Not quite right down there? A naturopathic approach to investigating and addressing vulvovaginal symptoms holistically.

Does this sound familiar?

In clinic, I often see women who have been dealing with what they think is vulvovaginal ‘thrush’ for months, or even years. Sometimes the symptoms come and go in flare-ups, and other times they’re left with persistent symptoms that just never seem to fully resolve.

Some have had a vaginal swab through their GP to check for infections or common bacteria responsible for bacterial vaginosis, but more often they’ve been to the chemist for a thrush tablet or cream to try and manage symptoms on their own.

The problem is that this often doesn’t address the underlying factors contributing to recurrent vaginal symptoms. In some cases, it may not even be Candida (thrush) causing the problem, but rather another microorganism or an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome.

A naturopathic approach

When I see this presentation in clinic, the first step is to take a detailed case history to understand the exact symptoms, pattern of flare-ups, and any contributing factors such as diet, hormone balance, immune health, gut health, stress, and hygiene practices.

The next step is often to recommend more in-depth vaginal microbiome testing. Depending on which laboratory we decide to go with, testing may look something like this:

This testing can help identify not only potentially pathogenic or opportunistic organisms, but also the presence and balance of beneficial Lactobacilli, which play an important role in maintaining a healthy vaginal environment and reducing susceptibility to conditions such as thrush and bacterial vaginosis. It can also assess vaginal pH, which is another important marker of vaginal health and microbiome balance.

Once we receive the results, an individualised treatment plan can be made. Depending on the findings and the person’s presentation, this may include custom herbal pessaries, strain-specific probiotics, and nutritional, lifestyle, or additional herbal support to address contributing factors such as immune function, nervous system regulation, and metabolic health.

I’m passionate about getting to the root cause of what’s going on and helping women find answers for symptoms that can significantly affect quality of life.

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