Ladies! Let’s talk about vaginal infections. Guys, you’re welcome too.
This lady walked into the laboratory and told me she wanted to run a test. When I asked what kind of test, she came closer to keep others from hearing her and whispered “vaginal test”.
She told me she has a vaginal infection that’s itchy and has taken a lot of drugs but the symptoms remained. It was probably a yeast infection from what she explained but we have to do a high vaginal swab culture to confirm.
I further asked her who prescribed the drugs, but got to know it was self-medication. She had taken Ciprofloxacin and some other antibiotics and all these have no effect on yeast infections. Instead, they encourage yeast infection, when taken improperly.
I would have said something on the self-medication but that’s not the topic for the day. For today’s write up, I’m going to write generally on vaginal bacterial infections and yeast infections and their presentations.
First, lets talk about vagina and vulva.
In simple terms, the outer part of the female genital is the vulva while a section of the inner part is the vagina. So, for the context of this post, I’m writing about the vagina, not the vulva.
Risk factors for vaginal infections
• Poor personal hygiene
• Excessive use of antibiotics and contraceptives
• Use of scented sanitary products, vaginal douches and deodorants
• Unprotected sex
• Poor nutrition
• Obesity
• Wearing clothes and pants that hold in heat and moisture (nylon, tight, etc)
And the list continues…
Signs and symptoms of vaginal infections include
• Heavy discharge which could be grey, white or yellowish, and have a fishy odour.
• Itchiness which is more common in yeast infections but can present in both. This is usually accompanied by burning sensations and redness.
• Difficult or painful urination and intercourse.
Sometimes, some of these symptoms present in the absence of an infection, but caused by irritation of the vaginal membrane by perfumed soaps, douches, detergents and vaginal sprays, or hormonal imbalance.
You can only know the cause of your infection by visiting a hospital. The doctor will examine you and ask some questions. He will then send you for a High Vaginal Swab (HVS) Microscopy, Culture and Sensitivity(MCS).
This test will detect if an organism is responsible or not, the exact organism, and the particular antibiotic that the organism is susceptible to.
I’ll write on preventing vaginal infections in another post.
Indiscriminate self-medication exposes you to infection instead of curing it. Know this and take the right steps.
Maureen
Medtrix 