Vaginitis Health Video

Video Transcript

DR. SUZANNE SLAYTON-MILAM: Hi. My name is Suzanne Slayton-Milam. I'm with Cascadia Women's Clinic in Vancouver, Washington. Our topic is vaginitis or vulvovaginitis. This is gynecological condition that presents with increased discharge, possible itching of the vaginal area, burning, possible odor, and sometimes pain with urination. Vaginal discharge may be physiologic, meaning that it is normal or not associated with an infection. Bacterial vaginosis represents the majority of these cases with yeast coming in second place. There is infection of the cervix that may also occur and that is third in place; 10% of cases are normal but have excessive secretion. The last but not least is an infection by an organism called trichomonas, which is sexually transmitted. Bacterial vaginosis is characterized by a low viscosity or very thin discharge meaning it's more liquid in appearance, pH is greater than 5 and it is also characterized by odor that women describe as being fishy. Treatment includes vaginal preparations and oral medications. Occasionally, these infections are more difficult to treat and your doctor may recommend more chronic treatment over an extended period of time. Candida vaginitis is characterized by a high-viscosity discharge thus it is more thick in consistency, it is white in color and particulate and may adhere to the vaginal walls; pH is generally between 4 to 5. There is no associative odor with yeast infections. Treatment also includes an assortment of vaginal or oral preparations; these may be treated with over-the-counter medications. If treatment fails, you should see you physician. Recurrent yeast infections may also be a sign of a medical condition such as diabetes or even HIV. Patients with trichomonas present with a viscous yellow-gray malodorous discharge; pH is 6 to 7. Patients may also complain of burning on urination but urine culture done by the physician is usually negative. Treatment is with metronidazole. Patients should also be checked for other sexually transmitted diseases. There is also a group of patients who present with chronic complaints but have normal physical findings; this can be difficult for the physician to diagnose and treat. Causative factors may be chemical, a thorough history of causative factors needs to be done. What I mean by this is telling your physician about dyed toilet papers, bubble baths, creams, things that you use every day. All substances that come in contact with the genital area must be discussed so that the agent may be identified. A contact dermatitis or allergic reaction to an agent needs to be treated by eliminating that substance and possible treatment with steroid creams or capsules. I hope this discussion has proved to be helpful in your diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginal infections.