Vaginitis

“VAGINITIS” IS A TERM that refers to an inflammation of the vagina. Most women will experience some disruption of the normal condition of ‘the vagina at least once in their lives; some are plagued by constant and disruptive irritations. One of the problems in dealing with vaginitis is figuring out exactly what’s causing it. Often, women are treated for a problem they don’t have while the cause of their vaginitis goes undetected.

Many women are mystified because they get frequent vaginal infections. I’ve had patients who’ve told me that they are just “learning to live with it.” I don’t think that’s ever really necessary. If you get frequent infections there’s a reason. Here are the three main causes of reinfection:

1. You aren’t treating the infection correctly in the first place, either because your doctor misdiagnosed the type of infection or because you’ve been treating it yourself without knowing exactly what type of infection you have.
2. Your infection has become a systemic infection that can’t be cleared up with local treatment. This is common with candidiasis.
3. Your boyfriend or husband is infected and keeps reinfecting you. If this is the case, you must be sure that your partner is treated along with you.

Most cases of vaginitis, particularly infectious vaginitis, will need to be treated by a doctor. Because it’s so important to identify the cause of the infection and because in most cases the cure requires a prescription medication, you should insist on a precise diagnosis from your doctor. On the other hand, if you’ve been diagnosed in the past as having a particular type of infection and you are certain that you are experiencing the same thing again, particularly if it’s candidiasis, you can begin some treatments yourself. And if your case of vaginitis is not infectious-if it’s caused by an irritant-you can probably deal with it yourself. I’ve outlined the basic types of vaginitis here so you’ll be familiar with the possibilities.

The most common type of infectious vaginitis is caused by Candida albicans, the fungus that is normally present in the vagina but which grows uncontrolled when something causes an imbalance in its environment. Most women know that they have a Candida infection because of the typical itch and cheesy discharge that accompanies it. For a more detailed description of this problem, which is often more than a simple vaginal infection.

Trichomoniasis or “trich” is the second-most prevalent type of vaginal infection. Its common symptom is a greenish white or yellowish discharge that has a foul odor. Unlike Candida albicans, which is normally present in the vagina, trich is a protozoan that is most commonly introduced through sexual contact. A doctor can identify trich infection easily under a microscope and provide a prescription to fight it. A sexual partner should be treated at the same time.

Herpes is a viral infection that’s almost always transmitted through sexual contact. Symptoms commonly appear two to eight days after sexual contact with an infected partner. A woman will notice tiny itchy red bumps on her vulva that develop into painful blisters and ultimately burst. (A man will have similar symptoms on his genitals.) A woman who is concerned that she may have genital herpes should see her doctor, as there is now a prescription treatment that is helpful.

Chlamydia is becoming the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Usually there are no symptoms until the disease is fairly well advanced. If you are under the age of twenty-five, if you have had multiple sexual partners, if your cervix bleeds when your doctor swabs it, there is a chance you may be infected. Chlamydia can cause tubal scarring, an important cause of infertility. Women who are pregnant and suspect that they have a vaginal infection should ask their doctor to test them for chlamydia, as it can cause problems for their babies.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted vaginal infection that needs to be identified and treated by a doctor with antibiotics. While a man infected with gonorrhea will have an obvious discharge and painful urination, a woman may have no symptoms and thus has to rely on the honesty of her sexual partner or a lab test. Again, if a woman has any reason to suspect that she has gonorrhea, she should be in touch with her doctor immediately, as untreated cases cause infertility.

In addition to infectious vaginitis, there’s also irritant vaginitis, which is caused by something that is irritating the vagina. The irritants can include chemicals and/or allergens such as those from laundry detergents, spermicides, feminine hygiene products, latex condoms, or soaps; foreign bodies including tampons or diaphragms left in too long; or traumatic irritants that include sexual activity or physical trauma to the vagina.

Finally, there’s hormonal vaginitis. The most common hormonal vaginitis is atrophic vaginitis. This is usually a problem for postmenopausal women and women who have had their ovaries removed. Its symptoms include itching, burning, and a watery discharge. It’s caused by a thinning of vaginal secretions due to lowered hormonal activity. A woman who suspects this problem should see her doctor.

Another type of hormonal vaginitis is increased vaginal discharge-resulting from monthly changes in hormonal levels. Most women know their bodies well enough to recognize that they will experience different levels of vaginal discharge at different times of the month, but some find that the heavier discharge at the time of ovulation is a disturbance and they ask their doctors about it. Usually it is nothing more than a simple hormonal variation, and there is nothing that can or should be done.

As mentioned above, most vaginal infections will require the help of a gynecologist to treat and cure the condition. As candida and trichomonas can recur in some women, I’m including here a list of precautions that can help maintain a healthy bacterial level in the vagina and prevent recurrence.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR VAGINITIS

SEE YOUR GYNECOLOGIST TO TREAT AND CURE THE CONDITION. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE FOLLOW THESE SUGGESTIONS:

• Do not wear tight pants or pantyhose. Excessive moisture invites infection. Cotton panties allow air to circulate and are preferable to nylon ones.
• Add the Lactobacillus acidophilus culture to your diet by eating a dally portion of yogurt that contains live cultures (it must say so on the label)or by taking acidophilus capsules, available in health food stores, I usually recommend three capsules daily.
• Betadine, an antibacterial agent available at pharmacies, is helpful in fighting vaginal Infections including candida and tritch. It kills most organisms within thirty seconds. Do not overuse this or any other douche; once a day for one week should be enough.
• Be sure to have your sexual partner along with you, especially if you have recurrent infections.
• If possible, discontinue sexual activity for the duration of your infection to reduce irritation to infected tissues and to avoid re-infection

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• Vitamin C: 1,000 mg. daily
• Vitamin E: 400 I.U. daily.
• Beta-carotene: 10,000 I.U. daily.