Yeast Infection Information

Posts Tagged ‘Vaginal yeast infection’

a minor irritation to terrible itching, redness and potentially life-threatening illness. The infection is more serious in patients who are immunocompromised, such as cancer, transplant or AIDS patients. A vaginal yeast infection is caused by the introduction or multiplication of yeast known as Candida albicans. We all have some yeast and bacteria present on our bodies, but when the numbers drastically increase or a foreign entity is introduced, infection occurs. The causes can vary, including wearing tight jeans or non-cotton underwear, dyes and/or chemicals in toilet paper, and your diet. If you take antibiotics for a different infection, it may also kill the helpful bacteria in the vagina and leave you open to attack from yeast. Condoms can also irritate the vagina and lead to infections. To prevent a yeast infection, you should wear loose fitting pants, and cotton underwear which “breathe” better. It is even better if you sleep without underwear on. You should not sit around in a wet bathing suit, and use only natural, non-colored or -scented toilet paper. Once a yeast infection has occurred, you should see a doctor. But some helpful things to ease the itching and pain include soaking a cotton ball in tea tree oil or apple-vinegar and garlic and inserting it into the vagina or other infected areas. You can also drink extra cranberry or grapefruit juice to increase the acidity of your body and hopefully kill off the bacteria.