vaginitis

[Guest guest]

From WomanCare.. One of my favorite out of print books.

I am not going to do word for word or I'd be here forever.

Vaginitis.

A certain amount of vaginal discharge is normal, for the discharge helps to

cleanse the vagina and keep it healthy. The discharge is made up of

secretions from the glands of the cervix and the vaginal walls and cells

shed from the uterus, cervix and the walls of the vagina. The amount and

character of this discharge changes over the course of the cycle and over

the course of a woman's lifetime. It also varies from woman to woman.

Most of the time the discharge is clear or milky white, moderate in

quantity, this or watery in consistency and has a mild odor. Women who

practice self-exam are familiar wit their own discharges and can detect

balmorals discharges and seek treatment for vaginitits in the earliest

stages of the disease, when it is easy to treat.

Vaginitis is associated with the changes in the normal alkaline/acid balance

of the vagina. Most of the time the vaginal secretions are rather acidic.

Scientists measure acidity of a relative scaled called the pH scale.

The scale runs from 1 to 14, and 7 is neutral, that is, neither alkaline (

sugary) nor acidic. The average pH of the vagina of a woman in her

reproductive years is about 4.5 to 5.0. Most disease-causing organisms

prefer a more alkaline environment For instance trichononmaads, the

culprits responsible for trich, one of the most common forms of vaginitis,

thrive best in a pH of 4.9 to 7.5. Monilia, the organism responsible for

yeast infections prefer a pH of about 5.4. Gonococci, the bacteria that

cause gonorrhea, and streptococci and other diseases do best in a pH of 7.4.

The protective, slightly acidic environment of the vagina is maintained by

bacteria know as lactobacilli, or Doderlien's bacilli, that normally live in

the vagina. Without them, the vagina would be quite alkaline, for the

cervical secretions and the cells that are constantly being shed from the

vaginal walls are alkaline. The cells of the vaginal walls contain large

amounts of sugar know as glycogen. This sugar is derived from carbohydrates

taken into the body when sugars and starches are eaten. And the cells of

the vaginal walls are shed and break down, releasing their alkaline

glycogen, the lactobacilli convert to sugar and a weak acid known as lactic

acid.

The pH of the vagina changes with the cycle. The pH of a menopausal woman

is about 7. These change in the pH, coupled with the fact that after

menopause the vaginal walls become thinner and are easily irritated- an

condition knows and postmenopausal vagintitis- explains why so many

menopausal women are prone to vagintitis.

Birth control pills also alter the pH of the vagina. This is especially

true for women taking high estrogen pills containing more than .05 mg. of

estrogen per pill. In fact, the pill makes the vagina so alkaline that

some women who take the pill are trouble troubled by recurrent yeast

infections.

Excessive douching can alter the vagina pH. Sexual activity, emotional

changes and the stage of the menstrual cycle can all cause changes in the

composition and hence the change the odor of vaginal secretions, but vaginal

odor usually emanates for the outher genital organs.

-------------

Well anyway I love this book at it's old but I found it online. Womancare

by Lynda Madaras.

ISBN# 0-380-87643-4

Published in 1984

---------

What I would like to figure out is how HRT for menopausal women can effect

the incidence of Candida infections of the vagina, or overgrowth of

lactobacilli..

Lona

http://tahomagirl.com

HEALTH LINKS