Bacterial vaginosis
is an infection that occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the
vagina is disturbed, allowing harmful bacteria to enter the vagina and
spread throughout the reproductive tract. Symptoms may include watery
discharge, fish-like odor, vaginal itching and burning. The exact cause
of the condition is unknown, but multiple sex partners or douching can
upset the balance of bacteria in the vagina, increasing the risk of
infection, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
If left untreated, this infection can cause complications.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
A
common complication associated with bacterial vaginosis is pelvic
inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease refers to an infection
of the female reproductive organs such as the uterus or fallopian
tubes, the tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. People
with pelvic inflammatory disease may experience abdominal pain,
fever, vaginal discharge that has a foul odor, painful urination,
irregular menstrual bleeding or painful sexual intercourse. Damaged
fallopian tubes can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy or pelvic
pain. According to Medline Plus, the most common cause of infertility in
the United States is pelvic inflammatory disease. Women with bacterial
vaginosis may develop the disease when bacteria enters the woman's
vagina through the vaginal opening or cervix and spreads throughout the
reproductive tract, damaging the fallopian tubes and the surrounding
uterine and cervical tissue, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Treatment generally consists of antibiotics, but
in severe cases, hospitalization may be required to treat the
infection.
Ectopic Pregnancy
Women
who have bacterial vaginosis at the time of their pregnancy risk having
an ectopic pregnancy, according to the MayoClinic.com. Bacterial
vaginosis can cause an ectopic pregnancy when the bacteria infection
spreads throughout the reproductive tract blocking or damaging the
fallopian tubes used to carry the egg to the uterus and causing the egg
to implant outside of the uterus. When the egg gets stuck in the
fallopian tube, it is called a tubal pregnancy. In rare situations, the
egg may implant in the abdomen, ovary or the cervix. A fertilized egg
that develops outside of the uterus cannot survive. Left untreated, the
growing tissue may destroy a woman's reproductive organs and cause
severe bleeding. Treatment consists of surgery to remove the fertilized
egg and preserve the woman's internal reproductive structures.
Preterm Delivery
A
serious complication that may affect a mother and her fetus is preterm
delivery, according to the Bacterial Vaginosis Center. Women with
bacterial vagoinis have a higher risk of having a premature delivery
than those who do not have the infection during the third trimester of
pregnancy. Approximately 800,000 pregnant women develop bacterial
vaginosis every year in the United States, according to the website
American Family Physician. Bacterial vaginosis can trigger preterm
delivery when the infection enters the amniotic fluid and spreads to the
uterus, disrupting the healthy development of the fetus. Women with
bacterial vaginosis are usually given the antibiotic metronidazole at
the time of the infection in order to prevent preterm delivery.
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