How to treat a yeast infection

They will also check the sample for indications of other vaginal infections. If you’re like most women you may be tempted to self-diagnose. It’s important to keep in mind that getting a sound medical opinion is always a good idea, but you should also know that medical testing for yeast infections is not always accurate. Work together how to treat a yeast infection with your doctor and make sure that he or she understands your symptoms and your concerns. Remember, If you suspect that you have a yeast infection, don’t hesitate to seek diagnosis and treatment. Some symptoms of yeast infections may be similar to those of certain STDs. It’s important to make sure that what you have is really an infection how to treat a yeast infection and not a sexually transmitted disease. Also, your doctor can help you decide what course of treatment is best in your particular case. Sidebar: Can Men Get Yeast Infections? Yes, they can! Surprised? Well, of course we’re talking about general yeast infections or infections of the penis, not a vaginal yeast infection. 19 The very same yeast that causes how to treat a yeast infection yeast infections in women can cause an infection in men called balanitis. It is considered rare in comparison to its female counterpart. Most of the time it afflicts uncircumcised men and occurs between the folds of the penile foreskin. Men who suspect they have an infection should consult their physicians for diagnosis and treatment options. 20 How Is a how to treat a yeast infection Yeast Infection Treated? Yeast infections are usually somewhat uncomfortable, unpleasant, and very irritating! The good news is that they aren’t generally serious. Still, you will probably want to get rid of the infection as soon as possible so that you aren’t stuck with those nasty symptoms! Plus, you don’t want to pass it on to your sexual partner. If how to treat a yeast infection you’ve been diagnosed with a yeast infection, you’ve how to treat a yeast infection now got to consider all the various treatment options. There are two basic paths you can take. First, you can go the medical establishment route, taking whatever medicine your doctor prescribes or by going to the drugstore to buy an OTC treatment. Second, you can how to treat a yeast infection help yourself with homemade and traditional remedies, which may actually be a lot more effective for you in the long-run. Option 1: Drugstore and Prescription Treatments As far as prescriptions and OTC treatments go, yeast infections are usually treated with medicine that goes into your vagina to get the fast-multiplying yeast under control.

As you may know from how to treat a yeast infection the countless TV commercials on this topic or from past experience, such medicine generally comes in the form of a cream that is inserted with an applicator into the vagina, or a suppository that you place in your vagina and that then dissolves inside your body. In certain cases, particularly for recurring infections that don’t respond to the treatments how to treat a yeast infection above, doctors may prescribe an oral treatment, in the form of a pill that you swallow. 21 To help relieve the symptoms that you are experiencing while waiting for those meds to kick in, you can also buy creams that are designed to help relieve the itching, burning, and inflammation. Option 2: Home and Traditional Remedies Now let’s talk how to treat a yeast infection briefly about the second route you can take, which involves bypassing most of the medical establishment’s prescriptions. We’re going to talk a lot more about this in the section on my multi-step home remedy, so for now let me just say that doctors often treat just the symptoms and ignore the root cause of diseases. Maybe this is why how to treat a yeast infection so few doctors are able to make their patients’ vaginal infections go away for good! As many women have discovered for themselves over the years, certain home remedies and lifestyle changes are actually vastly superior to prescriptions and OTC medicines when it comes to curing a yeast infection. In fact, in other parts of the world it is very how to treat a yeast infection common to use home remedies such as yogurt and tea tree oil to cure yeast infections. I personally find that yogurt is a fantastic treatment, but let’s say just for the sake of argument that the results of yogurt and, say, Monistat are just about equal. Now, which would you rather flood your body with: natural, organic, delicious probiotic how to treat a yeast infection yogurt, or the powerful and potentially dangerous drugs that make up natural cure for yeast infection Monistat? We’ll talk more about all of this later. Moreover, in the case of yeast infections, it’s not enough to inject a cream into your vagina and get the yeast under control there. It’s more important to understand why you developed a yeast how to treat a yeast infection infection in the first place. As I have discussed above, you should know that a yeast infection can be a systemic infection that affects your entire body and its functions, and not just 22 your vagina. So treating just the vagina is not necessarily the way to cure yourself for good! However you decide to treat yourself, it’s important how to treat a yeast infection to remember that you should avoid sex while you have an active infection. Penetration can drive the yeast cells deeper and deeper into the walls of the vagina, causing more irritation and prolonging the infection.

