Vaginitis
Vaginitis
Up in the backwoods of Maine lives an herbalist whom I respect and admire. Deb Soule is the founder of Avena Botanicals and author of the feminist herbal The Roots of Healing.
Over the years, many women have asked her to treat their vaginal yeast infections. She often recommends carefully peeling a clove of garlic so that it does not suffer any nicks and then wrapping it in clean gauze with a clean, unbleached string attached, thus creating a small, tamponlike packet. She says to insert a freshly prepared packet into the vagina each night for up to six consecutive nights. In many cases, she says, this treatment cures the infection. I'm not surprised, as garlic has potent antifungal properties.
By some estimates, vaginitis, which is any inflammation of the mucosal lining of the vagina, accounts for about half of all gynecological visits. There are several different causes of vaginitis, but yeast infections are the most common. (For more information on yeast infections, see page 461.)
Until just a few years ago, the most common treatment for vaginitis was a prescription antifungal medication. Within the past few years, many of those medications have become available over the counter, allowing women to treat themselves if they know for sure that they are dealing with a yeast infection.
This is a good place to point out that doctors do not recommend self-treatment for vaginitis unless you know exactly what you're dealing with. If you've been diagnosed in the past and have a pretty good suspicion as to the cause, you can give self-treatment a try. But if the symptoms don't clear up within a few days, or if you experience recurring bouts of vaginitis, you should see your doctor.
Green Pharmacy for Vaginitis
There are a number of herbs that can help treat vaginitis.
Garlic (Allium sativum). If inserting a gauze-wrapped garlic clove does not appeal to you as a vaginitis treatment, and I can understand that it might not, try adding a teaspoon of fresh garlic juice to a few tablespoons of yogurt, then either soak a tampon in it or use it as a douche twice a day while symptoms persist. This treatment may not win any awards in the odor department, but it can be very effective.
There's a great book out called Garlic: The Science and Therapeutic Application of Allium Sativum and Related Species by Heinrich P. Koch, Ph.D., professor of pharmaceutical chemistry and biopharmaceutics at the University of Vienna, and Larry D. Lawson, Ph.D., a research scientist at an herb company in Utah. Dr. Koch and Dr. Lawson praise the "extraordinary fungicidal activity of fresh-pressed garlic juice and dried garlic."And they identify allicin as the major compound in garlic that kills Candida albicans, the fungus that causes vaginal yeast infections.
Teatree (Melaleuca, various species). Australian teatree oil has become prominent only in the past few years as an antiseptic, but as word of its considerable healing power has spread, annual production in Australia has increased from 20 tons of oil to more than 140.
Australian chemists have shown that teatree oil is particularly effective against candida. One compound in the oil, terpinen-4-ol, appears to be the key to this herb's anti-candida action. Studies have shown that creams and douches containing high amounts of this compound have been as effective against yeast infections as the pharmaceutical antifungals nystatin (Mycostatin) and clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin).
For recurrent yeast infections, Soule suggests mixing two to three drops of teatree oil in a tablespoon of yogurt and then soaking a tampon in it. Insert the tampon at night for up to six nights. Just don't take teatree oil, or any essential oil, internally. They are extremely concentrated, and even small quantities of many of them can be poisonous.
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). Cardamom may have twice as much terpinen-4-ol as teatree. You can follow the instructions given for teatree oil, but instead use two to three drops of cardamom oil.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Goldenseal is a broad-spectrum herbal antibiotic, thanks to two chemical compounds, berberine and hydrastine, that it contains. Several studies show that these compounds help treat trichomonal vaginitis, a type that is caused by an amoeba.
Goldenseal also has some immune-stimulating activity. I often combine it with echinacea, which is immune-stimulating and antibiotic. Both of these herbs are taken orally in the form of teas, tinctures or capsules.
comfrey (Symphytum officinale). Most cases of vaginitis are caused by infection, but sometimes, particularly in postmenopausal women, vaginal dryness can lead to irritation and inflammation during or after intercourse. My friend Jeanne Rose, California herbalist and author of several good herb books, recommends applying a moisturizing lotion or egg white mixed with the contents of a vitamin E capsule and a couple of drops of comfrey tincture just prior to intercourse.
Lavender (Lavandula, various species). Rose suggests essential oils, notably lavender, for treatment of trichomonas and gardnerella vaginitis. She recommends adding a few drops to douches, sitz baths, creams, lotions and tampons. (Remember that essential oils are for external use only.) In addition to lavender, she is partial to teatree oil and occasionally clary sage and German camomile.
She wisely cautions against routine douching; you should douche only for treatment of vaginitis. Regular douching can kill off beneficial microorganisms and leave you open for invasion by the infection-causing variety. In fact, studies show that women who douche regularly are at increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease.
Yellowdock (Rumex crispus). Rose often recommends using a combination of yellowdock and other herbs for most types of vaginitis. Her formula includes one ounce of yellowdock root, two ounces of echinacea root, one ounce of goldenseal root and one ounce of ginseng root as a tonic for overall health.
You can use a mixture of dried herbs in the listed proportions to make a tea. You could also pulverize them and insert the mixture into empty gelatin capsules, which are available at many natural food stores that sell herbs. Admittedly, this is a lot of work, but women who face recurrent vaginitis are willing to make the extra effort if they find that the treatment works for them. You can try taking two or three capsules a day.
Yellowdock
Also known as curly dock, this herb has deep roots that are split and dried for use in tonics and ointments. |
Apple cider vinegar. Here's an old folk remedy, which many physicians also recommend, for several types of vaginitis: Add three cups of apple cider vinegar to a hot bath and soak in the tub for at least 20 minutes, spreading your legs to allow water to flow into the vagina. Rose suggests that vinegar baths and douches help restore normal vaginal acidity. Normal acidity helps banish candida, trichomonas and gardnerella.