Why does bacterial vaginosis recur?

Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common gynecological inflammations. There are many types of bacterial vaginosis, the most common of which are fungal bacterial vaginosis (also known as candidal bacterial vaginosis), trichomonas bacterial vaginosis, bacterial bacterial vaginosis, etc. Bacterial vaginosis is not difficult to treat, but it is easy to relapse. Many patients have repeated treatments and recurrences. So, why does bacterial vaginosis recur?

Reason 1: Improper treatment methods

The most common reason is improper treatment. All bacterial vaginosis is caused by infection with some kind of pathogen (such as Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans, Streptococcus, etc.). However, under normal circumstances, there are a large number of beneficial bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria in the vagina, which will inhibit the reproduction and growth of these pathogens. Therefore, even if infected with these pathogens, it will not cause inflammation. However, once the vaginal environment is destroyed, the lactic acid bacteria are greatly reduced, and the natural enemies of these pathogens are gone, they will multiply in large numbers and cause inflammation.

Therefore, to treat bacterial vaginosis, it is necessary to re-cultivate a large number of lactic acid bacteria, restore the balance of vaginal flora, and fundamentally eliminate the living environment of pathogens. However, most of the current treatments rely solely on drug treatments, whether oral antibiotics, suppositories, vaginal plugs, or vaginal washes. If used alone, they will not only fail to completely kill the pathogens, but will kill lactic acid bacteria. This treatment is "treating the symptoms but not the root cause". Although the inflammation is relieved, once the medication is stopped, the remaining pathogens will quickly multiply and cause the inflammation to recur.

Reason 2: Not adhering to the course of treatment

Not adhering to the course of treatment and stopping treatment when things get better is also a very important reason for the recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. Many patients feel that their symptoms have been alleviated after taking the medicine, such as less vaginal discharge and less itchy vulva, and they think they are cured and stop adhering to the treatment. In fact, this is a taboo.

Generally, when the treatment begins, the effect will be more obvious, and a large number of pathogenic bacteria will be killed. However, the flora in the vagina has not fully recovered, and there are still fewer lactic acid bacteria. Once the treatment is stopped, the remaining pathogenic bacteria still exist, and the fewer lactic acid bacteria cannot inhibit the reproduction and growth of pathogenic bacteria, so the inflammation will soon worsen. At this time, taking the medicine again will also relieve the symptoms, but the pathogenic bacteria will develop drug resistance, and the treatment effect will be greatly reduced. Therefore, when you first start treatment, you must persist in the course of treatment and never stop when you see improvement.

Reason 3: Unauthorized use of medication

Many patients do not actively go to the hospital for treatment when they experience increased leucorrhea, vulvar itching and other discomforts. This is very wrong and sometimes even dangerous. If you do not check, you will not know which type of bacterial vaginosis you have, what the pathogen is, or the severity of the inflammation. At this time, if you take medicine without authorization, the treatment is not targeted and is not standardized and scientific. Often, it will not only fail to improve the symptoms, but will aggravate the condition. Therefore, if you feel that you may have bacterial vaginosis, do not make decisions on your own and seek medical treatment without authorization.

Reason 4: Re-infection

Many patients have basically recovered after treatment, but they are infected again after a period of time. The reasons for reinfection are mostly due to poor hygiene, taking large amounts of antibiotics, excessive vaginal flushing, or diabetes, which may lead to vaginal flora imbalance and a large number of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the partner carries bacteria and can be transmitted to women through sex.