Vaginal Yeast Infections

Vaginal yeast infections affect almost all adult women at least once in their lifetimes. Some women get them very frequently though, while others rarely get them. Yeast infections can happen for a number of reasons, but they're fairly easy to both prevent and treat.

Candida yeast bacteria lives in our bodies at all times. It's normally balanced and kept under control by other friendly bacteria that also lives in our bodies, but sometimes that balance can be upset and this is when the yeast growth can get out of control. The number one cause of vaginal yeast infections is the use of broad spectrum antibiotics for some other infection in the body.

The prescription antibiotics kill all the friendly flora in the body, leaving it wide open for yeast to flourish once the antibiotic is finished. Yeast have become fairly resistent to most of the commonly used antibiotic medications because they've been used for so many things over the years. So they generally just lie in wait quietly while the antibiotic is being used, then jump into overtime production as soon as it's finished.

Yeast thrive in warm, moist environments too, and this is why vaginal yeast infections are so common in women. This is also why many other things can cause a vaginal yeast infection to occur. Wearing tight fitting clothing that does not let air circulate for instance, can cause yeast infections - particularly in women who have poor hygeine habits. Yeast infections can also be caused by poor dietary habits and nutrition, latex condom sensitivities and allergies, the use of certain spermicides, and yeast infections can be transmitted sexually too.

The sexual transmission is one method many women and men aren't aware of. Men can get penile yeast infections from a woman who has a vaginal yeast infection. Since the symptoms in men sometimes never show up even when the infection is present, the woman is treated and then reinfected when she has intercourse with her partner again.

Yeast infections can be treated with over the counter anti fungal creams and ointments, though these are not always strong enough to cure the problem. Prescriptions are available to treat the fungus infection too, but there are many completely natural ways to treat yeast infections which don't have the side effects that prescriptions do.

Some of these natural remedies include eating yogurt, using yogurt as a vaginal suppository or douche, using a garlic douche, and taking herbal antibiotics by mouth.

Vaginal Yeast Infection Causes

Vaginal yeast infections can be caused by any number of things. One of the most common causes of a yeast infection though, is the use of broad spectrum prescription antibiotics, because these are known to kill the friendly flora in our bodies which usually helps keep the candida yeast growth in check. Other things which can cause yeast infections though, include tight clothing, poor hygiene habits, sexual transmission, latex condoms, and certain spermicides. Let's look at each a little closer.

Antibiotics tend to kill all of the bacteria in our bodies. And since the human body has both problem causing bacteria, and "good" bacteria living in it, killing all of it generally causes problems by upsetting the balance. In fact, the candida yeast bacteria has gotten adept at ignoring antibiotics these days, because they've been used so much over the past decade or two. The yeast simply waits quietly for the antibiotics to be finished, then it's free to flourish and grow in various parts of the body because there is little to none of the good bacteria to keep it in check.

Poor nutrition and low immune system functionality can also contribute to yeast infections though. When our body's immune system isn't functioning well, it's not able to fight off infections and fungus growth as easily as when it's healthy. The same problems apply when nutrition is low or poor too. So sometimes simply changing your dietary habits can go a long way towards helping to reduce the number of yeast infections a woman gets.

Wearing tight clothing is another common cause of yeast infections. Tight pantyhose or underwear doesn't let the air circulate in the crotch area well, and this creates an ideal environment for yeast to grow and thrive. Yeast love warm, dark, moist areas.

Sometimes though, yeast infections can actually be caused by certain chemicals in our clothing or grooming supplies. Some clothing die for instance, and certain soaps or perfumes can cause yeast infections in many women.

Some women are also allergic to latex. So using a latex condom can sometimes trigger a yeast infection. Condoms which are treated with a spermicide known as nonoxynol-9 can also cause yeast infections in some women though, even when they're not allergic to latex.

Women who have never had a yeast infection before should not automatically try using anti fungal creams or ointments when they think they have one. Because if they treat for a yeast infection when they don't have it - particularly using prescription or over the counter medications - they can help the yeast become immune to that anti fungal medicine and leave themselves vulnerable to getting an actual yeast infection in the future.

Vaginal Yeast Infection Prevention

Preventing a yeast infection is not too difficult, particularly if you know you have certain triggers which cause them to begin with. If for instance, you know you're allergic to latex and using latex condoms always triggers a vaginal yeast infection, then you can prevent the infections by simply changing to a non latex condom. Here are several other ways to help prevent vaginal yeast infections though.

