Antibiotics for BV

Antibiotics for Bacterial Infection of the Vagina

A detail of treating BV with antibiotics is presented on our site on this page. I am recapturing some of that here again, for a quick recap of the reader.

As you know, Bacterial Vaginosis is the most common infection of the vagina. It has been reported, that approximately 64% of all women will experience this frustrating condition at any given time mainly during childbearing age. If you are one of these women, it is likely that you are searching for a way to end your problem.

You have two treatment options to consider. (1) Treat with antibiotics. (2) Treat with natural cures for Bacterial Vaginosis. On this page, I shall focus on antibiotics for BV.

Like many women, your first encounter with bacterial vaginosis might have sent you running off to see your doctor. Who wouldn't? That fishy odor is extremely embarrassing and that's not to mention that terrible itching down below! You are likely to be prescribed with the antibiotics BV is treated with. Indeed, they will provide some symptomatic relief as they kill off the bacteria in your vagina. Antibiotics for bacterial infection treatment is a great starting point. Metronidazole is the typical antibiotic prescribed for curing BV.

However, one important point is that, antibiotics will provide only temporary relief. It kills the bacteria, yes, but it does not heal the imbalance of vaginal acidity, which is the root cause of BV. As a result, once the effects of antibiotics go away in 2-4 weeks, BV tends to come back. Ever wondered with BV appears to recur? This is why!

Antibiotics will kill off all bacteria within the vagina, both good and bad, and this means that as soon as treatment is finished, there are no beneficial bacteria left to maintain the healthy status quo and harmful bacteria will quickly begin to grow. This is why most women who take antibiotics will have repeated attacks.

Bacterial vaginosis is caused when the balance of bacteria within the vagina is upset. Under normal circumstances, the pH level of a healthy vagina is slightly acidic and this encourages the growth of good bacteria. When this level is altered, harmful bacteria will overgrow and this causes the symptoms of BV. There are various reasons why this might happen and one of the keys to treating BV is to discover what your root cause actually is, as this can vary from woman to woman.

There are some very good reasons why you should use natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis rather than antibiotics. Did you know that once you develop BV, it can be extremely difficult to eradicate and most women who take antibiotics suffer from repeated attacks often stretching over years and years?

On the other hand, natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis work in a completely different way. Although some natural treatments are used to simply kill off the harmful bacteria (such as tea tree oil), many are used to enhance the levels of beneficial bacteria, allowing the body to heal itself naturally without unpleasant side effects.

One very good way of reintroducing good bacteria is to use probiotic yogurt. Probiotics are rich in live bacteria and soaking a tampon in the yogurt and inserting it in the vagina for an hour or so can help to top up your depleted supplies. In addition, eating a healthy diet and taking a supplement can really help.

Although some women are skeptical about using natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis rather than antibiotics, there is no need to be. Antibiotics work within 3-5 days, whereas many natural remedies will start to work at least as fast if not much faster. It will very quickly improve the vaginal acidity levels, and thus kill off only the bad bacteria (thus eliminating the vaginal infection) as well as help the good health-friendly bacteria to grow back, thereby leading to a healthy vagina (unlike a pseudo-cured vagina under the influence of antibiotics). The key is allowing yourself to invest a little time and effort in your own healing.

I discuss natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis in complete detail on this page.