Women are prone to acquiring different types of infection. One very common infection they usually suffer from is bacterial vaginosis, wherein 1 out of 3 women would have such condition at least once or twice in their lifetime. This is also referred to as nonspecific vaginitis and in the past was also called Gardnerella vaginitis. It comes as a mild infection at times that most women don’t even notice it. It is a condition caused by the imbalance on the growth of good and bad bacteria in the vagina, wherein the bad bacteria becomes more active than the good bacteria. The most common symptom includes a thin white or gray colored vaginal discharge with a foul-smelling odor and soreness or itchiness in some cases. The symptoms can be really irritating and uncomfortable that most women would want to know how to treat it and would want to know how long bacterial vaginosis last, and are also wondering if it will go away on its own.
In most cases, mild bacterial vaginosis goes away on its own without treatment in just a few days. It usually clears once the imbalance on the growth of bad bacteria goes back to normal. This occurs when the natural vaginal lactobacilli becomes more prominent and goes back to normal levels, causing the outgrowth of bad bacteria to drop. The lactobacilli or good bacteria produce lactic acid which makes the vagina acidic, thus preventing bad bacteria to thrive. In some other cases where the condition is more severe and medical treatment is needed, it is best to consult a physician for the prescription of antibiotics. A gynecologists would be the best healthcare professional to get in touch with, though other primary care professionals can also definitely help. Bacterial vaginosis usually goes away in 2 or 3 days when treated with antibiotics, but patients are normally instructed to continue their treatment or medication up to 7 days. It is important to take a full course of the prescribed antibiotic within the required duration to avoid the recurrence of vaginal infection.
Antibiotics are said to be 90% effective in treating bacterial vaginosis and the condition can possibly come back within 3 months. In cases like this, the patient will be prescribed a stronger dose of antibiotic up until the symptoms of infection are all cleared. If symptoms still persist even after a series of antibiotic treatments, the patient will need to undergo more tests as bacterial vaginosis may just be a symptom of a more serious underlying disease. Mild cases of this vaginal infection at times would not show any symptoms and may go away on its own after a few days just as long as the body has a strong immunity against bad bacteria. There are some women who look for alternative medication or home remedies and are recommended probiotic products like live yoghurt. These are said to help treat mild symptoms, however, research and studies made on probiotic products do not show strong evidence that it can actually treat the condition. Therefore, it’s still best to get help from a physician to best take care of every woman’s health.
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