Difficult to decipher a Symptom of Bacterial Vaginosis

Sometimes it can be difficult to decipher a symptom of bacterial vaginosis because it is often confused with another common female ailment, the yeast infection. But there are some very distinct differences.

While fully 50% of the women who have bacterial vaginosis do not know they have it, many women complain of the most obvious symptom.

A terrible odor or vaginal fishy smell that either will not go away, or the odor shows up or gets worse after intercourse.

While the odor is most often described as fishy, some women may interpret the odor differently but if there is a fishy odor coming from the vaginal area, then that is a pretty positive sign and symptom of bacterial vaginosis.

The most common symptom of Bacterial Vaginosis that women cannot stand and that causes them to take action is a bad or foul odor (often described as fishy). This odor may be more pronounced after sex. Some women also experience burning during urination or itching around the outside of the vagina. There are women that have Bacterial Vaginosis and do not have any of these symptoms.

Millions of women do not have any of the noticeable symptoms of bacterial vaginosis and therefore do not know they are actually suffering under a potentially harmful condition that could have an affect on a future pregnancy.

Another common symptom is a change in the discharge a woman normally experiences. It is difficult to describe what kind of discharge a woman may be having during a bout of bacterial vaginosis because it can appear differently in different women.

Color, amount and consistency of discharge can vary greatly but generally it appears as a thin milky white to pearly gray color that sticks to the vaginal wall somewhat stubbornly.

Usually discharges that are yellowish or have pelvic or genital pain are not a symptom of bacterial vaginosis.

Other than those 2 outward symptoms it can be somewhat difficult for a woman to determine she has bacterial vaginosis except for a visit to a doctor.

There is finally a home kit that can help you determine if you have BV but it mainly tests for the pH balance of your vaginal environment. If you have bacterial vaginosis your vaginal environment is often in a more alkaline state.

A normal vaginal environment has a slightly acidic state.

There is no singular cause of bacterial vaginosis and it may actually be more related to a series of events that bring it on rather than just one event.

Bacterial Vaginosis is most often related to the use of strong, prescription anti-bacterial drugs, poor diet, a unhealthy intestinal tract, over use of douches, birth control methods and a host of other possible causes.