Doderlein bacilli, also called lactobacilli, are bacteria that are part of the bacterial flora of the vagina. They are bacteria responsible for protecting the intimate region of the woman and avoid the proliferation of microorganisms that can cause diseases, such as bacterial vaginosis, for example, where there is a decrease in the amount of lactobacilli and a predominance of the bacterium Gardnerella vaginalis or Gardnerella mobiluncus . Understand what bacterial vaginosis is and how to treat it.
Lactobacilli protect the female's intimate region by consuming the glycogen produced by the cells of the vagina under the influence of the estrogen hormone and converting it to lactic acid, which leaves the vagina with the pH around 3.8-4.5 and thus prevents the appearance and proliferation of bacteria and fungi that are harmful to health.
Causes of lactobacilli reduction
Some situations may make the woman more susceptible to the occurrence of infections by reducing the amount of doderlein bacilli, such as:
- Use of antibiotics;
- Poor hygiene of the intimate region;
- Low immunity;
- Use of tight clothing;
- Unprotected sex.
The amount of lactobacilli also decreases during the menstrual period, in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods, because there is a decrease in the concentration of estrogen, which decreases the production of glycogen and, consequently, the conversion to lactic acid by the bacterium, increasing the pH of the vagina and allowing proliferation of other bacteria.
How is the treatment done?
To recover the bacterial flora, that is, to make the amount of bacilli of doderlein return to normal, it is indicated to make use of probiotics that assist in this process, such as the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. The reconstitution of the flora can also be done with a bath in which the water contains an open capsule of probiotics. Here's how to take lactobacilli in capsules.
In addition, it is important to have a healthy diet, to do regular physical exercises, to avoid wearing very tight clothes, to always perform good hygiene of the intimate region and to use cotton panties to preserve the bacterial flora and to prevent fungi and other bacteria from proliferating.
What can mean excess doderlein bacilli
The excess doderlein bacillus poses no risk to a woman's health and may even be considered beneficial, since they are protective bacteria of the female intimate region.
This excess can be perceived through a whitish, odorless discharge that usually does not present more serious symptoms. However, in more rare cases, the woman may report typical symptoms of a urinary infection, such as itching, redness and burning when urinating. If these symptoms occur, it is important to go to the gynecologist for the correct diagnosis because it may be a bacterial or fungal infection.
