BV, C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. papapsilsis, C. tropicalis, Cytolytic Vaginosis, E. coli, Infections, Microbiology, Pre-teens, STIs, Teens, The vault, Trans Man, Trich, Urinary System, Women, Yeast infections
What have I got – yeast or BV – symptom checker
Figuring out if what you have is bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection is easy: it’s all about the symptoms. You just need to investigate a few key themes, but just BV or yeast may not be the only questions you need to ask yourself.
BV is:
- Fishy discharge
- Watery/grey/thin discharge, no chunks, all looks the same
- Not itchy, sore or inflamed
- May appear after sex with a new person, your period, or for no reason you can think of
- Can be hard to treat and antibiotic resistant due to biofilm formation
- You need a test to get an accurate diagnosis (ask for PCR testing to exclude aerobic vaginitis or something else)
- At-home BV treatments
Yeast is:
- Itchy
- Thick, white discharge
- Discharge doesn’t smell bad at all
- Can get quite raw
- Often appears after antibiotics or if you eat a lot of bread/sugar or drink a lot of beer
- Very diet-related – yeast starts in your intestines and works it’s way down
- Usually easy to treat
- At-home yeast treatments
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Aerobic vaginitis is:
- Itchy
- Inflamed
- Sore
- Smells bad – may be fishy, may be like rotten meat, ammonia, or faeces
- Usually extremely antibiotic resistant bacteria involved
- Sometimes very hard to treat
- Requires accurate diagnosis (may be misdiagnosed or co-diagnosed with BV, get PCR testing)
- Learn more about aerobic vaginitis
Trich is:
- A sexually transmitted bacterial infection
- Fishy, foul or musty odour
- Greenish discharge
- May be inflamed
- Easy to treat with antibiotics
- Learn more about trich
Lactobacilli overgrowth syndrome (cytolytic vaginosis) is:
- Looks just like a yeast infection
- Thick white discharge
- Smells normal
- Itchy
- Sore
- Doesn’t respond to antifungal treatments at all
- Gets worse in the week or two before your period
- Feels better after baking soda douche
- Found most often in women who have blood sugar dysregulation and oestrogen excess or have just been treated with vaginal or oral probiotics
- If you are normal, will resolve itself within a few weeks – the vagina is self-limiting with food availability
- At-home cytolytic vaginosis treatments
Jessica Lloyd - Naturopathic Practitioner, BHSc(N)
Jessica is a degree-qualified naturopath (BHSc) specialising in vulvovaginal health and disease, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Jessica is the owner and lead naturopath of My Vagina, and is a member of the:
- International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
- International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
- National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Australia
- New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society (ANZVS)
- Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)
Latest posts by Jessica Lloyd - Naturopathic Practitioner, BHSc(N) (see all)
- Video: choosing gelatin or vegetable capsules for vaginal use - May 11, 2019
- Rotterdam criteria for diagnosing PCOS - April 11, 2019
- Aunt Vadge: pains in clitoris, vagina and labia after rough sex three months ago - April 11, 2019