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Possible triggers include:
Vaginal discharge may result from infection with:
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Yeast, also called Candida, a type of fungi that is part of the normal flora of human skin but can also cause infections
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Gardnerella, a type of bacteria found normally in the female genital tract that is the cause of bacterial vaginosis
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Trichomonas, a type of protozoa, an organism made up of one cell.
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exually-transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea or chlamydia may cause vaginal discharge. Other non-infectious possible causes include atrophic vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina, which usually occurs following menopause), diabetes (commonly associated with recurrent yeast infections), or irritation from a scented product such as soap, douches, pads or
tampons.
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Signs
and Symptoms
You may notice a
change in the color, amount, or odor of discharge. A white,
curd-like discharge that resembles cottage cheese is a classic
sign of yeast infection. Yellow, green or gray discharge is
usually a sign of trichomonas or bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial
vaginosis is also marked by an unusual fishy odor.
Itching is usually most noticeable with a yeast infection, though
it may occur with any type of infection or irritation. An
irritated vaginal lining, which may be particularly itchy or
painful during intercourse, is usually a more prominent symptom of
atrophic vaginitis. A new vaginal discharge accompanied by fever,
abdominal pain or pain with intercourse may signal
sexually-transmitted disease, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia.
Note, however, that gonorrhea and chlamydia usually don't produce
any symptoms at all.
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Vaginal
Discharge & Homeopathy.
Vaginitis
Vaginitis refers to an inflammatory condition in the vagina that
is primarily the result of infection (i.e., from Candida albicans,
Trichomonas vaginalis, Gardnerella vaginalis, or Chlamydia
trachomatis) or exposure to an irritant (chemical or allergic).
The symptoms of vaginitis generally include an abnormal vaginal
discharge and itching or burning pains. To understand how and why
homeopathic medicines are effective, it is useful to learn
something about the nature of vaginitis.
One of the most common types of vaginitis is a yeast infection,
usually caused by the yeast Candida albicans. The vagina normally
is populated by a variety of microorganisms that help to prevent
infection. The "good" microorganisms create a chemical
environment that inhibits the "bad" microorganisms. They
also compete for food with the "bad" infective
organisms. If a woman takes antibiotics to treat an infection,
whether it is for vaginitis or not, the antibiotics kill both the
bad and the good microorganisms, ultimately creating various
imbalances in the body, including yeast infections.
The vagina can normally live comfortably with small amounts of
yeast, but the killing of good microorganisms by antibiotics
allows yeast to grow in significant numbers, creating a yeast
infection.
Conventional treatment for yeast conditions is usually antifungal
medications or suppositories. While these medicines may
temporarily decrease the number of yeast cells, they do not
increase the body's good microorganisms, nor do they protect the
body from future yeast infections.
Other factors that can disrupt the ecological balance in the
vagina are a high sugar diet, birth control pills, and certain
hormonal changes, including those caused by pregnancy. Simply
getting rid of the yeast, bacteria, or other pathogens growing as
a result of the ecological imbalance and leading to vaginitis does
not resolve the fundamental stress to the woman's health.
Homeopathic medicines are not antifungal or antibacterial in the
conventional sense. Rather, they strengthen a woman's own
defenses, which then help her body fight off the fungal infection
itself. By this process they do not create the same type of
internal ecological disruption that antibiotics cause. Some of the
common remedies for vaginitis are Pulsatilla (white, yellow, or
greenish bland vaginal discharge with vaginal soreness, a weepy,
moody, emotionally-laden state, thirstlessness, aggravated by heat
and relieved in the open air; a common remedy for vaginitis in
pregnant women), Kreosotum (itching with burning pains, a yellow,
putrid vaginal discharge which is acrid and irritates the vaginal
lips and surrounding skin; the discharge may stain bedsheets, and
is worse in the morning and upon standing), Borax (a burning
vaginal discharge which is the color of egg whites; Borax tends to
be useful for vaginitis that occurs midway between menstrual
periods), Hydrastis (profuse stringy yellow vaginal discharge with
great itching, worse after menstruation), Sepia (white, milky,
offensive, itchy, and burning discharge which tends to be more
profuse in the morning and while walking, sensations of
uncomfortable pressure and heaviness in the vaginal area, general
fatigue, constipation, irritability, depression), Graphites
(premenstrual yeast infection, often in overweight women with
thin, white, acrid discharge and who may experience a concurrent
backache, increased discharge in the morning and while walking),
and Calcarea carb (thick yellow or milky discharge which tends to
cause intense itching, usually in overweight, fair-skinned women,
worse before menses and on becoming warm, though they tend to be
very chilly; a headache and spasmodic cramps may be concurrent).
These remedies are effective not only for yeast infections, but
also for other types of vaginal infection.
Chronic or recurrent vaginitis should receive professional
homeopathic care for an appropriate constitutional medicine.
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