Chronic Vaginal Infections: A New Perspective on Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis or Infection?
Chronic infections have long been seen as a battle against stubborn pathogens – and vaginal health is no exception. Conventional treatments often involve antibiotic and antifungal pharmaceuticals, resulting in a prescription-induced vacillation between bacterial and fungal vaginitis. However, a growing body of research suggests that these infections can be better understood through the lens of dysbiosis – an imbalance in the body's microbial communities.
Dysbiosis occurs when the diversity and balance of the microbiome are disrupted, setting the stage for opportunistic or pathogenic microbes to proliferate and cause symptoms. Where vaginal health is concerned, this can be overt, with clear symptoms such as vaginal discharge, itching, or pain.
But it can also be more discreet, showing up only when dysbiosis has become severe enough – and biofilms are likely playing a role – to result in downstream effects, such as:
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Post-surgical complications
- Infertility, pregnancy losses, pre-term birth
- Intrauterine and intraamniotic infections
- Cervical dysplasia and infections
Microbes Matter Most
The two most prevalent causes of vaginitis are bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), which together comprise up to 75% of all cases. Both conditions are the result of a disruption in the vaginal ecosystem (vaginal dysbiosis), characterized by a reduction in lactic acid producers (lactobacilli) and overgrowth in the diversity and numbers of strictly anaerobic microbes (BV) or Candida species. That imbalance then leads to persistent infections.
Balance is key!
Viewing chronic infections as forms of dysbiosis shifts the focus from merely eradicating pathogens to restoring and maintaining microbial balance. This approach opens new avenues for treatment, emphasizing botanicals, probiotics, lifestyle changes, and other strategies aimed at supporting a healthy microbiome.
Understanding chronic infections as dysbiosis not only broadens our perspective but also offers more holistic and potentially effective ways to manage these persistent health issues – ideally setting women up for lasting health and wellbeing.
See our Vaginitis Protocol for more information.