Summer in Australia brings beach days, outdoor adventures and plenty of time in the sun. It also brings something less welcome: a surge in vaginal infections. If you've noticed that thrush, bacterial vaginosis (BV) or urinary tract infections seem to flare up during the warmer months, you're not imagining it. Heat, humidity, swimming and travel all create the perfect storm for vaginal microbiome disruption.
These recurring infections are signals that your vaginal microbiome is out of balance, and treating the infection without addressing the underlying imbalance means you'll likely be back where you started in a few weeks or months.
Your vaginal microbiome does more than prevent infections
When we talk about the vaginal microbiome, most conversations focus on preventing thrush or BV. But a balanced vaginal microbiome does so much more than keep infections at bay.
A healthy vaginal microbiome supports your fertility, influences your hormone balance, affects your immune system and even plays a role in your mental wellbeing. The vaginal microbiome is dominated by beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria, which produce lactic acid to maintain an acidic pH. This acidic environment protects against harmful bacteria and yeast while supporting the health of vaginal tissues.
When this delicate ecosystem is disrupted, you might experience recurrent infections, but you could also notice changes in your cycle, difficulty conceiving, increased inflammation or unexplained fatigue. Your body is incredibly interconnected, and the health of your vaginal microbiome ripples out to affect your whole system.
Why summer triggers vaginal imbalances
Summer creates multiple challenges for vaginal health. Wearing wet swimmers or sweaty gym clothes traps moisture and heat, creating an ideal environment for yeast overgrowth. Chlorine from pools and salt water from the ocean can disrupt your natural pH balance. Travel and changes to your routine affect your stress levels and diet, both of which influence your microbiome.
Add in hormonal fluctuations throughout your cycle, and you have the perfect conditions for disruption. If you're someone who experiences these issues every summer, it's worth looking deeper than surface-level treatments.
When conventional treatments aren't enough
If you've been prescribed multiple rounds of antibiotics for UTIs or antifungal treatments for thrush, you've probably noticed a pattern. The infection clears up temporarily, but it returns. Sometimes it comes back even worse than before.
This happens because conventional treatments target the symptoms without addressing why your microbiome became imbalanced in the first place. Antibiotics, while sometimes necessary, wipe out beneficial bacteria along with the harmful ones. This leaves your vaginal microbiome even more vulnerable to the next infection.
You might find yourself caught in a cycle: infection, treatment, temporary relief, and then another infection. It's frustrating, uncomfortable and leaves you feeling like your body is working against you.
The root causes of vaginal microbiome imbalance
Recurring vaginal infections are rarely caused by a single factor. Your vaginal microbiome is influenced by your gut health, your hormone levels, your stress response, your diet and your environment.
Gut health plays a particularly significant role. Your gut and vaginal microbiomes are closely connected, and imbalances in your gut can lead to imbalances in your vagina. If you're dealing with digestive issues alongside recurrent vaginal infections, this connection is worth exploring.
Hormonal fluctuations throughout your cycle affect your vaginal pH and the composition of your microbiome. Oestrogen supports the growth of beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria, so when oestrogen drops (during your period, postpartum or during perimenopause), you become more susceptible to infections.
Blood sugar imbalances can feed yeast overgrowth. If you're consuming a diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates, you might be inadvertently creating an environment where thrush thrives.
Chronic stress suppresses your immune system and affects your microbiome throughout your body, including your vagina. If you're constantly running on empty, your body doesn't have the resources to maintain balance.
A Naturopathic approach to restoring balance
At Nourishing Apothecary, we take a different approach. Rather than simply treating the infection, we work to understand why your microbiome is out of balance and address those underlying causes.
This might include supporting your gut health through probiotics and dietary changes, balancing your hormones with herbal medicine, addressing nutritional deficiencies that affect your immune function, and helping you manage stress so your body can heal.
We might recommend specific strains of Lactobacillus probiotics that support vaginal health, herbal remedies that strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation, and nutritional support to balance your blood sugar and hormones.
Testing reveals what's really happening
One of the most powerful tools we use is microbiome testing. Rather than guessing at what's causing your recurrent infections, we can see exactly what's happening in your vaginal microbiome. This testing shows us which beneficial bacteria you're lacking, which harmful bacteria or yeasts are overgrown, and how inflamed your tissues are.
With this information, we can create a truly personalised treatment plan that addresses your specific imbalances. No more trial and error or generic approaches that might work for some women but not for you.
Taking the next step
If you're tired of dealing with recurring vaginal infections every summer, it's time for a different approach. Book a discovery call to explore how microbiome testing and personalised treatment can help you restore balance and finally break free from the cycle of infections.
Your body has an incredible capacity to heal when given the right support. Let's work together to understand what your body needs and give you the tools to feel yourself again.
