What is thrush?
December 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Thrush is another name for yeast infection and candidiasis. These names tend to be used to describe different areas affected by the yeast infection. The title thrush is more commonly heard inthe context of vaginal thrush, oral thrush and thrush of the nipple. To an extent, though, the labels thrush, yeast infection and candidiasis are inter-changeable though, to be medically accurate, candidiasis usually describes a much more intense and pervasive yeast infection symptoms.
Thrush is therefore an overgrowth of the yeast candida albicans in a particular area of the body. This overgrowth causes a variety of symptoms…often itching, redness, a vague yeasty smell, discharge etc depending upon the area of the body affected.
Thrush is most commonly found in the vaginal area. Whilst naturally occuring candida albicans does not normally grow out of control, sometimes conditions lend themselves to candida overgrowth and vaginal thrush symptoms occur. Antibiotics, diabetes, some medications, HIV and too much sugar in the diet are all potential triggers of an outbreak of thrush.
In babies, oral thrush is quite common, especially if Mom had vaginal thrush whilst baby was delivered. Infant oral thrush can therefore be spread back to Mom’s nipple during breast feeding meaning mother and child will both need treating. Adult oral thrush tends to be caused by mediaal treatments of conditions compromising the presence of healthy bacteria in the gut and therefore allowing candida overgrowth to occur.
Self help for preventing vaginal yeast infection symptoms
December 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Vaginitis or vaginal yeast infection symptoms?
It is common for women to immediately consider that they have a vaginal yeast infection if they start to experience itching or discomfort in that area. However, it is possible that the symptoms that you are experiencing are something called vaginitis. This, put simply, is irritation of the vaginal area. This irritation may be cause by vaginal yeast infection but it may also be due to several other common causes.
What else can cause vaginitis?
Personal hygiene items used on the vaginal area or to clean under garments can cause irritation, itching and soreness that can leave the sufferer wondering if they have vaginal yeast infection. For example:
- panty liners, sanitory pads or tampons that have a fragrance can easily trigger vaginitis by introducing chemicals to the vagina that should not be there.
- soaps, powders, bubble bath and douches that have fragrence added may irritate the vagina or vulva.
- “feminine hygiene” sprays are a common culprit for vaginitis.
- Laundry detergents (enzyme activated and cold water detergents in particular) and fabric softeners.
- Shampoo and hair conditioner can run into the vaginal area and cause irritation whilst showering. It is best to wash hair seperately from your general shower for this reason.
- Toilet paper with coloring or perfumes added can irritate the vulva after use.
- Some birth control methods can irritate - latex in diaphragms / condoms, silicone in cervical caps / shields, spermicide etc.
- Chemicals added to swimming pools and hot tubs can irritate the sensitive vulval area. Prolonged dampness of wearing a swimming costume afterwards can add to the problem.
- Sometimes chafing from riding a bicycle or horse riding can leave vulval and vaginal areas itchy or sore.
- Synthetic fabrics in underwear keep the area warm and moist. A cotton crotch to underwear and avoiding tight fitting pants are important too.
Personal hygiene and vaginal yeast infection
November 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Is poor personal hygiene the reason for my getting a vaginal yeast infection?
It is unlikely that poor personal hygiene is the cause of your yeast infection on its own. The clues as to its causes probably lie more in your personal hygiene choices rather than the level of personal hygiene….although, it is important of course to keep your vaginal area clean.
Using fragranced products or ones containing plant extracts, chemical colouring, additives or vitimans may sound all healthy, moisturising etc but they can easily destroy the natural Ph balance of the vaginal environment. This then leads the vaginal area to become susceptible to candida overgrowth as the environment becomes more friendly to the fungus than to “healthy bacteria“. For this reason, be wary of soaps, body washes, vaginal sprays, douches or bubble baths.
What can I use to clean my vagina then?
It is important that any products that you use are FDA approved. These washing or vaginal lubricant products should also contain NO fragrance, plant additives, colourings or additives. If you must use a bubble bathe, avoid sitting in it for too long and gently rise the vaginal area with a shower afterwards to reduce irritation by washing traces away. Similarly, avoid vaginal douches or sprays. All these products can increase the risk of vaginal yeast infection.
The safest approach to cleaning your vagina to reduce risk of vaginal yeast infection is to use a PH balanced soap or body wash and plenty of luke warm water to rinse the area clean.
Vaginal yeast infection and hot tubs
November 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Do hot tubs really increase the risk of vaginal yeast infections?
When considering that warm, damp environments increase the risk of candida overgrowth…it would appear likely that hot tubs may not be a good choice if you are sufferring from a vaginal yeast infection. Hot baths are also not recommended when prone to yeast infection as the increased heat in the vaginal area encourages candida overgrowth.
Bacteria in the water is a further concern with hot tubs. It is important to ensure that the water is properly treated to avoid yeast infection or other bacterias potentially affecting all users. However, the water treatment, in itself, can be enough to affect the delicate PH balance of the vaginal area - leaving the hot tub user prone to candida overgrowth in the vagina.
How do I reduce the risk of hot tubs upon making vaginal yeast infection worse?
If you really can’t face the thought of giving up on hot tubs and suffer from yeast infection there are a few steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of candida overgrowth or making an existing vaginal yeast infection worse:
- Ensure that the water in your hot tub is properly treated to avoid infection through cross-contamination of bacteria or fungus.
- If wearing a swimsuit, change out of it as soon as possible after finishing in the hot tub. This will avoid leaving your vaginal area warm and damp any longer than necessary.
- Gently rinse the vagina with luke warm water to remove as much of the water treatment chemicals as possible.
- If you really can’t get your yeast infection under control, Linda Allen’s book is an excellent resource that I can personally recommend for naturally clearing up your yeast infection and reducing the chances of recurrent yeast infection.