Bacterial vaginosis common cause of discharge
YOUR HEALTH
DR. DONOHUE

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please write about bacterial vaginosis. I have suffered from it for more than a year. My doctor continues to prescribe metronidazole vaginal gel. I would like to have a cure for it. Anything you can tell me about it will be appreciated. --R.H.

ANSWER: The vagina is home to many useful bacteria, like one called lactobacillus, which keeps the vagina on the acidic side, an environment that keeps away mischievous bacteria.

Bacterial vaginosis is a condition that results from a change in the normal bacteria of the vagina. Lactobacillus disappears, and an array of less-friendly bacteria populate the area. One of those bacteria is called gardnerella.

Why this shift occurs is often an unanswered question. For some women, it causes no symptoms. For others it brings a thin, grayish discharge with a fishy odor. When the doctor adds potassium hydroxide to a sample of the discharge, it gives off a distinctive smell that permits the doctor to make a diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.

About one-third of women with bacterial vaginosis have a resolution of symptoms without any treatment. For the other two-thirds, there are medicines. Your metronidazole gel is a commonly used one. One program for resistant or repeat bacterial vaginosis is to use the gel daily for 10 days and then twice weekly for four to six months. If metronidazole gel doesn't do the job, clindamycin -- which comes in pills and vaginal creams -- can be used. Tinidazole is an oral medicine that offers another alternative treatment.

It's never been shown that treatment of the husband facilitates cure or stops recurrences, but condom use appears to encourage cure. Why, I don't know.

The booklet on vaginal infections discusses the more common kinds and their treatments. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 1203, Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 59-year-old female and have a fear of severe weather. It influences my life to the point where everything I do hinges on the weather. We face long, severe winters where I live. One summer we had a tornado. We live in a secluded subdivision where roads are bad after a snowstorm. The fear of weather interferes with my life. Is there a weather phobia? Can anything be done for it? -- I.H.

ANSWER: Weather phobia is a bona fide phobia. You're not the only one who has it. Your family doctor can put you in touch with a professional who can ease your fears through cognitive behavior therapy, a process where you learn how to control the exaggerated and paralyzing fears that are constraining your life. Don't hesitate to ask for help.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com. 2006 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved