What is the difference between bv and thrush

Finishing the full course of medication is the only way to clear the infection and reduce your risk for recurrence. During this time, avoid having vaginal intercourse or inserting anything into the vagina that could introduce bacteria, including:.

Once you begin treatment, your symptoms should subside within two or three days. If left untreated, BV may take two weeks to go away on its own — or it may keep coming back.

You can buy suppository creams that kill the Candida fungus, including miconazole Monistat and clotrimazole Gyne-Lotrimin , at your local pharmacy. If you see a doctor, they may prescribe a prescription-strength suppository cream or an oral medication called fluconazole. If you experience recurrent yeast infections — more than four per year — your provider may prescribe a different kind of medication. Although some medications may only require one dose, others may run a course of up to 14 days.

OTC and prescription medication can usually clear up a yeast infection within a week. If you rely on home remedies or opt not to treat the yeast infection, symptoms can last for several weeks or more. You can pass a yeast infection to any sexual partner.

You can pass BV to a partner who has a vagina through oral sex or sharing sex toys. If you have a vaginal yeast infection and give birth vaginally, you may pass the yeast infection to the baby in the form of an oral infection called thrush.

Minimizing irritation to your vulva and protecting the natural microbial environment inside your vagina will help prevent reinfection. We mention symptoms and other conditions that may be…. Lots of products on the market have additional scent, including toilet paper, tampons and pads. You may want to find unscented versions instead.

This also goes for using strong products around the vaginal area, such as bubble bath, vaginal deodorant or body wash. Smoking could have an impact on your vaginal health too, so you should try to curb the habit.

If you experience these infections regularly, there may be certain triggers that cause them. BV or Thrush? What is the difference between Thrush and BV? Have I got BV or Thrush? Can you have Thrush and BV at the same time? You should consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of all medical conditions.

Bacterial Vaginosis Guides. BV is an infection caused by an imbalance. Bacterial Vaginosis. It is common for the BV infection to return. BV generally causes unusual discharge with a strong, fishy odour. This discharge can increase after sex. Once you go to your doctor and get a cotton swab text to check if the infection is BV. There are also some at home tests available at the pharmacy.

If you do have BV, it is treated with antibiotic tablets or gels or creams. It is common for BV to come back within 3 months of first getting it, so you may need to talk with your doctor about figuring out what is triggering it. Your doctor can usually distinguish between these infections by taking a swab of vaginal fluid. The swab is sent to a lab for examination under a microscope to look for Candida yeast seen in thrush or clue cells seen in BV.

Testing the acidity of vaginal fluid can also help — the pH of the vagina is usually normal pH 4. Getting a proper diagnosis rather than diagnosing yourself is important to make sure you get the right treatment. Antibiotics can be taken to treat bacterial vaginosis and relieve symptoms. Metronidazole, clindamycin or tinidazole are the antibiotics usually prescribed.

Metronidazole and clindamycin can be given as a vaginal cream or gel, or as tablets to be taken by mouth. Make sure you tell your doctor if you think you might be pregnant or are breast feeding, as this will affect the antibiotics they prescribe.

If you are taking metronidazole or tinidazole, you should not drink any alcohol during treatment and for several days after treatment is finished, as it can make you feel very unwell. Some antibiotics given vaginally can interfere with the effectiveness of some condoms by weakening the latex — check with your doctor. Sometimes BV does get better on its own. Self-care treatments that are being investigated for BV focus on improving the balance of good bacteria in the vagina. Taking probiotics or eating special types of yoghurt may help with this, but more evidence is needed to show that these measures help treat BV.

For many women, having BV is seen as more of a nuisance than anything else. But it can sometimes be associated with serious complications, especially if you are pregnant or undergoing certain procedures. Unfortunately, BV often comes back, even after treatment with antibiotics. This usually happens within 3 to 12 months of treatment. Recurrent infections seem to be more common in women who have a regular sex partner, and recent research indicates that these recurrences may be linked to women being re-infected by their partners.

If you have a recurrence of BV, your doctor may prescribe antibiotic gel such as metronidazole gel that you apply to your vagina twice a week for months. There is currently no firm recommendation regarding sex with men during treatment for BV. It seems that you are more likely to re-infect yourself rather than infect a male partner if you do have sex when you have BV.

Testing and treating male sex partners is not currently routinely recommended. However, there is ongoing research into whether treating men may reduce the risk of recurrent infections in their female partners. To help prevent BV or stop it coming back, avoid douching , which is not necessary as the vagina is self-cleaning.

Douching can actually increase your chances of getting a vaginal infection. The best way to clean yourself is with a mild soap and water. Avoid fragranced products and bubble bath. Using condoms may reduce your chances of getting BV or having a recurrence.