Bacterial Vaginosis is otherwise known as BV and is caused by bacterial changes in the vagina. This article looks at its five more common symptoms. As with any infection in the genitalia, BV is not pleasant to have to deal with. It can be upsetting dealing with personal issues such as this, the symptoms can be mild to severe, it is different for each woman. If you are unlucky enough to have to suffer through strong symptoms it can have a negative impact on your whole life.

The two most common symptoms of BV are a nasty fishy odor and an abnormal discharge. The odor can vary in strength for each woman. The discharge can be shades of grey or white and is sometimes milky. Some women have said that there is more of this discharge after they have had sexual relations.

Itching - In BV itching is not the most common symptom unlike yeast infections where it is the most common. As it is a sign of both illnesses there can sometimes be confusion over which one you have. It is not only something women themselves get mixed up, doctors have done too. This is why you should always make sure you mention all of your symptoms. As soon as you mention your odor is fishy this immidiately says it's BV as a yeast infection has a yeast odor like bread or beer.

Irritation can be another yeast infection symptom so take care. The cramping can not be very strong for some sufferers and easy to ignore, all the way up to it being so severe you are unable to carry out your day to day routine.

It is important if you belive you are suffering from any of these symptoms that you do something about it. Bacteria Vaginosis may be just a slight inconvenience if you are only experiencing mild occasional symptoms but you cannot leave it untreated for any length of time. As with all illness if you leave it untreated there can be long term repercussions. It is a good idea to educate yourself about Bacterial Vaginosis symptoms verus yeast infection symptoms and understand the causes of both in case you can make changes to prevent them. If you belive you have BV there are various options to treat it.