Quite often, women who are concerned about the fishy smell spreading from the perineum, without discharge or with it, turn to gynecologists. The cause of this condition is a disease - gardnerellosis. It has been well studied by doctors. The cure in the general case does not present any special problems, but you will have to strictly follow the recommendations of a specialist.
General information
Gardnerellosis, which provokes the appearance of a fishy smell of discharge in women, has an alternative official name - bacterial vaginosis. It is a relatively widespread disease. Its cause is a change in the balance of the microflora of the vagina. A specific “aroma” appears if the proportion of gardnerella grows in the medium. Normally, these bacteria must be present in the vaginal microflora, but they are relatively few, the concentration remains stable due to the mechanisms of self-regulation. If the balance of gardnerella and lactobacilli is disturbed, symptoms of gardnerellosis appear.
Where did the trouble come from?
The reason for the fishy smell is gardnerellosis, caused by an imbalance in the local environment in the reproductive system. This is often observed if a woman's intimate life is chaotic, she has many partners. There is a possibility of such a pathological condition if a woman uses panty liners every day. To gardnerellosis leads to insufficient compliance with hygiene rules during the period of monthly bleeding. If a lady changes her pads out of time, if the frequency of changing tampons is disturbed, the probability of microflora imbalance is very high.
The cause of the disease can be a hormonal imbalance. This is observed during puberty, typical of many women who are carrying a child. Quite often, gardnerellosis worries those who use tight underwear made from synthetic material. Similar problems arise with intestinal dysbacteriosis, against the background of a long course of antibiotics, with weak immunity.
Important factors
Sometimes the fishy smell bothers you because of internal factors, sometimes external. Bad ecology and pollution of the environment in which a woman lives play a role. The more often there are sexual intercourses not accompanied by the use of barrier contraception, the higher the risk of imbalance of the microflora in the vagina. If a woman eats incorrectly, incompletely, unbalanced, if she is forced to adhere to a diet that results in little lactic acid nutrition, the risk of gardnerellosis is significantly higher than average. Increases the likelihood of illness and excessive useantibiotics, use of intrauterine contraceptives. According to doctors, the more often a woman uses contraceptives (any), the higher the risk of microflora imbalance.
Everything is connected
The fishy smell often worries those who have STDs and other pathologies localized in the genitourinary system. The likelihood of developing a problem against the background of chronic gastrointestinal diseases is higher. Gardnerellosis threatens those suffering from endocrine diseases, especially common in diabetics. Due to a violation of the concentration of sugars in the blood, the local alkaline balance changes, so the conditionally pathogenic microflora gets the opportunity to actively develop. There is a possibility that the fishy smell will disturb if a woman suffers from neurological diseases, if she has immunity diseases.
How to notice?
A typical sign of gardnerellosis is a discharge with a fishy smell. The volume of released substance is relatively large. The discharge is homogeneous, in hue - white with a gray undertone, in some it is slightly yellow. A characteristic specific smell is what first of all makes it possible to suspect what kind of disease caused their appearance.
On average, every second woman develops vaginitis against the background of gardnerellosis, that is, the vagina becomes the area of localization of the focus of inflammation. Such a complication indicates itself by burning, local itching. Feelings become stronger when emptying the bladder, intimate contact.
Noticing the characteristic symptoms, you need to get todoctor. Self-medication is not allowed and does not bring a pronounced effect. If therapy is not started on time, there is a high risk of vaginitis, colpitis, and other pathologies of the reproductive system.
Can I get infected from a partner?
Men don't need fishy smell treatment. Gardnerellosis is a disease that occurs only and exclusively in women. In the case of intimate contact, the bacterium can enter the urethra. This is more of a threat to people with weakened immune systems. The situation is accompanied by a risk of urethritis, indicating itself by burning, itching when the bladder is empty. If immunity is normal, but the bacterium has entered the body, the person becomes a carrier. Every intimate contact with such a person is accompanied by the risk of getting sick. If a lady notes frequent recurrences of gardnerellosis, she should come to an appointment with a gynecologist, and ask her regular partner to go to a urologist. The man may also need to undergo treatment.
Clarification of the diagnosis
Noticing a fishy smell from the intimate area, a woman should contact an experienced gynecologist. The doctor prescribes studies to determine the cause. The study shows that one-fifth of the entire composition is "key" cells. The level of acidity of the medium is more than 4.5 units, the discharge is homogeneous and resembles a cream. A 10% KOH test gives a positive result.
In laboratory conditions, microbiological research approaches, PCR, RIF are practiced. The first word stands for polymerase chain reaction. Second abbreviationstands for immunofluorescence reaction. In practice, most often a biological sample obtained from a patient is examined under a microscope, the materials are stained with brilliant green, analyzes are made in accordance with Gram's technology, as well as RIF.
Diagnosis nuances
If the reason for going to the doctor was a fishy smell, a woman should be prepared for the fact that the gynecologist will send to the laboratory to take biological samples, which will then be examined by the previously indicated methods. As materials for examination, cervical canal secretions, samples from the vaginal walls, arches are taken. You need to get a small amount of urine. The doctor will massage the urethra, after which he will take a small amount of secretions. For work, use a Volkman spoon or a specific probe. Urine is given in a test tube or obtained using a sterile catheter. Tweezers are required to obtain samples of the cervix.
How to fight?
