaginosis does not depend on locating and eradicating the bacteria.

When you approach a physician with bacterial vaginosis, the physician will first do a pelvic exam to eliminate the chances of anything more serious. Then the physician collects some discharge to examine with a microscope. With this microscopic exam, the doctor can distinguish bacterial vaginosis from other problems like yeast. There is another test that the physician may perform, called the ‘whiff test’. Here, a drop of the testing solution of potassium hydroxide is added to the discharge to emit a strong and fishy odor.


vaginal odor treatment
Physicians usually treat bacterial vaginosis with a single course of antibiotics, with which it is usually cured. Very few women suffer from repeated infections, within a month’s time wherein another course of antibiotics will have to be started. However, with these antibiotics, there is the possibility of the woman suffering from yeast infections. This is the reason women are now seeking natural cures from bacterial vaginosis. There are some herbal solutions available today, which are quite effective in curing bacterial vaginosis.


There are basically no complications with bacterial vaginosis; however, there is a chance of a pregnant women delivering prematurely with infection of amniotic fluid and there is also a possibility of an infection of the uterus. This is why it is very important to report any unusual discharges that you experience during pregnancy.