The acidic balance of the vagina can be changed by your period (menstruation), pregnancy, diabetes, some antibiotics, birth control pills and steroids. Moisture and irritation of the vagina also seem to encourage yeast to grow.If the vagina becomes less acidic, too many yeast can grow and cause a vaginal infection.This is a vaginal infection caused most commonly by the fungal organism Candida albicans .
In immunocompetent people, candidiasis can usually only be found in exposed and moist parts of the body, such as:
*the oral cavity (oral thrush)
*the vagina and/or vulva (vaginal candidiasis or thrush)
*folds of skin in the diaper area (diaper rash)
*the nipples while breastfeeding
Candidiasis is the second most common cause of vaginal irritation, or vaginitis, and can also occur on the male genitals, particularly in uncircumcised men. In immunocompromised patients, the Candida infection can involve the esophagus and can become systemic, causing a much more serious condition: fungemia.Yeast infection may follow a course of antibiotics (particularly tetracycline) that were prescribed for another purpose. The antibiotics change the normal balance between organisms in the vagina by suppressing the growth of protective bacteria that normally have an antifungal effect.
Infection is common among women who use estrogen-containing birth control pills and among women who are pregnant. This is due to the increased level of estrogen in the body. The increased hormone level causes changes in the vaginal environment that make it perfect for fungal growth and nourishment.Vaginal itching, burning, and thick white vaginal discharge characterizes recurrent vaginal candidiasis.
Yeast infections usually are treated with an antifungal cream or suppository, such as miconazole (Monistat) and clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin). Yeast infections may also be treated with an oral antifungal medication, such as fluconazole (Diflucan). The advantages of over-the-counter treatment for a yeast infection are convenience, cost and not having to wait to see your doctor.
A number of natural products purport to prevent or cure vaginal yeast infections — a form of vaginitis — without prescription medication. Some popular home remedies include vinegar douches, tea tree oil cream and vaginal suppositories made with garlic or boric acid.Boric acid can be used to treat yeast and fungal infections such as candidiasis (vaginal yeast infections) by filling gelcaps with boric acid powder and inserting two into the vaginal canal at bedtime for three to four nights in a row.
Among women with diabetes, boric acid vaginal suppositories clear up yeast infections better than the prescription anti-fungal pill fluconazole, Indian researchers report in the medical journal Diabetes Care.
Dr. Ravinder Goswami, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and associates note that vaginal yeast infections in diabetic women are often caused by a fungal type known as Candida glabrata, and this tends to respond poorly to treatment with oral anti-fungal drugs like fluconazole.
To see if there's a better treatment, the researchers randomly assigned 111 diabetic women with vaginal yeast infection to be treated with either a single dose of fluconazole, which is widely known by the brand name Diflucan, or daily boric acid vaginal suppositories for 14 days.
The team found that nearly two-thirds of the women had C. glabrata infections. In this group, the cure rate was 64 percent for those given boric acid suppositories compared with 29 percent in women treated with fluconazole.
The researchers conclude that "boric acid therapy should be considered as the front-line therapy" for treating vaginal yeast infections in women with diabetes.
The catch is you may be treating something other than a yeast infection. It's possible to mistake a yeast infection for other types of vaginitis or other conditions that need different treatment. Using the wrong medicine may delay a proper diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment, and can lead to complications.Cranberry juice and yogurt are two foods that may help prevent the occurrence of yeast infections and aid in their treatment.
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