Vaginal infections: 75% of women suffer from it at least once in their lives

The vagina is home to thousands of microbes.

It is not sterile.

Fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms coexist in harmony between these walls and protect the mucosa from the attack and colonization of unwanted pathogens.

The balance of that ecosystem, the vaginal microbiota, means health, but it is not always stable.

That flora is changing and, sometimes, certain imbalances can appear that cause uncomfortable vulvovaginal infections.

It is common, at any age: 75% of women suffer from it at least once in their lives, according to the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Sego).

Depending on the cause of the infection, symptoms range from itching and stinging to thick, foul-smelling discharge.

Gynecologists attribute these ailments to the maladjustment that they cause, among other things,

Vulvovaginal infections are one of the most frequent reasons for consultation.

One in five requests for gynecological care are for this reason, although there could be many more.

"Many infections are not registered because women self-diagnose and self-medicate," admits María Jesús Cancelo, vice president of Sego and coordinator of a clinical guide to address these ailments.

The gynecologist warns of the danger of patients being treated without medical supervision: “They do not differentiate the types of infections and the treatment is different depending on the case.

When they self-medicate they usually do a generic treatment and if they have succeeded with the problem, good;

but if not, there may be recurrences”.

More information

We are half human, half bacteria: what can the microbes that inhabit our body do for us?

A vulvovaginal infection is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa and vulvar skin, although it does not always affect both areas at the same time.

The origin, explain the experts consulted, is usually an imbalance of that vaginal microbiota.

Under normal conditions, in this ecosystem there is a kind of peaceful coexistence between good and bad germs, says Toni Payà, head of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona: "The most frequent [germ] [in the vaginal microbiota] is Döderlein's bacillus, a lactobacillus that transforms glycogen into lactic acid.

Thanks to lactic acid, the pH of the vagina is acidic and thus the growth of pathogens is controlled.

If there are no Döderlein bacilli, a dysbacteriosis is caused, the balance is broken and the pathogens grow”.

This happens, for example, after the use of antibiotics, Payà points out: “The amoxicillin that you take for a throat infection kills the germs in your tonsils and also the Döderlein bacilli.

fungi

, for example”.

There are other circumstances, such as immunosuppressive diseases (HIV and systemic lupus, for example) or excessive or deficient hygiene in the genitals, which also favor the appearance of these ailments.

The gynecologist at Hospital del Mar also points out the risk of douching: “You don't have to wash the vagina inside.

That should never be done because you load your own vaginal flora.

If you put soaps in the vagina, you asepticize a medium that is not aseptic ”, he warns.

The most frequent vulvovaginal infections are those produced by the

They tend to be the ones with the most symptoms, Cancelo agrees: “There are discomforts related to inflammation of the mucous membranes, such as burning, stinging and itching.

And there is whitish vaginal discharge, in lumps.”

Candidal vulvovaginitis, which accounts for about 25% of all vulvovaginal infections, is usually treated with antifungal creams and, if there are recurrent episodes, oral antifungals are also given.

Half of the women who suffer a first episode will present another candidal vulvovaginitis later on.

A scientific review maintains that recurrent infection by this pathogen affects almost 8% of women worldwide.

Another type of infection is bacterial vaginosis, caused by a group of bacteria that, although they do not cause so much itching and stinging, generate increased vaginal discharge, "yellowish, frothy and smelly," explains Cancelo.

In this case, although antibiotics can be used to kill the bacteria causing the infection, gynecologists prefer to avoid them in favor of antiseptic preparations, such as dequalinium chloride.

"We also promote the growth of lactobacilli with probiotics," adds the vice president of Sego.

There is a class of vulvovaginal infections, now rare in Western countries, that are sexually transmitted: vulvovaginitis caused by a type of protozoa called

.

"The only thing the woman notices is an increase in vaginal secretion, more yellowish," says Cancelo.

The recommended treatment is an antiparasitic for the patient and also for their sexual partners, "who must be treated with similar regimens, proposing sexual abstinence until the treatment is completed and until the symptoms accompanying the infection disappear," reads the clinical guide of the sego.

The other infections that usually exist are the so-called non-infectious vulvovaginitis.

These are ailments that "give symptoms, but there is no identified germ" as the cause, explains Cancelo.

Sometimes, they are considered "allergic," Payà points out, "due to non-breathable clothing or panty liners that carry perfumes and cause allergic-type reactions."

These irritating substances can cause these pictures, which present with itching and certain discomfort.

The solution is to repopulate the vaginal flora with probiotics.

As a general rule, experts recommend wearing cotton underwear, using normal unscented pads, avoiding douching and, in any case with a confirmed infection, not having sexual intercourse during the treatment period.

You can follow