On the same note, steer clear of tampons and remember to keep the area as clean and as able to breathe as possible. how to treat a yeast infection That means changing feminine pads frequently (at least every 4 natural treatment for vaginitis hours), wearing clean cotton underwear, and avoiding tight pants that stifle the area. 23 Over-the-Counter Treatment Products: Pros and Cons Over-the-counter, or OTC, treatments for yeast infections are incredibly common and are available in just about every drugstore or grocery store you go into. They how to treat a yeast infection are relatively inexpensive and widely available, so it’s no wonder that most women who think they have a yeast infection run out and buy one of the many OTC options. It doesn’t help that the airwaves are inundated with television commercials of pretty women complaining about yeast infections, then holding up boxes of drugs for you to buy. And how to treat a yeast infection flip open the pages of any women’s magazine and you’ll see plenty of print ads, too. Those companies want your money pretty badly, it seems! But buying an over-the-counter treatment is not always a good idea. First of all, if you have a vaginal infection that is not actually a yeast infection, trying to treat it with a yeast how to treat a yeast infection infection cream or suppository is not going to do you much good. Moreover, you could actually be increasing your body’s resistance to these treatments, so that when you need them later on they won’t work as well. Treating yourself for a yeast infection when you don’t actually have a yeast infection is, well, just no good for your body how to treat a yeast infection at all. Moreover, OTC medicines are not meant for every woman. If you are under the age of 12 or you are pregnant, avoid OTC medicines and consult your doctor about treatment options. The same goes if you are breastfeeding—drugs in your system may be secreted in your breast milk. This is true even if you are using a how to treat a yeast infection topic drug and not one that you take orally, because topical medicine is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. 24 Fungicidal creams are perhaps the most readily available OTC treatment options. Monistat is the best-known name, and you’ve probably seen their commercials on TV or in magazines. Monistat and other similar creams contain an antifungal drug called how to treat a yeast infection tioconazole. When you insert this antifungal cream into the affected area, it will go to work attacking the yeast. Usually, creams come in a package with several applicators. You put the cream in the applicator and then insert the applicator into the vaginal area and apply the cream as directed. The cream will stay “up there” for some time. how to treat a yeast infection You must repeat this process anywhere from 1 to 10 times, depending on the kind of cream you buy (1-day treatment, 3-day treatment, or 7-10-day treatment).

Also, the hormonal changes brought on by diabetes may also be a factor in the incidence of yeast infection. Antibiotics and Other Prescription Drugs 11 Antibiotics are meant to kill off certain how to treat a yeast infection elements in the body that are causing disease or discomfort. While antibiotics may be recommended to you by a doctor, you should keep in mind that they kill off bacteria indiscriminantly, the good along with the bad. Since good bacteria actually help to keep yeast in check in a normal, healthy vagina, taking antibiotics can lead the way to how to treat a yeast infection a yeast infection. In fact, yeast infections are quite common in women who have recently had a round of antibiotics. Even if you took antibiotics as a child and you are now a young adult, your body could still be “out of whack” as a result! Feminine Hygiene Products As you can probably imagine, douching too often or leaving how to treat a yeast infection a tampon in place for too long can wreak havoc on the delicate PH level of the vaginal environment. chronic yeast infection The vagina has a natural acidity level that the body regulates on its own. You do not need to “clean” it out using douches or feminine sprays, and you should not do anything to compromise it. Remember, how to treat a yeast infection feminine hygiene companies are trying to make money by selling their products; don’t buy into the hype. Your vagina, when kept healthy, will regulate itself and does not require external “cleansers.” Tight Clothing “Choking” your crotch with a tight pair of jeans or a pair of nylon stockings is a surefire recipe for a yeast infection. This is because how to treat a yeast infection tight clothing suffocates the vaginal area and does not allow it to breathe. This in turn results in a change to the level of acidity “down there.” 12 On the same note, synthetic fabrics are not a good choice for underwear, because they trap the air against your body, not allowing it to circulate and breathe. Avoid synthetic underwear, how to treat a yeast infection nylons and pants, all of which can trigger an infection. If you must wear nylons on occasion, just try not to wear them every day. Give your body a chance to breathe. This is especially important in the summertime, when the hot, humid air can make the situation down there even worse.

