Symptoms of Vaginitis
Vaginitis, more commonly referred to as a yeast infection, can affect woman of all ages. A swelling of the vaginal membranes it can cause irritation, discharge, itch, and can at times be painful. If you are a woman experiencing any of these symptoms or pain when either urinating or during sexual activity you should be tested by a medical professional. Since the symptoms can be warning signs of other medical problems it is best to see a Doctor and get a professional diagnosis.
The testing is quite simple, a normal screening would consist of the Doctor asking a few questions about your background, sexual history, Etc. they will do a physical examination and a swab culture which is then tested at a laboratory. However, the doctor will more than likely be able to give you a correct diagnosis before the end of your office visit.
There are over the counter testing kits available and can be purchased at any drugstore or your local Wal-Mart. Similar in style to that of an at home pregnancy test this kit will measure the ‘pH’ levels in the discharge and determine if it is indeed a yeast infection. If the ‘pH’ levels read very high, higher than 3.8-4.5 this can indicate a more serious condition which is Bacterial Vaginosis and will require medical treatment and usually oral medications. If the ‘pH’ levels are between 3.8-4.5 an over the counter yeast infection topical ointment will be your best bet.
Simple yeast infections do not necessarily need medical diagnosis or treatment unless the over the counter methods do not provide relief. It has also been shown that eating yogurt which contains live bacteria can speed up the healing process by bringing your ‘pH’ levels back down to normal.
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