Diagnosis
For mild cases, the woman only notices a foul smelling discharge in the vagina soon after male-to-female intercourse is performed. This is actually the most striking indication of the onset of Bacterial Vaginosis or BV. Other symptoms usually exhibit themselves depending on the advancement of this medical condition and the woman’s current state of health. Aside from the smelly discharge, other symptoms include: stomach cramps, irritation, itching, and painful swelling of the nether region. It is also common for women with severe BV to have large volumes of vaginal discharge that have smells that gradually increase in strength as time passes.
However, it should be emphasized that self-medicating with over-the-counter products can not only accelerate this medical condition, but it can lower the woman’s overall immunity to bacteria and other viruses as well. It is imperative that a health care provider is consulted immediately. Fortunately, there are now many ways of correctly diagnosing this problem; and thereby giving doctors more direct means of treating BV.
In order to gain a correct diagnosis, the health care provider first interviews the patient about what she has observed and what bodily changes she may have experienced. Once the doctor has a glimpse of the possible problem, he or she usually makes a speculum examination wherein the said tool is inserted into the organ of the patient. This enables the doctor to glimpse firsthand the vaginal walls and the cervix. Swabs are used to collect discharge samples. These swabs are then tested for: loss of acidity, fishy odor, and the presence of clue cells.
Loss of acidity means that the growth of the microorganisms in the female reproductive organ is not controlled anymore by the naturally occurring Lactobacillus. Uncontrolled growth increases the acidity level to beyond 4.5. The normal range of vaginal pH is only between 3.8 and 4.2. The swab is usually introduced to a piece of litmus to determine its alkaline level.
The whiff test is used to determine if there is a fishy odor emanating from the vaginal discharge. Potassium hydroxide is introduced to the swab, and scrutinized under the microscope. When the result shows positive (albeit microscopic) fishy smell, then it is an indication of BV.
The clue cell test is somewhat similar to the whiff test. However, instead of using potassium hydroxide, sodium chloride is used. Under the microscope, the cells in the swab containing vaginal discharge are usually coated with bacteria. This is a positive sign of BV.
There are couple of guides for anyone who suffers from Bacterial Vaginosis. Anyone who has gone through this knows that it can be a really embarrassing situation and it is best to treat it as soon as possible . The ideal situation is to cure Bacterial Vaginosis using natural treatments. Check out the treatments page to get a rundown on some of the products available to cure this disease.