1. Eat yogurt. Eating plain unsweetened unprocessed yogurt will help boost the amount of "good" bacteria and flora in your body. And since these bacteria are what helps keep the yeast under control in your body, eating yogurt regularly can help prevent you from getting vaginal yeast infections. Eating yogurt is especially important if you're prescribed an antibiotic to take care of some other illness or infection in your body too, because this is when you'll be most vulnerable to getting a vaginal yeast infection.

2. Boost your nutrition. If your body's immune system is weak, you'll be more likely to get recurring vaginal yeast infections. By simply taking daily vitamins, eating more fruits and vegetables, or taking herbal supplements, you can boost the nutrition levels in your body naturally, and help keep the yeast infections at bay.

3. Wear lose clothing. The type of clothing you wear is very important. Tight fitting pants, panties, or other clothes which do not let air circulate can allow yeast to grow. By wearing looser clothing, air is able to circulate much better. You can also change the type of fabric or cloth you're wearing, to something like cotton which breathes better.

4. Keep clean. Taking care of yourself is a must, and keeping clean will help control or prevent problems with chronic yeast infections. Change your underclothing and wash at least daily under regular circumstances, and two or three times a day if you work outdoors or in a job which involves lots of grease or dirt. This applies to your partner as well: If your partner works in greasy, dirty conditions, have them wash well before becoming intimate with you.

5. Try changing things. If other methods aren't working to help prevent your chronic yeast infections, you could be having problems with chemicals or dies. These could be in the clothing you're wearing, the soaps and cleansers you're using, or in your perfumes. Try changing one of these things at a time to see if it helps.

6. Treat your partner too. When you do get a yeast infection, be sure to treat your sexual partner as well as yourself, to be sure you're not transmitting it back and forth between each other constantly.

Vaginal Yeast Infection Herbal and Home Remedies

There are many natural, herbal based remedies which can be used to treat vaginal yeast infections. Unlike prescription medications, these normally don't upset the balance of flora and bacteria in your body, so the common side effects that can often create other health problems aren't usually a risk. These remedies are also much more gentle on your body too.

Most of the herbal remedies used for treating and curing yeast infections work because the herbs used are natural antifungus and antibiotics themselves. And the most powerful antibiotic and natural anti fungus herb is Garlic.

Garlic can be taken by mouth in gel capsule form, and it will fight the fungus growth from inside your body. Garlic can also be taken in raw or cooked form with your food though, and this will work too. Garlic is also used in vaginal suppositories, as well as vaginal douches, both of which work wonderfully well for clearing up yeast infections.

It's very important to know that not all garlic supplements are the same though. Many herbal supplements only "contain" a little bit of herb in them, and it's not often enough to actually do you any good. Other garlic supplements though, advertise themselves as being odor free. And unfortunately these will not work to kill infections or fungus growth.

The main active compound in garlic is Allicin. This compound is stronger than standard penicillin, but it's also what causes the odor in garlic. So by removing the odor, the product manufacturers are also removing the primary ingredient needed to kill fungus and other infection causing bacteria. So be sure to buy real, 100% herbal garlic when you buy supplements.

Another natural antibiotic that can be taken by mouth is Golden Seal. This can be purchased at any health or herbal store in supplement form, and it can be taken by mouth three times a day until the yeast infection is gone.

Combine Cayenne pepper supplements with either the garlic or golden seal supplements, and it will help create a powerhouse infection fighting combination that spurs your body to start healing more quickly.

You can also take Kelp supplements, because this acts like an antibiotic inside your body. Kelp is very high in natural iodine, and this helps regulate your thyroid. The thyroid in turn helps fight bacteria and infections in the body.

Vinegar is also an excellent remedy for vaginal yeast infections, because vinegar is a natural antiseptic, which means it kills germs and bacteria. Use organic white or apple cider vinegar, and add 1-2 tablespoons to one quart of filtered or mineral water. Use this as a douche at least once a day until the yeast infection is gone.

One other popular home remedy for vaginal yeast infections is cultured yogurt. This can be used as a douche to kill the yeast bacteria, and it can also be frozen into small suppositories for use in the vagina too.

Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.

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