Naturopathic Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis – Some Natural and Holistic Remedies for BV

Naturopathic Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis – Some Natural and Holistic Remedies for BV

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a mild infection of the vagina caused by a distortion of the balance between good and bad bacteria - with bad bacteria overflowing the good, leading to infection. Signs and symptoms of infection include burning pain when urinating, itching, mild swelling, a strong fishy smell, and whitish or gray discharge.

This infection should not be ignored as it often does not go away on its own. If left untreated, it can spread to the upper reproductive tract and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, increasing your risk of HIV and sterility.

For this reason, a doctor's consultation is necessary to receive the necessary treatment and eliminate the infection. Medicines commonly prescribed to clear the infection include metronidazole, clindamycin, and tinidazole.

This conventional treatment can be taken in conjunction with naturopathy. Naturopathic treatment is generally based on certain healthy conditions such as fresh air, pure water, emotional balance, exercise, sunshine, proper nutrition and adequate rest, in short your lifestyle and your environment. The medications that alternative practitioners use occur naturally in the environment and in the body.

Naturopathic treatment for bacterial vaginosis recommends that you avoid sex to help the infection heal and allow the vagina's normal flora to grow back. So promiscuity would have to go, at least for now.

Your diet will also be reviewed and presented with healthier foods rich in vitamins (especially vitamin C), minerals and bacteria. Fruits, especially citrus fruits, would have to be avoided (weird, right? Fruits are rich in vitamins) as these acidic fruits are converted into alkaline ash after digestion. This can further worsen the vaginal pH imbalance and therefore prevent healing. Yogurt, brown rice and oat bran are foods that help increase the good bacteria. They are therefore essential to return the body to a state of homeostasis. Iron and sugar would also have to be eliminated. This is due to the belief that bacteria feed on them to grow.

Tea tree oil, calendula and goldenseal are also recommended for their healing properties. These are used as vaginal suppositories. Colloidal silver is also prescribed for its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties.

The naturopathic treatment of this infection is not much different from other diseases. The approach of naturopathy is very holistic and does not only target certain areas. This form of alternative treatment believes in health as a whole. For this reason, great emphasis is placed on improving the overall immune system through lifestyle changes and environmental changes. It believes that improving a person's immunity will provide a countermeasure far greater than any treatment ever has.