Recently a 16 yrs old girl was brought to me in the clinic with signs of depression.
On a detailed examination of the girl it was found that the predominant reason for her depression was the extreme embarrassment which she suffered because of the offensive smell from her vagina during periods.
As result of the offensive smell she was being alienated by her peers and this was leading to depression in her.
However this girl is not alone in her suffering.
There are millions of women who routinely face this embarrassment due to the offensive smell from their vaginas during periods.
The condition causing this offensive smell goes by the name: Bacterial vaginosis.
It is a bacterial infection of the vagina which is seen most commonly in teen aged girls and women in early twenties.
Although it is most commonly seen in these age groups, it may be seen in all women of child bearing ages and indeed every woman must have suffered from at least one episode of it.
What is the cause of BV? As mentioned before it is a bacterial infection caused by a multitude of organisms of different types who colonise the vagina and cause this disease.
The human vagina is normally occupied by a class of bacilli known as lactobacillus.
These are the beneficial bacteria and prevent colonisation of the vagina by the disease causing organisms.
They do this by converting the glycogen present in vaginal cells to acetic acid, thus making the vaginal PH acidic.
This prevents the growth of other harmful bacteria.
Therefore whenever the counts of the beneficial lactobacillus reduce, they cause the disease causing bacteria in increase thus causing BV.
So what leads to reduction in the numbers of lactobacillus? The main reason for the reduction in the counts of lactobacillus is vaginal douching with soaps and antiseptics.
In the mistaken belief of keeping the vagina clean, many women routinely use soaps and antiseptics to clean this vagina, this should be strictly avoided.
Apart from this even use of vaginal deodorants and other chemical should also be avoided.
It is sufficient to simply clean the vagina using plain warm water.
While wiping it is better to wipe from front to back, as this decreases the chances of transposition of harmful bacteria from to anal area in to the vagina.
It is also preferable to wear loose cotton panties, which will improve air circulation.
Women who have recurring episodes of bacterial vaginosis can douche the vagina with a dilute solution of apple cider or vinegar in water.
This is quite effective in preventing this disease.
By following the above measures it is possible to get rid of bacterial vaginosis once for all.