Yeast infections are one of the most common causes of vaginal itching and

discharge.

 

If you think you have a yeast infection and want to know how to effectively treat it,  watch this video, or keep reading, I am going to talk about the symptoms of yeast infection and how to get rid of it.

Yeast infections are one of the most common causes of vaginal itching and discharge.   If you’ve had a yeast infection, you know what I’m talking about.  Most women experience itching inside the vagina and on the vaginal lips.  There is usually burning, redness and swelling too.   You will probably also get vaginal discharge.  Most people describe this discharge as thick, curdy and white, kind of like cottage cheese.  If you have had it, all you can think about is how to get rid of it, and fast.

Yeast infections are very common and very annoying problem for many women. It is often officially diagnosed at your medical provider’s office.  There you can be prescribed oral or vaginal medication that quickly treats your infection.  However, many women choose to diagnose and treat their symptoms on their own.   I think this is OK to do, especially if you have been diagnosed with yeast infections before, and know what they look and feel like.

Yeast infections are extremely common

If you decide to treat a yeast infection on your own, there are important things to know.

First of all, yeast infections are commonly caused by an organism called  Candida and it is the second most common cause of vaginitis second only to bacterial vaginosis.

Second, up to 25 percent of women have Candida yeast in their vagina already,  as part of their normal flora (normal vaginal microorganisms)  Yeast infections only need to be treated if there are symptoms.

Symptoms of yeast infections include

• Burning and itching within the vagina or the vulva (vaginal lips)
• Pain with sex
• Pain when you urinate
• Vaginal discharge

Vaginal discharge in itself doesn’t mean there is a problem.  Most women have vaginal discharge every day.  If you are wondering if your vaginal discharge could be normal, watch this video that will talk about what normal vaginal discharge looks and smells like.

 

Third, there is an OTC (over-the-counter) product that takes much of the guesswork out self-diagnosing and treating.  How does it do this?   Well, it actually comes with a test to help give you a clue as to what kind of infection you might have.   This is one of the exact same tests that I often do in my office when I am diagnosing someone’s vaginal symptoms.   In order to understand this, let’s talk about something called pH.  A pH test checks for acidy and alkalinity    A healthy vagina typically has a lower pH in a normal vagina AND if there is a yeast infection.    BUT, other common infections, like Bacterial Vaginosis, for example,  increases your vaginal pH.    So, if you are having symptoms of an infection and your vaginal pH is low, then it is more likely that your symptoms could be from a yeast infection.  But, if you are having vaginal symptoms, and your pH is high, it could be a different type of infection and you should get your symptoms checked out by your provider.

 

Now here’s the tricky part, There is nothing in the rule books that say that you can’t have TWO infections at one time, right?  In fact, up to half of the women who have a yeast infection, have a second type of infection as well.   So even if the pH test is high, and you really think you have a yeast infection, you can still use an OTC cream, but should still get checked out by your provider to make sure something else isn’t going on like a second infection.

There is nothing in the rule books that say that you can’t have TWO infections at one time

Now I know there are tons of “home remedies” that are out there that you can try to treat your yeast infections.  And I’m not bashing them at all.  Just know that lots of these treatments haven’t been effectively studied, so be careful and use your common sense if you are going to try any of these.  But, if you want to treat your yeast infection with something that has been well studied and shown to be effective in treating yeast infections, I would stick with what I mentioned above.

 

There are definitely cases when you should see your medical provider rather than treating it yourself.  If you:

• Tired on OTC cream and it didn’t help
• Have had more than 3 infections in a year
• Symptoms are severe, not mild or moderate
• Have a medical condition that makes it harder to fight infection, like HIV or
• Are pregnant.