Vaginal infections are of many different types, some being of a sexually transmitted kind, while others are not and some occur due to reasons not clearly understood.

Most women will, at some or other point of time in their lives, probably get a vaginal infection which may range from the mild and easily treatable to the severe and difficult to get rid of.

It is important for vaginal infections to be identified as per its actual type and get treatment in accordance with this rather than self medicate oneself based on self diagnosis or guessing based on the symptoms that a woman may have.Vaginal Infections

Sometimes, the symptoms of certain vaginal infections could be similar to one another and one could end up taking medication for one infection when one has another.

So, testing to determine which infection is present and taking the correct medication for this is the correct course of action. The most common vaginal infections are:

Vaginal Yeast Infection: The Candida fungus is responsible for a vaginal yeast infection. The symptoms of this vaginal infection are itching, burning or soreness in the vaginal area.

There could be pain during sexual intercourse or when passing urine. Typically there is a thick discharge rather like cottage cheese. This kind of infection could be a commonly occurring one for many women, however if a woman experiences these symptoms for the first time, it is important to get a proper diagnosis and correct treatment.

Bacterial Vaginosis: Rather than an infection, bacterial vaginosis is a disorder wherein the natural balance of the bacteria present in the vaginal area becomes unbalanced and there is an overgrowth of certain less friendly bacteria.

Causes of this are not clearly understood though there are several factors that increase the risk for developing this condition. The common symptoms include a fish like vaginal odor and a frothy discharge that may be gray or white.

Trichomoniasis: This is sexually transmitted disease; an infection that also occurs in men, though the incidence is much higher in women. In women, the common symptoms are a frothy or foamy discharge that is foul-smelling and may be yellowish or green in color.

As you can see from the preceding symptoms of the common vaginal infections, they can commonly being mistaken; one for another. However, their nature and mode of infection are different as are the ways used to treat them. This is the reason that proper diagnosis is required before treatment is obtained.