Yeast Infection Treatment

A yeast infection is a common and uncomfortable condition that can affect anyone, primarily women. It may be caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the vagina, which causes itching, burning, or pain during urination. Yeast is actually a type of fungus that grows and reproduces asexually, producing yeast cells that are similar to that of a mold but aren't as hard. 

Yeast infections are very common women health issues that women experience during their life. The most common symptoms women face with a yeast infection are itching, burning and/or pain in women's genitals including the vagina, labia.

Symptoms of a Yeast Infection

The symptoms of a yeast infection vary in women. Symptoms often include itching, burning, pain, and/or irritation in the vagina or labia. It can also cause a thick yellow discharge with a yeasty odor. A woman may have an unpleasant vaginal odor when she has a yeast infection because the discharge is made up of dead yeast cells and other normal vaginal secretions.

Although yeast infections can be uncomfortable and unpleasant, they do not cause serious health problems and are typically easy to treat with over-the-counter medications. The majority of women will have at least one yeast infection at some point in their lives. There are many ways women can help prevent a yeast infection from developing including wearing cotton underwear, wiping from front to back after using the bathroom, not douching, and drinking plenty of water.

Yeast Infection Medications

These medications include creams, flower power boric suppositories or oral medication. The usual treatment for vaginal yeast infection is using topical antifungal medications like miconazole nitrate (Monistat), clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin), terconazole (Terazol), or tioconazole (Vagistat). Oral antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan) and itraconazole have also been used to treat women with vaginal yeast infections. 

However, women can reduce their risk of getting a yeast infection by keeping their genital area clean and dry, wearing underwear that is loose-fitting and cotton, and avoiding tight-fitting pants or pantyhose. It may be helpful to avoid douching as this washes away the normal vaginal flora and increases the risk for yeast infections. To reduce any changes in women's genital area women can also avoid using feminine hygiene sprays, powders, and perfumed soaps.

In some vaginal yeast infections may become a chronic problem requiring continuous treatment. In this case, women should speak with their doctor to find out if a more serious condition is responsible for chronic yeast infections. Women who have frequent or severe yeast infections may be prescribed oral antifungal medications or fluconazole (Diflucan).

Women women can treat women yeast infection women using women miconazole nitrate (Monistat), women clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin), women terconazole (Terazol), or women tioconazole (Vagistat) topical antifungal medications. Women who have women vaginal yeast infection women may women use women oral antifungals women fluconazole (Diflucan) women itraconazole.