Bacterial Vaginosis or BV is caused by a bacterial infection. In a natural and healthy state, the vagina is populated by a certain type of bacteria called Lactobacillus bacteria. This type of bacteria is non-toxic to humans and causes no harm and is quite beneficial because the presence of Lactobacillus prevents the growth of other kinds of more harmful bacteria and fungi. The reason for this lies in the fact that Lactobacillus is a peroxide creating organism and this peroxide creates an environment that is not conducive to the growth of other kinds of bacteria.
Things start to go wrong when the acid balance in the vagina is affected. This can be because of a number of reasons like too much moisture allowed to accumulate, multiple sexual encounters in a short period of time, the use of antibiotics, and the improper use of clothing. Once the acid or PH balance is affected, other kinds of bacteria move in and start to multiple overwhelming the existing colonies of lactobacillus bacteria. The infection then begins and the person starts to see the symptoms soon after with a characteristic “fishy” smell from the vaginal region, a gray colored discharge, irritation, and itching. Bacterial vaginosis is confirmed in the lab using the “whiff” test whereby a swab contain vaginal secretions is taken and potassium hydroxide is added to it, which will cause a fishy smell to emanate. The PH balance of the secretion is also checked and finally a culture of epithelial cells is also observed under the microscope before the diagnosis of BV is pronounced.
The treatment of BV is done medically with the use of antibiotics, namely metronidazole and clindamycin. This is used in consonance with antiseptic gels, the introduction of lactobacillus into the vagina, and altering the PH balance to bring the vagina back to its more acidic state. Home remedies for BV revolve around the same principle of using a compound with antibiotic properties. Natural antibiotics are available in the form of tea tree oil, ginger and garlic. Ideally, being a very sensitive area, the use of gels that contain tea tree oil should only be used as prescribed by a gynecologist. The use of ginger and garlic would be through oral ingestion in the form of ginger tea and food that contains garlic. It is also prescribed that a milk bath would be beneficial during this period. While this may not be practical, an application of milk in the vaginal area like a balm would be useful since milk contains lactobacillus.