What Causes Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bacterial Vaginosis, how did I get it?

If you think yeast infection to be the most common type of vaginal infection, you’d be mistaken! Bacterial vaginosis is the most frequently occurring vaginal infection. Statistics show it affects ten to sixty four percent of women at any given time. This infection occurs mostly during a woman’s reproductive years, although women of all ages can be susceptible to this infection.

Understanding Bacterial Vaginosis

The symptom of bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis is the inflammation of the vagina. However, this infection can even affect the urethra, bladder and skin in the genital area. Although, several strains of germs can cause bacterial vaginosis, its primary cause remains an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria and the Gardnerella organisms in the vagina. And these germs don’t come from outside, but are always present in your vagina.

Bacterial Vaginosis Causes

Researchers admit there’s a difficulty in determining exactly what causes bacterial vaginosis. Although, in certain cases the reason is quite apparent, in most cases it’s the combination of germs and other factors that causes this problem. Why the bacteria combine to cause this infection remains unknown. Let’s see what causes bacterial vaginosis:

a. Imbalance in vaginal environment:

A bacterium called lactobacilli is responsible for keeping a healthy and normal balance of microorganisms in your vagina. This it does by keeping in check other bacteria and organisms, like Gardnerella vaginalis, Bacteroides, Mobiluncus, and Mycoplasma hominis and the like, that coexist with it in the vagina. However, at times, due to certain reasons this vaginal balance is disrupted by the overgrowth of the ‘harmful’ bacteria. This overwhelms the lactobacilli, which fails to adequately perform its normal function, resulting in bacterial vaginosis.

b. E. coli:

Vaginal bacteria are not the only cause of this infection. A bacterium, E. coli, which is the normal inhabitant of the rectum, sometimes manages to reach the vaginal area, causing bacterial vaginosis. This may occur due to wiping the rear the wrong way, that is, from back to front, after using the toilet.

c. Physical condition:

If you’ve reached menopause or are diabetic, you’d be more prone to bacterial vaginosis. Also, if your body resistance is lowered due to certain reasons, you’d also be at a greater risk of this infection.

d. Multiple sex partners:

Since this infection can be contracted through sexual intercourse, those having multiple sex partners become more susceptible. Women who have never had sexual intercourse are rarely affected. What’s surprising is that African-American women with single partner still have a higher prevalence of this infection.

e. Other reasons:

Certain other reasons, like hot weather, poor health, poor hygiene, use of an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control, and routine vaginal douching can also cause bacteria vaginosis.

Since, in most cases, this infection doesn’t have a single reason, the diagnosis and treatment are not as simple as identifying and eradicating a single type of bacteria. However one thing is clear, you won’t get this infection from toilet seats, bedding and swimming pools or from touching objects.

Whatever be the cause, the good news is bacterial vaginosis treatment, in both allopathic and natural forms, is available and effective. However, the bacterial vaginosis cure shouldn’t be delayed, as an untreated condition can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometritis, cervicitis, pregnancy complications, post-operative infections, among other health conditions.