What causes bacterial vaginitis?

Bacterial vaginitis must be treated in time. The reason for this disease is mainly because there is a problem with the environment in the vagina. For example, there are more vaginal lactobacilli, and at this time, mycoplasma, Candida and other bacteria will also appear. Multiple bacterial groups will affect the normal ecological environment in the vagina. If a person's immunity decreases or hormone secretion changes, symptoms may occur.

What causes bacterial vaginitis?

1. Infant bacterial vaginitis

It is more common in infants and young children between one and five years old. Young children have a weak sense of health care and often develop vaginal inflammation due to sitting or crawling on the ground or foreign objects entering the vagina. The pathogen can also be transmitted through the mother of the sick child or washing supplies. The basis for judging this type of vaginitis is redness and swelling of the vulva, watery discharge from the vagina, and accompanied by vulvar itching.

2. Senile vaginitis

Also known as atrophic vaginitis, it is a non-strange vaginitis. It often occurs in postmenopausal women, but it can also occur in women after bilateral oophorectomy or during lactation. The main symptoms are increased leucorrhea, which is yellow watery or purulent with a foul odor. When the infection is tense, there may be a little vaginal bleeding, as well as a feeling of falling pain and vaginal heat. If the vestibule and mucosa around the urethral opening are affected, frequent urination and painful urination often occur.

The main cause is ovarian dysfunction, low or lack of estrogen levels in the body, increased glycogen in vaginal epithelial cells, alkaline pH in the vagina, and low ability to kill pathogens. At the same time, due to the shrinkage of the vaginal mucosa, the shallow upper skin and insufficient blood supply, the vaginal resistance is reduced, making it easier for bacteria to invade and breed, causing inflammatory lesions. In addition, poor personal hygiene habits and nutritional deficiencies in the diet, especially a deficiency of group B vitamins, may be related to the onset of the disease.

3. Gardnerella vaginitis

Gardnerella vaginitis, also known as Haemophilus vaginitis, was once classified as Corynebacterium vaginitis. It is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa caused by Gardnerella and can be transmitted through sexual intercourse. Therefore, it is classified as a sexually transmitted disease.

The infection caused by Gardnerella is mostly mild and is more common in women who have frequent sex. In the acute phase, leucorrhea increases, has a fishy or ammonia odor, and the vulva becomes damp and uncomfortable, often accompanied by a hot sensation in the vagina, pain during intercourse, and vulvar itching.

The main symptoms of leakage are redness and swelling of the vulva, congestion of the vaginal mucosa, gray-red color, mild redness and swelling, and the excrement is mostly homogeneous, thin, gray-white, sometimes milky yellow or green, and has a fishy smell. The vaginal pH is usually 5 to 5.5. Sometimes the amount of leucorrhea is small, only a thin layer, like a membrane covering the congested vaginal wall. A small number of patients have erythema or ecchymosis on the vaginal wall, and pregnant women may suffer from miscarriage or postpartum endometritis. Severe infection can also lead to sepsis, urethral infection, perinephric abscess and cystitis.

4. Menstrual bacterial vaginitis

It is mostly caused by not paying attention to menstrual hygiene during menstruation, especially the use of unclean menstrual products or even the infection of the vulva by unclean objects. Leakage is manifested by a feeling of heaviness and heat in the perineum and increased vaginal discharge.