What is Yeast Infections and How to Treat it?

Written By Febby Indra on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 | 5:17 PM

What Is A Vaginal Yeast Infection?

Vaginal yeast infections are caused by a fungus called Candida albicans. Yeast are tiny organisms that normally live in small numbers on the skin and inside the vagina. The acidic environment of the vagina helps keep yeast from growing. If the vagina becomes less acidic, too many yeast can grow and cause a vaginal infection.

The acidic balance of the vagina can be changed by your period (menstruation), pregnancy, diabetes, douche products, some antibiotics, birth control pills and steroids. Moisture and irritation of the vagina also seem to encourage yeast to grow.

There’s hardly anything a woman hates to get more than a vaginal yeast infection. If you’ve had yeast infections in the past, and what woman hasn’t, wouldn’t you like to know how to get rid of them naturally and permanently? This article will give you the information to do just that.

Why Do Women Get Yeast Infections?

You may be wondering what causes vaginal yeast infections to begin with. The main cause is that your body is out of balance. Our body has good and bad bacteria in it all the time. Sometimes our diet or lifestyle causes these bacteria to get out of balance.

How? One of the most common reasons is by taking antibiotics. The antibiotics kill the naturally occurring good bacteria in your body and the Candida bacteria takes over giving you an infection.

Your diet plays an important part too. A diet high in sugar can set you up to have repeated yeast infections. Yeast feeds on sugar. If you have a lot of sugar in your system, sooner or later the yeast will get out of control.

Products that we use also cause infections. The chemicals and perfumes sometimes cause a reaction and will start an infection. Always use natural products.

What Are the Symptoms?

The most common symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection are vaginal discharge, bad odor, frequent urination
, and severe itching. It is important to know the symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection so you know a yeast infection is what you have.

Treatment

If you are sure your symptoms indicate a yeast infection, you have two choices – you can get medication from your family doctor or you can treat your infection naturally.

Treatment from your doctor has its good and bad points. If your doctor diagnoses it as a yeast infection, you know that is what you have and don’t have to worry about any other serious illnesses. The drawbacks with treatment from your doctor is the time and money spent going for a doctor visit. Another drawback is your doctor will give you an anti-fungal cream that will give you immediate relief, but will not permanently rid you of the yeast infection.

Many women prefer natural treatments due the medication side effects. Natural cures are permanent, affordable, and safe. Here are some of the natural cures that women recommend.

• Apple White Vinegar – A natural anti-fungal. Dilute with water and use as a douche. Also, one cup in your bath water will help stop the itching.

• Garlic – Taken orally or vaginally – fights infection.

• Yogurt – Taken orally or vaginally. Yogurt contains L. Acidophilus. when the bacteria in your body gets out of balance, the micro organisms in yogurt can create balance again. The acidophilus will help keep the Candida under control.

• Tea Tree Oil – Naturally fights infection. Put just a few drops in water and use as a douche.

By knowing the causes of yeast infections, you can take steps to improve your diet and lifestyle and prevent future infections. Learn to recognize these symptoms and try these natural treatments to see which one works the best for you.

No comments:

Post a Comment