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| |  Alternative Vaginitis Remedies Add To Health Care Costs, Says Study PHILADELPHIA -- July 24, 1997 -- Over-the-counter and alternative remedies for vaginitis add to health care costs, are unlikely to be beneficial and may actually prolong the symptoms, according to a Temple University Hospital study published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Vaginitis is a general term used to describe many gynecological inflammations or infections, including yeast infections and bacterial infections. It's estimated that vaginitis accounts for more than 10 million office visit each year, and it remains one of the most common reasons for a patient to visit her gynecologist. Symptoms of vaginitis vary but usually include vaginal discharge, itching, redness, swelling, or pain during sex or urination. In recent years, treatment for vaginitis has shifted from the office to the pharmacy, where a patient may now select from a multitude of different treatment options without consulting a physician. "This trend in treatment occurred despite questions about a woman's ability to self-diagnose her vaginal condition and treat it appropriately," says Dr. Paul Nyirjesy, lead author of the study and director of Temple's Vaginitis Referral Center. In the Temple study, it was found that only 28 percent of women who thought they had a yeast infection actually had one. In about 15 percent of women, over-the-counter medication was actually acting as an irritant and making the condition worse. The researchers also found that seven percent of women were treating themselves for what turned out to be normal discharge. "And in a hypothetical scenario posed by other researchers at another institution, only 11 percent of women could accurately diagnose candidiasis and three percent could accurately diagnose bacterial vaginosis," says Nyirjesy. "With all the advertisements stressing how easy self-diagnosis and self-treatment are, many women falsely believe that over-the-counter remedies are the most effective treatment approach," he says. In addition to using over-the-counter remedies, 44 percent of the women Temple surveyed had used alternative treatments such as acidophilus pills orally or vaginally, yogurt orally or vaginally and boric acid. Nyirjesy encourages women to see their health care provider before treating themselves with over-the-counter or alternative remedies. "Symptoms of vaginitis may be a sign of a simple irritation, a bacterial infection or even more serious ailment such as a sexually transmitted disease," he says. "Using these over-the-counter or alternative remedies may delay making an accurate diagnosis and worsen other symptoms."
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