Vaginitis
Vaginitis
It doesn’t take much to throw off the body’s natural balance, especially in a sensitive area such as a woman’s vagina. It can be irritated by any number of things, including infections, tampons, condoms, antibiotics, deodorant sprays, douches, sperm, even fluctuations in estrogen levels.
When that happens, the result is vaginitis, an inflammation of the vaginal area. The condition is marked by pain and itching and sometimes by unusual vaginal discharge.
Doctors often prescribe drugs to combat vaginitis. If you have medication, be sure to take it all, or the infection may quickly return. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help soothe the symptoms of vaginitis and speed healing, according to some health professionals.
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Food Therapy
While vaginitis can be caused by any number of culprits, it often results from an overgrowth of yeast and certain types of abnormal bacteria, says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition. According to Dr. Haas, yogurt containing live cultures has been proven to reduce the yeast and bacterial overgrowth. He advises eating one to two cups of yogurt a day for three or four days. Avoiding yeast products such as baked goods, alcohol and vinegar is also recommended, he says. For recurring yeast-related vaginitis, he suggests his three-week detoxification diet (see “Detoxing Your Ills” on page 48).
Herbal Therapy
Homeopathy
For a burning, creamy yellow or green discharge that is worse in the evening and after eating and that may be accompanied by chills or irregular or no periods, try a 6X dose of Pulsatilla three times a day or a 30C dose once or twice a day until you begin to feel better, says Cynthia Mervis Watson, M.D., a family practice physician in Santa Monica, California, who specializes in homeopathy and herbal therapy. She says that a similar dose of Sepia will help if you have painful intercourse and an itchy yellow or green discharge.
To tame a burning vaginal discharge that causes skin rashes and that is worse from bathing, warmth or drinking alcohol, and if you are prone to getting skin rashes, Dr. Watson says to try a 6X dose of Sulphur three times a day or a 30C dose once or twice a day. If you have a swollen, burning, itchy vulva and a corrosive, acrid yellow discharge that is worse between periods, she suggests the same dosage of Kreosote.
A 6X dose of Graphites three times a day will help if you have a pale, thin, profuse, irritating white discharge that occurs in sporadic gushes and that may be worse in the morning or while walking, according to Dr. Watson. If you have a green, bloody discharge accompanied by a raw feeling that seems worse after urinating but better after washing with cool water, take a 6X dose of Mercurius three times a day or a 30C dose once or twice a day, she says.
All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase the remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 635.
Hydrotherapy
“Contrast sitz baths promote circulation and speed the body’s natural healing process,” says Tori Hudson, Ph.D., a naturopathic physician and professor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. For instructions on setting up a contrast sitz bath, see “Hydrotherapy at Home” on page 78.
If you don’t have two large basins, Dr. Hudson says to soak for three minutes in a hot, shallow bath, then stand up and hold a cold, wet towel between the legs and over the pelvis for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat this cycle five times.
While douching with water, yogurt or apple cider vinegar is a common folk remedy for vaginitis, Dr. Hudson cautions against douching with anything if you have an infection. “Douching can actually force bacteria farther up into the vagina and can aggravate the condition,” she says.
To prevent recurring vaginal infections, get into the habit of rinsing the perineal area (located between your anus and vaginal opening) after urinating or having a bowel movement, says Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist and co-founder and co-director of Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama. Keep a quart-size cup or jar near the toilet. For each rinse, add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to a quart of plain water. Slowly pour the mixture into the pubic hair while you’re sitting on the toilet. “This protects the natural acid balance of the vaginal area, which is prone to yeast overgrowth if it becomes too alkaline,” says Dr. Thrash.
See also Yeast Infections