Bacterial Vaginosis During Menopause

Due to the hormonal changes of menopause, the vagina becomes dry and shrinks in size. Dryness in the vagina causes a greater incidence of vaginal infections, including bacterial vaginosis.

Identification

• Bacteria vaginosis is actually a form of vaginitis. It is a bacterial infection that causes vaginal inflammation. There are several forms of vaginitis, but bacterial vaginosis is the most common during menopause.

Causes

• Bacterial vaginosis comes from the overgrowth of bad bacteria (anaerobes) in the vagina. During menopause, this overgrowth is the result of the hormonal imbalance that results during this time.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis are change in discharge color and odor, vaginal itching, pain during intercourse, painful urination and a "fishy" smelling discharge.

Diagnosis

• If you are going through menopause and you suspect that you may have bacterial vaginosis, you will need to see your physician. He will do a cervical smear, to test the vaginal discharge for the presence of vaginitis.

Treatment

• For bacterial vaginosis in menopause, your physician may prescribe you medicated creams, suppository pills, vaginal gels or tablets. Two of the most widely known medications for bacterial vaginosis are Flagyl and MetroGel.