As the name implies, bacterial vaginosis is a genital infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the genital area. As with other inflammations caused by bacterial growth, the only drugs that have been shown to be clinically effective are antibiotics. However, quite a lot of women who try to treat bacterial vaginosis using natural ingredients. If you're interested in doing so, understand that seeing a doctor if you think you have symptoms of bacterial vaginosis is still the top recommendation, especially since the disease can be accompanied by symptoms that mimic other vaginal complications and can only be diagnosed accurately by a doctor. If not treated immediately, bacterial vaginosis can cause annoying pain and discomfort. In addition, the intensity has the potential to worsen and can affect your fertility.
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Method 1 of 3: Doing Topical Treatment
Step 1. Soak the lower body area with apple cider vinegar solution
In fact, apple cider vinegar has long been used to treat bacterial vaginosis naturally. To relieve your symptoms, try pouring 120 ml of apple cider vinegar into a bath filled with hot water and soaking the lower body area for at least 10 minutes.
- Topical use of vinegar can make the skin layer too dry or even damaged. Therefore, this method should only be done once a day.
- If you want, you can also drink a little apple cider vinegar to keep the vaginal pH normal.
- If there is a burning sensation around the vagina due to the use of vinegar, immediately remove it and rinse the lower body area with clean warm water.
- Do not put vinegar in the vagina!
Step 2. Insert the yogurt into the vagina
Some studies suggest that probiotics such as yogurt can help restore the natural balance of the vagina, when used topically. Therefore, try applying a small amount of plain yogurt to the labia area to relieve itching with clean fingers. To treat vaginal symptoms, try soaking a tampon in plain yogurt for 5-10 minutes, then inserting it into your vagina and letting it sit for a maximum of 1 hour.
- If possible, use a hand-held showerhead to rinse the yogurt. If that's not possible, rinse your vagina with warm water using whatever method you're used to.
- Repeat the topical treatment method with the help of a tampon as often as needed, especially when pain or itching returns.
- Yogurt can cause itching or a burning sensation around the vagina. If either or both occur, stop the treatment and immediately rinse the yogurt thoroughly!
- Don't soak tampons in yogurt overnight!
Step 3. Insert the garlic into the vagina
Although the research results are not conclusive, garlic is believed to contain very high natural antibacterial substances. Therefore, most likely your bacterial vaginosis problem can be resolved by inserting garlic into the vagina. However, always remember that the effectiveness of this method has not been scientifically tested so when you decide to do so, you are prepared to take the risk. If interested in trying it, do the following steps:
- Peel a clove of garlic, then make small slices on the surface with the help of a knife.
- Wrap the garlic in a piece of sterile gauze.
- Tie the end of the gauze to form a pocket with a piece of string or unflavored dental floss to make the bag of onions easier to pull out after the treatment is over.
- Insert the garlic into the vagina, slightly past the cervix, and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Method 2 of 3: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Eat one serving of yogurt daily
Consuming yogurt actually provides benefits that are no less special than using yogurt as a topical medicine. Therefore, try to consume one serving of plain yogurt every day to balance the vaginal ecosystem and increase the production of good bacteria in the body.
- No need to think about the fat percentage. Most importantly, don't eat flavored yogurt, especially since the added sugar in it can be bad for your vaginal health.
- You can take yogurt and use it as a topical remedy at the same time, or just do one or the other.
- Eating yogurt is not a shortcut that can give instant results, especially because the results will be much more effective when combined with taking antibiotics. However, some people claim their condition improves after consuming yogurt for a few days and even more than a week.
- Keep eating yogurt after your condition improves to prevent the infection from recurring in the future.
Step 2. Take a daily garlic supplement
Like yogurt, garlic can also help treat symptoms of bacterial vaginosis if taken orally. However, because the research results are not conclusive, so far there is no most effective dose of garlic for consumption. However, always mixing garlic into cooking and taking garlic supplements once a day is claimed to reduce the intensity of the symptoms that appear.
Step 3. Add fenugreek seeds to yogurt or try brewing it into tea
Since time immemorial, fenugreek seeds have been commonly used to treat various female problems. To use it, you only need to mix 1 tbsp. Fenugreek seeds into your daily yogurt intake to maximize your home remedies. If you wish, the same amount of fenugreek seeds can also be brewed in a glass of hot water for 5-10 minutes. After that, strain the pulp and drink fenugreek tea to speed up your recovery process.
If you can tolerate the taste of fenugreek seeds, try taking it in the form of a daily supplement that can be purchased at various pharmacies and health stores
Method 3 of 3: Recognizing the Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis
Step 1. Identify the relationship between the presenting symptoms and the possibility of bacterial vaginosis
In particular, bacterial vaginosis has symptoms similar to other vaginal complications, especially those caused by yeast infections. Both can cause itching and burning in the vagina and around the labia, and may trigger abnormal discharge from the vagina. However, the symptoms of the two are not exactly the same, so understanding the differences will help you to diagnose bacterial vaginosis:
- The discharge due to bacterial vaginosis tends to be watery in texture and white or gray in color. Meanwhile, the discharge due to a yeast infection is generally thick and/or lumpy, and white or light yellow in color.
- Unlike yeast infections which do not have any effect on the pH in the vagina, bacterial vaginosis can make the pH in the vagina alkaline.
- Bacterial vaginosis can make the skin around the vulva pink or red, sometimes with white patches.
- Both bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections can cause pain during sexual intercourse or urination.
Step 2. Identify risk factors for bacterial vaginosis
Although the cause of bacterial vaginosis is not known with certainty, there are actually several factors that can increase your risk of developing bacterial vaginosis. Therefore, if you think you are experiencing symptoms of bacterial vaginosis, try to identify the presence or absence of the following risk factors in you:
- Having multiple sexual partners at the same time
- Having a new sexual partner
- Habit of spraying water into the vagina
Step 3. Know when it's time to see a doctor
While some types of bacterial vaginosis can be treated at home, there are some conditions that require you to see a doctor. For example, if your symptoms don't improve after a week, check with your doctor to make sure you have bacterial vaginosis and not another health complication, especially since the only way to diagnose bacterial vaginosis is to have a vaginal swab at a clinic or clinic. hospital.
- If the symptoms that appear do not improve or even get worse, your doctor will most likely need to prescribe antibiotics to relieve the infection that occurs. In addition, the doctor may prescribe a pessary (a special prosthetic device to be inserted into the vagina) and topical creams to relieve itching.
- Immediately see a doctor if you are pregnant and notice the discharge or the appearance of pain that may be related to bacterial vaginosis.
- If the pain that appears is very intense and makes it difficult for you to carry out your usual activities, immediately see a doctor!
