While it may often be possible to diagnose many common illnesses yourself, sometimes making a mistake can result in delayed treatment, causing the problem to turn into something more serious.
That's what often happens with vaginal infections. "Far too many women are misdiagnosing themselves and inappropriately self-treating. They don't realize that mistreatment or delays in treating some infections like bacterial vaginosis (BV) can greatly increase a woman's chance of developing more serious obstetric and gyneco-logical conditions, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility," said Dr. Marie Savard, an internist, women's health expert and author.
Approximately 50 percent of women with symptoms of a vaginal infection self-treat with over-the-counter (OTC) medications designed to treat yeast infections.
The problem is that an estimated 70 to 80 percent of women do not have yeast infections, but may suffer from a potentially more serious form of infection such as BV, trichomoniasis (Trich) or a combination infection that requires a prescription treatment.
Fortunately, new self-diagnostic products are making it easier for women to properly diagnose the cause of their infection.
One new product getting favorable reviews from women is known as Fem-V, a product from publicly held Synova Healthcare. It's easy to use. Women presenting with symptoms of itching, abnormal discharge or odor simply wear a pantiliner (attached like a traditional pantiliner) until a vaginal discharge appears.
They then remove an indicator strip housed inside the liner and place it in a drying tray for 10 minutes.
If a blue-green color stain appears on the test, a doctor's visit is required to further evaluate a possible bacterial vaginosis infection, trichomoniasis or other concern.
If no blue-green color stain remains, the infection is likely due to the yeast and an OTC anti-fungal treatment may be considered.
According to Dr. Savard, the new test helps ensure faster and healthier outcomes by empowering women to test and treat themselves properly. |
