How Can I Fix BV Right Away?

A bacterial infection like Bacterial Vaginosis is unlikely to clear up immediately or on the same day of detecting it based on your symptoms or if you have been diagnosed by a doctor or sexual health clinic specialist. If you have caught your infection early on and it does not appear to be too severe, or quite mild, then a few days of antibiotics or similar treatment could help you clear up your BV within a couple of days. Now, if you are looking for a quick fix to clear up your BV then it’s likely that vaginal gels, boric acid, or oral antibiotics might be at the top of your list. Although, it might take a little longer than you anticipate in many cases as it can be further developed than you may have realised; taking an additional few days to clear up. A mild case of BV should be cleared up within 7 days but you can expect for it to take a little longer for more severe infections; which can be normal. The best way to get rid of the infection as soon as possible is to speak to your GP and get the recommended course of treatment which could be antibiotics or boric acid. Although, it’s important to remember that even treatment of that nature might still take a couple of days to a week and in some cases longer. Plus, you might think it’s cleared up before it has and stops taking your medication; not advised! 

Can BV go away overnight?

Even prescription treatment will need some time to work; overnight is highly unlikely! A prescription of antibiotics or similar medication like Clindamycin, Metronidazole or Tinidazole will all still need a couple of days to work. The treatment will need to work to kill the bacteria causing the Bacterial Vaginosis infection and then it’ll need to ensure that the pH is balanced and work to restore natural vaginal flora. You can expect this process, even with antibiotics, to clear up symptoms in 2-3 days but could still take a few extra days to ensure all the BV bacteria have been neutralised. Once you have your prescription (if that is what you have chosen to take to treat your BV), you should follow all the instructions given to you so that you take the full course, if told to do so. You do not want the BV to just keep coming back! 

Do I need to restore my pH if I have BV?

One of the reasons you might have a Bacterial Vaginosis infection could be to do with your pH if it’s unbalanced or too acidic then it could throw off the balance of your ‘good’ intimate bacteria. If your vaginal bacteria is disrupted, this could be the beginning of a BV infection. An acidic pH that is not neutral or as balanced as it should be will make it the ideal environment for ‘harmful’ bacteria to thrive! The more ‘harmful’ bacteria found inside the vagina, the higher your risk of contracting an infection like Bacterial Vaginosis or a similar yeast infection. So, to clarify yes you need to make sure that you restore your pH and keep it balanced; whether you have BV or not. If you keep it healthy and balanced then the likelihood of contracting BV again in the future is reduced slightly. Be sure to keep reading to find out how you can restore your pH naturally! 

How do I restore my pH naturally?

We have just touched upon the importance of making sure that you keep your pH balanced to not just fight against bacterial infections like BV, but to also keep the vaginal bacteria healthy as well as reduce the risk of ‘harmful’ bacteria from overpopulating the microbiome. Now, you know just how important it can be, for those reasons, we want to share with you the ways that you can ensure that you are taking care of your pH and can keep it balanced. You will notice that we have includes a list of ways that you can support your body's pH naturally. These are not all the known ways you can naturally rebalance and restore your pH, although they are considered some of the more effective… 

• Boric Acid - A known BV treatment that can also help to naturally rebalance your pH.
• Probiotics - Increasing your Lactobacilli bacteria is very good for fighting against infection and keeping your pH balanced. 
• Destress the body - Stress can affect your body's natural pH as it can promote cortisol; this can disrupt your intimate health as well as increase the risk of BV. 
• Quit or limit smoking - Studies suggest nonsmokers had more lactobacilli in the body than smokers which are essential bacteria for pH and intimate health. 
• Cotton Underwear - Wear breathable clothing, including your underwear. Nylon can trap moisture and sweat, a breeding ground for ‘harmful’ bacteria. 
• Avoid over-washing - The vagina is mostly self-cleaning therefore harsh soaps, sprays and wipes are unnecessary to keep it clean. Plus they can prompt BV and unbalanced pH.
• Consider protection during sexual activity - This can disrupt vaginal bacteria and completely off-balance pH, but protection can help keep the vaginal flora healthy.

It is also worth remembering that whilst these are all ways you can restore your pH, you will notice that many of those can also help decrease your risks of contracting recurring or chronic Bacterial Vaginosis. You might not have known where your BV has come from or what keeps triggering it but maybe with the above advice, you feel more aware of what you can do to help support your vaginal flora and how you can keep your pH balanced as well as healthy!