Lifestyle Changes To Help You Get Rid Of Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an irritating condition that causes vaginal discharge and odor. Unfortunately, this condition is famous for coming back even after you’ve taken antibiotics. That’s why you need to know these home remedies that may help you get rid of BV for good.

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Transcript

Dr. Carrie Lam, MD: 0:11

Bacterial Vaginosis. Are you struggling to get rid of bacterial vaginosis also known as BV? This annoying disorder does affect more than 21 million women this year, per year, and it occurs when levels of the beneficial lactobacillus bacteria decrease. And that allows bad bacteria, like Gardnerella vaginalis, to grow out of control. And doctors aren't really quite sure why this imbalance happens. But anything that disturbs the natural balance of bacteria in your vagina can result in BV. Some common causes of imbalances

are: 0:46

sex, antibiotics, spermicide, lubricants, douching, having an IUD or other contraceptive in, and even poor gut health. BV might sound like a yeast infection, but they aren't the same thing. A yeast infection is actually caused by overgrowth of Candida albicans. And this can also occur after taking antibiotics. The symptoms can seem a little similar, but what is important is that you go to your doctor to get a diagnosis because the treatments are different. If you have BV, you may notice symptoms like pain or burning in the vagina, vaginal itching, white or gray discharge that has a strong fishy odor, burning when you urinate, and itching around the outside of the vagina. So, if you believe you have this condition, make sure you go see your doctor to get tested as ignoring this condition can actually have serious consequences like reduced fertility, going into early labor, or increased risk for certain STDs. So, once you're diagnosed with BV, then your doctor will probably give you antibiotics. Unfortunately, and annoyingly BV does have a tendency to recur after you finish taking antibiotics. And there are a range of lifestyle changes that can help curb these symptoms and decrease your risk of recurrence. The most effective way to actually overcome BV is take the antibiotics and also adopt these lifestyle strategies at the same time. So, here are our most effective lifestyle strategies for better vaginal health to prevent BV from coming back. Eating a good healthy diet will help support the growth of good bacteria in your gut and in your vagina as well. This means you should eat probiotic foods like fiber rich plant foods, yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, pickles, miso soup, anything that has good probiotics and prebiotics. You want to also eliminate food sensitivities as it can set off BV with the inflammation that it causes in your body. So talk to your doctor about trying an elimination diet and to help identify foods that your body might be reacting to. You might also want to wear loose clothes to let your vagina breathe when you have BV. So stick to loose clothing, cotton underwear, give it some air to breathe. Taking probiotics is a very good way to improve gut health, but also to increase the lactobacillus and Saccharomyces strains in your vaginal area so that you would crowd out the Gardnerella and the BV. There are also ways to actually get rid of BV like boric acid has been used for over 100 years and has antifungal and antiviral effects. It helps to inhibit the growth or reproduction of bacteria. You can buy these suppositories online or over the counter and you use them in the vagina once a day. For around 10 days. They're gentle. They usually have no side effects, but they shouldn't be done long-term. And always still ask your doctor about the utilization of them with your antibiotics. Garlic is also a great powerful antibacterial supplement that could help you kill bad bacteria in your vagina. And best of all, it's safe and causes few side effects. Also talk to your doctor about taking it first. Tea Tree Oil suppositories can help kill bacteria that are caused by BV and also preserve lactobacillus, making it gentler than antibiotics which actually kill all bacteria. However, you should never use straight tea tree oil on delicate skin. Some people can be very sensitive or allergic to tea tree oil, so you can use it as a suppository or in carrier oil. Make sure you test it on your skin first for a reaction before utilizing it. It's also important to know to eliminate irritants when you have BV. You need to keep chemicals and other irritants away from your vagina when you're healing. So avoid tampons, harsh scented soaps, menstrual cups, and douching because douching actually washes away a lot of your good bacteria. So, be careful to wipe from front to back to avoid any more bacteria into your vagina. You should also avoid sex when you have BV or at least use a condom as it will only introduce other irritants and bacteria into your vagina. That's what we have today regarding natural ways of helping get rid of BV or bacterial vaginosis. We hope you've learned a lot today. So make sure you like and share and comment down below. If you have questions, we're here to empower you to take control of your health.