In the case of a fishy smell from the intimate area, it is better to entrust the treatment to the doctor. The doctor will prescribe drugs that are dangerous for gardnerella. To increase the effectiveness of the course, they will additionally recommend taking drugs that contain lactobacilli that are useful to a sick woman. The drug course involves two steps. They are both required. First, the development of an opportunistic microorganism is suppressed. Usually antibiotics are used. Clindamycin, Metronidazole are especially widespread. They are prescribed for local administration: suppositories, gels. Sometimes the doctor decides to prescribesick pills for systemic effects on the body. The duration of treatment varies from a week to ten days.
The doctor, explaining how to get rid of the fishy smell, will also tell you about the second block of treatment. This phase of the program is considered by many to be more difficult than taking antibiotics. It is necessary to populate the vaginal area with beneficial bacteria. Before you start using drugs that stabilize the balance of microflora, you need to undergo an additional examination, which will confirm the effectiveness of the first step of treatment. It is important to check for candidiasis, often due to the use of antimicrobials. For local use, drugs "Lactobacterin", "Laktonorm" are used. The drug "Acilact" has a good reputation. In addition to suppositories, the doctor may prescribe oral medications. More often they write out "Laktonorm plus", "Lactobacterin".
Nuances and effectiveness
To get rid of the fishy smell from the vagina effectively and quickly, a strict diet should be followed during the treatment period. It is advised to exclude alcohol from the diet and give up spicy, seasonings, spices. Fried food is bad. Useful products that contain lactic acid bacteria. You can eat kefir prepared at home with a special starter culture, special yoghurts enriched with lactobacilli and kefirs sold in stores.
If the fishy smell from the vagina became the reason for going to the doctor, the doctor will not only diagnose gardnerellosis, but also assess the risks of intestinal dysbacteriosis. Most patients are prescribedadditional means to prevent this disease. Prebiotics are the most beneficial. They can be found in any pharmacy - these are Linex and Normoflorin. Quite often, doctors recommend Bifidumbacterin, known for its reliable effect.
Multifaceted approach
Usually a fishy smell from the intimate area worries women with a weakened immune system. If gardnerellosis is diagnosed, it is recommended to introduce drugs into the drug program that increase the body's natural protective level. To eliminate the weakness of the immune system, pharmaceutical products that modulate the work of this system are prescribed. Useful multivitamin complexes. Among the frequently prescribed drugs, it is worth noting Vitrum, Biomax. No less useful are medicines made from herbal products - extracts, concentrates of magnolia vine, echinacea.
What happened to the result?
When undergoing treatment due to gardnerellosis, which provoked a fishy smell from the intimate area, it is necessary to avoid sexual intercourse until the moment of complete recovery. If for some reason this is not possible, the only method of protection against unwanted conception acceptable for the period of illness is a barrier. Checking the effectiveness of the selected program is carried out a week after the completion of the drug course and the relief of all specific manifestations of the disease. A month or a month and a half after that, it is advised to do a follow-up examination.
Do not try to cope with the disease on your own. If you are concerned about the characteristic fishsmell, you need to see a doctor. Treatment will be carried out by a gynecologist. Pathology does not belong to infectious, is not classified as an STD, is not considered an infection spread through sexual contact. Therefore, visiting a venereologist can be avoided. In general, it is recommended to consult a gastroenterologist. This is especially important if, against the background of gardnerellosis, intestinal dysbacteriosis is disturbing.
Can I warn you?
To exclude the development of pathology, it is necessary to study the factors that provoke the development of the disease, and eliminate their effect on the body. If the disease has already happened, you need to take measures to prevent recurrence. The best protection against undesirable consequences and illness is provided by proper nutrition and the use of medicines strictly as prescribed by the doctor. When using contraceptives, you should also first consult with your doctor. It is impossible to use vaginal suppositories, tablets without a preliminary examination by a gynecologist.
Since the probability of microflora imbalance is higher if a woman leads a disordered sexual life, the exclusion of such contacts is one of the reliable options for preventing the disease. If possible, each contact should be accompanied by the use of barrier contraception. Oral formulations, intrauterine birth control methods do not protect against potential hazards.
What to look out for?
One of the important aspects of prevention is keeping calm in any situation. Women should be excludedstressful factors, dangerous moments from your life. Nervous tension leads to a variety of disorders in the body, including the active reproduction of opportunistic microflora.
Important aspects of everyday life that allow you to exclude gardnerellosis are a responsible attitude to hygiene and high-quality, long enough sleep. You need to control the diet, eat balanced, fully. With food, a woman should receive all significant minerals, vitamins. It is important to regularly include fermented milk products in the diet, giving preference to those enriched with beneficial bacteria.
Simple and reliable
In order not to face the problem of fishy smell in the crotch area, you should review your wardrobe and get rid of synthetic underwear, especially tight fitting ones. To replace him, you need to choose cotton products that fit the dimensions of the body.
You should make it a habit to walk outside every day.
If you had a gardnerellosis and the disease was successfully cured, the doctor will give recommendations to prevent relapse, starting from the causes that provoked the problem. To exclude the development of recurrent pathology, you need to follow his advice in detail.
Normal and not so good
Don't panic if you find a discharge on your underwear or panty liners. In a small amount, any woman has such. On average, they are about 4 ml per day. Specific volumes are determined by age, reproductive activity, and the presence of diseases. Much depends on the degree of sexualarousal. The current moment of the menstrual cycle plays its role. The specific smell of spoiled fish appears due to volatile amines. These substances are the waste products of conditionally pathogenic microflora, which actively reproduces if a colony of lactobacilli is oppressed. Some women try to mask this characteristic smell by using deodorants. This solution is ineffective and does not bring benefits, the condition only gets worse due to the chemically active components of the hygiene product.
