Any woman experiencing symptoms of itching, burning or pain in the vagina accompanied with a thin, milky, white or gray discharge and a fishy odor probably has a condition called bacterial vaginosis.

It may be tempting to want to go to the drugstore to buy an over-the-counter treatment for a yeast infection assuming that’s what it is, but don’t.  In order to treat the infection correctly, these symptoms need to be diagnosed accurately by a healthcare professional as bacterial vaginosis.

Many women will develop a vaginal infection at some time in their life.  Depending on the symptoms will determine what treatment is best.  This is why it is important to be evaluated by a healthcare provider as soon as symptoms appear.

Causes

There are three main causes of discharge from the vagina which include bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis, often referred to as a “yeast infection.”  Even though all three may have similar symptoms, there are differences between them each and each one is treated differently.  This is why any signs or symptoms of an infection in the vagina, a woman needs to be diagnosed by her doctor and not self-diagnosed.

Even though symptoms of these vaginal infections are similar, the discharge can vary between each.  For example, the discharge from vulvovaginal candidiasis may look like cottage cheese while the discharge from trichomoniasis is yellow-green.

Any sign of a vaginal infection should not be ignored or delayed in getting diagnosed and treated.  Unfortunately, only four out of 10 women will visit their healthcare provider when experiencing abnormal vaginal discharge.  Many women may seek advice from family, friends, or the Internet or use over-the-counter medicines or a home remedy, or may wait for the symptoms to go away.

Getting diagnosed

When seen by a doctor, a physical examination will be conducted along with questions about medical history.  Samples from the vagina will be swabbed for a sample of vaginal fluid and sent on to a lab for testing.

Treatment

Some women may avoid going to a doctor hoping the infection will resolve on its own, but most do not.  If left untreated, a bacterial vaginal infection can get worse by spreading and increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, as well as pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to infertility.

Bacterial vaginosis is easily treated and curable using prescription antibiotics.  Antibiotics may be given orally, or in the form of a topical cream or ointment inserted in the vagina.  The antibiotics need to be taken for the amount of days prescribed to completely kill the infection.  If a woman does not complete the full course of treatment, it increases the likelihood of the infection returning.