There are several common causes, and how to treat a yeast infection some of them are easier to deal with than others. The thing they all have in common is that they derive from a change in the acidity of the vagina. As I mentioned earlier, the acidic environment is what normally keeps the yeast in check. So if something happens that changes that healthy level of acidity, yeast can really how to treat a yeast infection have a field day, multiplying without a limit and therefore causing an infection to occur. Certain causes are natural events you have no control over. For example, menstruation, pregnancy, and diabetes can all lead to yeast infections. Steroids and birth control pills can also be a trigger; so can antibiotics, which disrupt the natural environment of the vagina by how to treat a yeast infection killing off good and bad cause of yeast infection bacteria. Other triggers have to do with things you could easily change in your everyday life. Wetness or irritation around the genitals is a major factor, so you should always avoid wearing too-tight underwear and wet bathing suits, or using vaginal products (douches, sprays, etc.) that irritate the delicate vaginal how to treat a yeast infection area (much more on this later). In fact, something as seemingly harmless as taking a bubble bath after a stressful day at work could actually be triggering your uncomfortable, itchy condition! 10 Now let’s discuss each of the major causes in greater detail. Pregnancy and Menstruation When your body goes through a massive change like pregnancy, or when it how to treat a yeast infection undergoes a monthly flux in hormone levels, your vagina does not escape unscathed! Pregnancy and your period can both cause the level of acidity in your vagina to change, and that, as I’ve explained above, can trigger an infection to occur. Stress Anything that stresses your body—from the everyday stresses of your job, for example, to a lack of how to treat a yeast infection sleep to a poor diet to that irritating relative who’s coming over for dinner—can raise your chances of developing an infection. This is because stress lowers the body’s resistance to infection and weakens the immune system. Therefore, getting plenty of sleep, having proper nutrition and staying calm can all help you avoid a yeast infection. Diabetes and Obesity There how to treat a yeast infection is some evidence to suggest that consuming foods high in sugar and drinking lots of alcohol can trigger yeast infections due to the high sugar content in the urine. (And yeast overgrowth can actually be a cause of weight gain!)

If 7 the acidity decreases, however, an infection can develop and the yeast will start growing out of how to treat a yeast infection control. When yeast begins to multiply, a yeast infection, or candidiasis, begins. There are many reasons why normal yeast may begin to multiply out of control—from moisture to lifestyle to disease to prescription drugs you may be taking to irritation—and we’ll get into those causes in greater detail in the next section. For now, however, just keep in mind how to treat a yeast infection that not all cause of vaginal yeast infection vulvar itches signal a yeast infection. Read through the “Symptoms” section of this guide carefully to determine if you have this condition; and if you are unsure, as always, consult a physician. If you do have a yeast infection, you’ll probably be experiencing any or all of the following: • White how to treat a yeast infection discharge that is thick and “cottage-cheesey” • Itching around the vaginal area • Swelling or inflammation of the area around the vagina • Pain during sex Perhaps this is your first time experiencing a yeast infection—but more likely it’s been an ongoing saga in your life. Many women will experience chronic yeast infections due to elements of their lifestyle how to treat a yeast infection that can trigger this nasty little condition. And even doctors are not always able to successful treat infections on the first go. Yeast is very hardy and can be difficult to get under control, especially if you don’t do your best to remove any external triggers. Thankfully, we know a lot more about yeast infections today than we used how to treat a yeast infection to, and we also know that prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines 8 (which don’t always work) are not our only options. The rest of this guide is devoted to helping you determine whether you’ve got an infection and, if so, how you can safely and effectively bring your body back to its healthy, energetic state. 9 What Causes a how to treat a yeast infection Yeast Infection? So now you know what differentiates a yeast infection from other vaginal infections—the presence of too much yeast! But you may be wondering: if it is normal to have some yeast in the body at all times, then why does the body get out of whack sometimes and let that yeast grow out of control? In this how to treat a yeast infection section we’ll discuss the main reasons why yeast is likely to grow too quickly.

