Vaginal yeast infection

Many women at some point in their lives know what misery it is to have a vaginal yeast infection, also known as “thrush”.   That excruciating pain when you urinate, and the ignominy of eating your dinner off the mantelpiece because you can’t sit down.  Sufferers may feel unclean as well as sore, and sex is just out of the question.

Thrush is not confined to adult women, or to “downstairs”, either, but may affect the mouth, ears, eyes, nails and other areas of the body, sometimes leading to serious health problems in men, women and children.  In the case of people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer and AIDS sufferers, it can be fatal. 
The culprit is the overgrowth of a fungus of the order Candida, with Candida albicans being the commonest.  Once established it can be very hard to shift, and sufferers may endure recurring outbreaks for years.

Common symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include soreness, redness, itchiness, an unpleasant whitish discharge typically resembling cottage cheese, and burning on urination.  There may be cracking of the skin around the vulva and even swelling and sores in the vagina.  The sufferer can feel quite ill, with aching joints, headache and even a temperature. 

Thrush can also occur on the male genitals with itching, redness, soreness or burning on the penis head and foreskin.  Even in a man not manifesting any symptoms, it is possible for him to re-infect his partner with vaginal yeast infection through intercourse, even after she has recovered from the original attack.  

More serious complications include “leaky gut” syndrome, when the fungus combines with parasites to eat through the mucus on the intestinal wall and spread the infection through the bloodstream.

Candida yeasts are a normal inhabitant of the moist areas of the body, especially the vagina, and usually cause no problems.  Found in the vaginas of up to half of all women, they are kept to a minimum by the action of the healthy immune system and by naturally occurring “friendly” bacteria.  But outside factors can disrupt these mechanisms, allowing Candida to multiply to the point where it becomes a vaginal yeast infection. 

The taking of prescribed antibiotics or of steroids, including birth control pills, may cause yeast overgrowth, and other factors are pregnancy, menstruation, and sexual activity, especially at an early stage of a woman’s sexual life.  Many newlyweds and younger women will be familiar with the cycle of thrush, leading to what is known as “honeymoon cystitis”, spelling an end to bedroom pleasures for many days.

Thrush may also be more common after menopause and in diabetics.  Moistness or irritation of a site may also contribute, such as the wearing of wet swimwear for some period after swimming, the wearing of tight clothing, especially manmade fibers, or the insertion of a urinary catheter. 

Highly perfumed bath or shower products, vaginal deodorants, deodorized feminine hygiene protection or even just washing in heavily chlorinated water can all lead to the misery of a vaginal yeast infection.  This happens because these products can harm the friendly bacteria living in these areas which would normally keep the Candida yeasts in check. 

Candida likes warm, moist, airless sites – so a good way to discourage it would be to leave off your panties in the privacy of your own home.

Many women who suffer recurring attacks of vaginal yeast infection may keep a large supply of over-the-counter remedies in the bathroom cabinet in the hope they will help.  There are many old wives’ tales about curing thrush, and there are dietary advice, pills and potions galore.  Very few of these are effective, and they may also be costly or have unpleasant side effects.

If you have tried these and failed to clear your symptoms, a better idea would be to try a product like the holistic Yeast Infection No More™.  This clinically proven system treats the whole person instead of trying vainly to cure a bodily invasion with a dab of lotion.

To find out more, visit Yeast Infection No More ™ at http://www.yeastinfectionnomore.com/