Women can benefit from taking regular supplements of probiotics as men do, but there are several more reasons why women must ensure that their intestinal ecology is healthy. There are over 100 trillion bacteria in our colon, which is about 20 times the number of cells in our body. Thus it is not suprising that intestinal bacteria overwhelmingly affect the health of the whole body. ANATOMY & ECOLOGY OF THE VAGINA The vagina has some anatomical features similar to the gut. It has an outlet to the skin which is very close to the anal opening, therefore the bacterial flora of the colon, rectum and anus affects the vaginal flora. However, whilst the gut inlet also opens at the skin surface, the upper end of the vagina is connected to the cervical opening, which in turn is joined to the womb and thence to the fallopian tubes to open up in the pelvic cavity, very close to the ovaries. Thus any infection in the vagina can spread through this route into the pelvis (lower abdominal cavity). The vagina has its own resident friendly bacteria, which is mainly Lactobacillus vaginalis (affectionately called Doderlein's bacteria after the discoverer). It thrives in the warm acidic environment. It is the main determinant of vaginal health, and its growth is affected by the hormonol milieu, pH and the presence of pathogenic bacteria or parasites. The most common vaginal infection faced by women is that of thrush (usually cause by candida albicans). When chronic it is often part of a yeast syndrome, whereby the symptoms are not just confined to vaginal discharge and irritation but also depression, lethargy, irritability etc., and affects the woman's ability to function day to day. Vaginal infections can also be caused by a whole range of viruses, bacteria and parasites. Most often doctors treat the yeast infection with anti-fungal creams or suppositories but even though these are effective, their effect is often temporary. Usually the infections occur because the conditions have eliminated the resident friendly bacteria, and so unless the normal bacterial flora is returned, the infections can easily recur. Thus it is very important that this matter is understood to avoid recurrence. It also applies to some extent to all the other infections. PROBIOTICS IN PREGNANCY Pregnancy is a very important time to guarantee the health of the vagina since the baby has to pass through it during birth. The sterile baby is immediately contaminated from head to toe. The mouth contamination will start the bacterial flora in the whole gut. If there are friendly bacteria, then the contamination will be beneficial. Pregnant mothers must ensure that there are no dangerous viruses, bacteria or parasites in the vagina awaiting to harm their babies. Some can be fatal (some Streptococci bacteria) or cause permanent organ damage (eg. Herpes simplex virus). It is important that any vaginal discharge or other signs and symptoms of vaginal infection be investigated and appropriate treatment given. Treatment should be followed by probiotic supplementation. For all pregnant mothers, it is therefore recommended that probiotics be part of their antenatal supplementation. |