Looking for home remedies and cures for Bacterial Vaginosis? In this blog post you will learn about the causes of BV and learn you how to heal your BV naturally. Also included: Tips on how to prevent future BV with diet and supplements.
Today I’m going to talk openly about my vagina. It’s a normal part of the human anatomy, like the hand or an ear.
I’m not sure why people are so afraid of it. Some people won’t even say the word vagina. The last article I read on the topic referred to as “my you know what.”
Seriously? Why are people so afraid of vaginas? Why are people so uncomfortable that they can’t even say the word? Well, I’m not.
And I’m going to tell you all about how to make your vagina healthy and bring the flora back into balance!
What is bacterial vaginosis?
Bacterial vaginosis, or BV, is the most common infection among women of childbearing age. While not as well known, it’s even more common than a yeast infection. To borrow lingo from Derek Zoolander, it’s really, really ridiculously common.
Studies have shown that approximately 29% of women in the U.S. are affected. Bacterial vaginosis is found in about 25% of pregnant women in the U.S. and approximately 60% of women who have a sexually-transmitted disease (STD). (source)
Considering that 29% of women suffer from it, it’s a shame that people don’t discuss natural remedies for bacterial vaginosis more often.
BV occurs when the vaginal flora is out of balance and there are more “bad” bacteria than “good” bacteria. The good bacteria keep the bad bacteria in check, but when this delicate balance is thrown out of balance- that’s BV. Symptoms include a smelly discharge, itching, burning and sometimes there are no symptoms at all.
What causes BV?
Well, no one’s really sure. What causes BV in one woman may not cause BV in another.
Here are some common triggers:
- douching
- high sugar diet
- eating junk food/overall unhealthy diet
- poor hygiene
- using soap down there
- tampons
- smoking
- multiple sexual partners
You might be surprised that a poor diet can be a cause for BV. But trust me, maintaining an overall healthy diet and lifestyle is your best bet against BV AND so many other deseases.
Most women will develop it at some point or another. After my last pap (which was normal after being diagnosed with cervical dysplasia!) the doctor called to tell me I had a mild case of BV.
I wasn’t surprised as I’m prone to it after using tampons.
Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginosis – How to Heal BV Naturally
What to avoid:
The first step in healing BV is to not do things that aggravate it.
- No smoking,
- crappy foods,
- drinking,
- tampons,
- douching
- and please don’t use soap on or in your vagina. It upsets the flora and pH. Semen can upset the balance as well, so it can be best to refrain from sex while healing.
Prevent BV with a diet high in:
- pastured meats and eggs
- vegetables
- fermented foods
- bone broth
- raw dairy (if you tolerate dairy well)
- healthy fats like grass-fed butter, olive oil, and coconut oil
Avoid eating following foods:
- sugar
- alcohol
- refined foods
- GMOs
- rancid vegetable oils (soy, corn, cotton, canola)
- fruit
When my doctor told me I had BV, she wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic (no, I didn’t take it to the pharmacy). Antibiotics are largely ineffective for BV as they destroy all bacteria, not just bad bacteria.
This allows the bad bacteria to proliferate once again after the antibiotics. Not to mention that taking antibiotics for a mild issue like BV is dangerous and can lead to drug-resistant superbugs.
My Queen of Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginosis
Probiotic Supplements:
Instead of taking an antibiotic, I prefer to take this probiotic supplement.
It is really the queen of home remedies for bacterial vaginosis. Furthermore, it is prescription free and contains the two prominent strains of beneficial bacteria naturally found in the vagina.
I repeat: This is one of my favorite home remedies for BV. It’s also great for yeast infections, though I don’t think I’ve ever had one because its efficacy has been clinically tested:
Lactobacilli were detected in more women in the lactobacilli-treated group than in the placebo group at 28 day and 60 day test points. Culture findings confirmed a significant increase in vaginal lactobacilli at day 28 and 60, a significant depletion in yeast at day 28 and a significant reduction in coliforms at day 28, 60 and 90 for lactobacilli-treated subjects versus controls. The combination of probiotic L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14 is not only safe for daily use in healthy women, but it can reduce colonization of the vagina by potential pathogenic bacteria and yeast. (source)
It’s the best probiotic I’ve found to deliver beneficial bacteria to the vaginal tract and bring it back into balance.
While I’m using the probiotic, I also use this suppository to directly repopulate the vaginal tract with beneficial flora.
The suppositories contain 10 billion live cells of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and 10 billion live cells of Lactobacillus gasseri. Both of them are very effective at treating BV naturally.
Conclusion – What are the best Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginosis?
These two afore-mentioned products combined with an overall healthy diet are a great way to heal BV naturally.
Considering that Bacterial Vaginosis is so common, especially among pregnant women, I definitely prefer to first treat it with natural remedies.
Of course, I’m not saying to ignore your doctor’s advice, but be mindful of antibiotic use.
It really should be reserved for dire circumstances, not something as simple and mild as bacterial vaginosis.
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18 Comments
Without fail douhe with 1 part poroxide and 4-5 part water, it works 100%….at first everyday for about a week then as needed to maintain freshness. I’ve tried antibiotic pills and creams and nothing seemed to be a long-term fix until I tried this.
Sorry 3% hydrogen poroxide ????
Hey I’m only 12 and I’m experiencing itching, burning, odor, and discharge I’m really scared on what to do I’m telling my mom but I don’t want to have a doctor look over my vagina I am really scared if I have BV because idk what to do or handle it.. but this website helped me understand a bit more about bv it helps to hear how other people handled it and I can’t take pills either idk why but I hope someone will get back to this..
Please tell your mom and see a doctor, it may be uncomfortable but it’s definitely the best option. Best of luck!
What is the Suppository you use ?
Hi. Can you tell us what the suppository is? The link doesn’t work.
Thanks.
What’s the name of the suppository the link is broken?
Hello there,
Wondering what brand the suppositories were? The link within your article does not connect to them anymore.
Thanks
Lauren
Hi, I’ve been struggling with BV for several months, have been on several rounds of antibiotics and found out by my doctor I am antibiotic resistant. To make it more challenging I am also 10 weeks pregnant. I am scared as I know bv can cause miscarriage. I have been taking Femdophilus for a few months, but I still have bv.
I notice you posted a link for a suppository, but the link was broken. What is the product and is it safe for pregnancy?
What is the suppository? When I clicked on the link to amazon, it was no longer there…thanks
Great article! So true about the over use of antibiotics – I went through 6-8 rounds trying to battle BV before discovering probiotics. That and boric acid suppositories were my saving grace. I found boric acid worked wonders and was easily available on Amazon. Thanks again for touching on this!
I’ve heard good things about boric acid! Thanks for sharing!
Hello, the Amazon links are out of date.
Could you please send me the names of the suggested probiotic and Suppositories? Wanting to get the good ones right off the bat. Thanks!
Hi, this is a great article. Just what i was looking for actually but what is the suppository you used. Looks like the link is down.
Thanks so much and thanks for sharing!!!
The link for the suppository isn’t there anymore. Will you tell me which one it was?
warm lemon water
I blog quite often and I really thank you for your content.
This article has really peaked my interest. I will book mark your website and keep checking for new information about once a week.
I opted in for your RSS feed as well.
I am 6 months pregnant and got diagnosed with bv and I have been prescribed antibiotics. I’m so scared of it because of what I read on the internet with pregnancy complications. I am not one to ever take antibiotics unless absolutely necessary but I don’t know what to do. Did you take these probiotics while pregnant and not take the antibiotics?