Eat lots of leafy greens to keep your intestinal tract clean and in superior shape, and consume plenty of fruits and other veggies. Also, be sure to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, which is one of the easiest ways to maintain all how to treat a yeast infection of your body’s essential functions. 39 Foods to avoid: • Processed cereal, especially sweetened cereal • Soda and sweetened fruit drinks • Honey and sugar • Products containing white flour • Salted, cured meat (sausage, bacon, etc.) • White rice, pasta, white bread • Fermented foods, like pickles • “Moldy” food, like bananas and mushrooms • Coffee and caffeinated how to treat a yeast infection tea Step 3: Strengthen Your Immune System It’s not just what you eat or what you apply to your skin that can help stave off future infections. It also depends on your state of mind and whether or not you take the time to keep your whole body in good shape. Modern medicine so often fails to take into how to treat a yeast infection account the externals, such as whether you are getting enough sleep, how much stress is present in your daily life, whether you exercise regularly, and so on. Well, I’m here as proof that all of these factors play a huge role in how healthy your body is—and, therefore, how susceptible you are to vaginal infections and other diseases. Yeast how to treat a yeast infection infections, especially when they recur, are a sign of a weak immune system, so you should not stop at simply treating the symptoms. Instead, you have got to reassess your body’s health and its ability to ward off disease and further infections. You’ve got to make some changes so that you get your body yeast infection cure back into how to treat a yeast infection good shape. 40 Do yourself a favor and make your health a priority in your day to day schedule. It’s so easy to slack off and let your body go, but if you do so you are really compromising your health in many ways. Eating lots of sugar does not just result in obesity; it also lets the yeast how to treat a yeast infection run rampant throughout your system, causing depression, blurred vision, irritability, skin conditions, slow healing of cuts and scrapes, insomnia, and so on. Eat right, and exercise regularly, because these things will improve your health and reestablish a healthy, strong immune system. Establish a routine for yourself, and then stick to it. Pick a physical activity (or activities) that you how to treat a yeast infection truly love, so that you’ll feel inspired to do it. Vary things up to make it interesting: try yoga one day, jogging the next, cycling the third day, and so on. You will also need to eat right and introduce vitamins and supplements into your diet. Why? Because otherwise it is nearly impossible to get all the nutrients that how to treat a yeast infection your body needs for you to nurse yourself back to health. So pay attention to the following information about essential supplements. You can find them all at your local health food store: Essential fatty acids: One common misconception that lots of people have is that fats are bad for you and should be eliminated from a healthy diet. Not how to treat a yeast infection so! Certain fats are actually “lubricants” that keep the body’s systems functional, and so you’ve got to make sure you’re getting enough of the essential fatty acids. I’m not talking about the kind of fat that comes in a candy bar, of course—I’m talking about the fats you get from fish, avocados, and supplements.

My best recommendation is how to treat a yeast infection to take the bull by the horns and prevent the infection at its root cause—your diet. You need to change the way you eat in order to change the way your body is reacting. By eating healthy foods you will boost your body’s ability to stay healthy, and by avoiding “bad” foods you will be depriving yeast of the how to treat a yeast infection things they need to thrive and multiply. When you do that, voila—your infection will disappear! I’ve already explained how wonderful yogurt is as a topical treatment. Well, it works wonderfully as a part of your anti-candida diet, too! So don’t just apply the yogurt topically—eat it, too! The same acidophilus that will help in a topic application will also how to treat a yeast infection aid on recolonizing your GI tract and reestablishing a good balance of bacteria and yeast. You can also buy acidophilus in capsule form in health stores. If you don’t particularly like yogurt, it may be easier for you to swallow it in pill-form. Whichever vehicle you choose, rest assured that you are on your way to better health. In how to treat a yeast infection clinical trials, women who ate yogurt with acidophilus every day had a significantly lower incidence of recurring yeast infections and a lower amount of candida in the body. Try eating at least a cup a day and see how it works for you. Another duel-purpose treatment is garlic. I mentioned above that garlic may be used as a suppository, how to treat a yeast infection but it’s also practically a miracle food and you should consume lots of it. Chop it up in your salad, bake it and smear it into a veggie “dip,” eat it raw, make garlic soup—however you like to eat it, just eat it! 38 This tiny bulb is packed with so much great stuff, and it works amazingly well how to treat a yeast infection to stave off infection and fight fungi. If you suffer from frequent infections, make garlic part of your regular diet and I guarantee that you will start to feel better. So now you see, you can actually eat your way to better health! Aside from yogurt, there are plenty of delicious, nutritious foods that will help your body get how to treat a yeast infection back to an optimal state of health and prevent the recurrence of disease. Foods to eat regularly: • Cranberries • Onions • Oats • Fish • Lentils • Cottage cheese and unsweetened yogurt • Unsalted nuts • Brown rice • Brussel sprouts • Chicken • Eggs • Soy milk • Herbal teas and pure water Make these a part how to treat a yeast infection of your regular diet! Eat organically vaginal yeast infection whenever you can. In general, to beat your infection you must maintain a healthy diet that is low in sugary food (which yeast thrives on) and low in breads (again, anything “yeasty” is a feast for the yeast in your body).