Patient's question:
After giving birth, during my postpartum check-up at the full moon, I was carefully diagnosed with candidal vulvovaginitis. Later, it was cured with medication, but recently I've noticed some itching in my vagina and some abnormal discharge. The hospital's thorough examination revealed bacterial vaginosis, so I'd like to consult and understand the differences between candidal vulvovaginitis and bacterial vaginosis.Doctor's answer:
You can distinguish them by the names alone, as the types of bacteria causing the infections are different, so the medications used are also different. For candidal vulvovaginitis (yeast infection), vaginal suppositories of nystatin should be used for treatment to be effective. For bacterial vaginosis, vaginal suppositories of metronidazole can be used.You can also distinguish them by the symptoms of vaginal discharge. If it's candidal vulvovaginitis, the discharge will be like curd-like and greenish, and sometimes the outer vaginal area may itch. In bacterial vaginosis, the discharge is usually yellowish and generally does not cause itching.
Patients face the harms of bacterial vaginosis, so we should actively adopt treatment measures and not avoid seeking medical attention. If bacterial vaginosis does not improve with treatment, it is important to change the treatment plan promptly.