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Vaginitis is a disease in women’s vaginal area associated with irritation and/or inflammation of the vagina. Vaginitis is a very common condition affecting millions of women each year. There are three main types of vaginitis:

- candidia vaginitis or yeast infection
- trichomonas vaginitis or “trich”
- bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Yeast Infection is also called candidiasis. This type of vaginitis is caused by a fungus and is the second most common type of the disease.

Protozoan is a type of infection that is also known as trichomoniasis and it is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD). This type is the least common and comprises 3% to 5% of all vaginitis infections.

The bacterial type of infection is caused when healthy vaginal bacteria are replaced by “bad” bacteria. It is considered to be the most common type of vaginitis.

Vaginitis Symptoms

Infections in the vaginal area can cause a variety of symptoms, for instance

- fishy smell,
- irritation,
- abnormal or increased discharge,
- painful urination,
- bleeding from vagina and
- itching,

Women suffering from vaginitis may have one or more of these symptoms. If you have one or more of these symptoms, approach your doctor so that you can be tested.

Vaginitis Causes

Vaginitis has a variety of causes. Here are the most common of them;

- fungal infection,
- protozoan infection,
- bacterial infections,
- contact dermatitis,
- allergic reactions

Millions of women are affected by vaginitis and this disease alone is a main reason why women visit their doctor.

Treatment for Vaginitis

There are a few treatment options that may cure vaginitis or give bacterial vaginosis relief. Deciding which treatment your doctor will go for will depend on the cause of the infection:

- Trichomonas infection is commonly treated with a prescribed oral antibiotic.
- Bacterial vaginosis are in most cases treated orally or intra-vaginally with prescribed medication.
- Yeast infections are also treated orally or intra-vaginally with either prescription or over-the-counter antifungal medications.

How to Prevent Vaginitis

- Douching should be avoided as well as irritating agents, such as feminine hygiene sprays and harsh soaps. If you use douches you run the risk of disrupting the normal balance of vaginal bacteria and should therefore be avoided.

- You should wipe front to back after going to the bathroom, thus prevent to spread bacteria from the rectum to the vagina.

- You should practice safe sex or abstinence if possible. Also avoid multiple sexual partners. If you use latex condoms consistently and in the right way, you can reduce the risk of transmission of STDs.

- Don’t use clothing that can trap moisture, for example panty hose without a cotton crotch, tight jeans etc.