Your vaginal microbiome is a delicate ecosystem. When it’s in balance and thriving, it protects you from infection and supports your overall health. But when that careful balance is disrupted, it can’t function the way it’s supposed to, leading to a whole host of challenges.
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Your vaginal microbiome is a delicate ecosystem. When it’s in balance and thriving, it protects you from infection and supports your overall health. But when that careful balance is disrupted, it can’t function the way it’s supposed to, leading to a whole host of challenges.
In this article, we’ll explore vaginal dysbiosis; what causes it, how it impacts your health and tips on how to maintain a healthy vaginal microbiome.
Vaginal dysbiosis is when the natural balance of your vaginal microbiome is thrown off.
Your vaginal microbiome is a diverse community made up of trillions of bacteria, fungi and microorganisms. Your microbiome is your vagina’s natural defence mechanism against infection. However, your vaginal microbiome is highly sensitive and can easily slip out of balance.
Think of your microbiome as a bustling city, with good bacteria, harmful bacteria, and fungi all living together. When everything’s in balance, the city runs smoothly. But when one species overtakes the others, it’s like a mob causing chaos. This chaos shows up in the form of vaginal infections, discomfort, a change in discharge and a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Many factors can disrupt the delicate balance of your vaginal microbiome. Understanding these causes is the first and most important step to keeping your vagina healthy and preventing dysbiosis.
Here are some of the most common factors:
Hormonal fluctuations are one of the biggest contributors to dysbiosis. Menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause all cause changes in oestrogen levels, which directly affect the vaginal microbiome.
Higher oestrogen levels promote the growth of lactobacilli, the helpful bacteria that keep the vagina healthy. However, too much oestrogen can also trigger overgrowth of candida, leading to vulvovaginal candidosis (VVC) (also known as yeast infections or thrush). Lower oestrogen levels during breastfeeding and menopause lead to lower lactobacilli levels, enabling the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and conditions like recurrent BV.
Your daily habits can also have a big impact on your vaginal microbiome. These include:
Certain external factors may also impact the balance of bacteria in your vagina:
Antibiotics are often necessary to treat bacterial infections, like BV. The problem is that antibiotics don’t discriminate: they also attack beneficial bacteria like Lactobacilli.
Have you ever gotten a yeast infection while taking antibiotics or soon after? That’s because low Lactobacilli levels allow harmful microorganisms like Candida to overgrow, leading to infections like Vulvo Vaginal Candida (thrush, or yeast infections).
Top tip: only use antibiotics when prescribed by a doctor and consider boosting your prebiotic and probiotic intake through foods rich in these to help maintain your microbiome balance during treatment. For example, fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi contain probiotics, while onions and garlic are rich in prebiotics.
Genetics play a significant role in the makeup of your vaginal microbiome. Studies have shown that women from different parts of the world have different microbial profiles.
Women from North America, Japan, and Europe tend to have more Lactobacilli in their microbiomes, while women from African and Hispanic backgrounds often have a wider mix of bacteria and fewer Lactobacilli. These differences can affect the risk of dysbiosis
When your vaginal microbiome is out of balance, it can leave you more vulnerable to infection. If you’re getting repeated infections, it could be a sign that you have vaginal dysbiosis.
Some of the most common issues include:
Avoiding vaginal dysbiosis is all about maintaining a healthy balance in your vaginal microbiome. Here are some practical tips to keep things in check:
Vaginal dysbiosis can be confusing and frustrating, but understanding just how delicate your vaginal microbiome is, is the vital first step toward restoring balance. By knowing what can disrupt it, recognising the signs of imbalance and learning how to support a healthy vaginal microbiome, you can take proactive steps to keep your vaginal health on track.
Caring for your vaginal health isn’t always a walk in the park. But with the right information and support, you can take control of your balance and reclaim your equilibrium.
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