What is Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bacterial vaginosis is a vaginal condition happening when the normal bacteria in the vagina overgrow.  It’s happens when the normal balancing systems of the body are overwhelmed or not effective.

The key sign of this condition is a vaginal discharge, which is foul often described as fishy. Usually bacterial vaginosis is not dangerous, but it can cause problems especially in women who are pregnant. If you have an unusual vaginal discharge you should check with your health care provider to make sure it is not a more serious infection such a chlamydia or gonorrhea.

What are the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis?

Bacterial vaginosis symptoms are vaginal odor and discharge. Rarely are there other symptoms. In fact, many women have no symptoms.

The discharge with bacterial vaginosis is thin, and a grayed white color. It tends to be more obvious after sexual intercourse.

Normal vaginal discharge varies by woman. So if the amount, color or smell changes it is a good idea to discuss this with your health care provider.
A large number of women with bacterial vaginosis do not have any symptoms with bacterial vaginosis.

What causes bacterial vaginosis?

The answer is no one really knows. It’s guessed that several different types of bacteria have to be present for this to happen. The vagina has its own special cleaning system normally taking care of the vagina.

The vagina’s natural cleansing system is made up of  a bacteria called lactobacilli. These bacteria kill off the harmful bacteria by secreting or giving off hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide prevents the harmful bacteria which doesn’t use oxygen  to live (anerobic).  So the harmful bacteria is unable to grow.

Certain conditions tend to increase a woman's risk of developing bacterial vaginosis. Some of the factors include new sexual partners, multiple sexual partners, use of vaginal douching, and smoking cigarettes.

It's not known why these factors lead to a higher risk. Though sexual activity is one of the conditions bacterial vaginosis can and does develop in women who have not had sexual intercourse.