How do women get yeast infections

Yeast infections are common during pregnancy because of hormone fluctuations. Topical antifungals are safe to use during pregnancy, though. This can lead to diaper rash and oral thrush in your baby. Another common infection in women is a urinary tract infection UTI. A UTI is a bacterial infection that affects the urinary system. This complex system includes your urethra, as well as your bladder and kidneys.

The symptoms of a UTI are also different from a yeast infection. A UTI can also cause frequent urination along with pelvic and abdominal pain. Without treatment, a UTI can lead to more serious complications of the kidneys.

See a doctor to get antibiotics. Ask your doctor for more information regarding the differences between a yeast infection and a UTI. This ensures that your symptoms are related to Candida overgrowth and not a more serious condition. Your doctor will first conduct a pelvic exam, noting any visible discharge, redness, and swelling. They will ask you about other symptoms such as burning and painful urination.

If needed, your doctor might order a vaginal fluid test. They will first collect a sample of vaginal discharge with a cotton swab, which will then be sent to a lab for study under a microscope.

Instead, there are other factors at play that can throw off Candida balance in the vaginal area. Vaginal intercourse, as well as penetration via sex toys and fingers, can introduce bacteria. Another possibility is having vaginal intercourse with a man who has a penile yeast infection.

The opposite can happen too, where a man might develop a penile yeast infection from a woman who has a vaginal yeast infection. Oral sex may also disrupt bacteria in the mouth, vagina, and penile areas. There are many underlying risk factors of a yeast infection, with sexual intercourse being just one of them.

Bacterial vaginosis BV is the most common type of vaginal infection in women between the ages of 15 and BV is said to have a strong fishy odor, too. BV has similar symptoms as a yeast infection, including discharge, burning, and itching. This can make distinguishing between the two infections difficult. Among the complications include fertility issues and premature delivery if you get infected while pregnant , and a higher risk of contracting STIs.

Your doctor will help you distinguish between a yeast infection and BV. Chances are that you know exactly what led to your yeast infection. For example, some women experience these infections every time they take antibiotics. Whether you know the exact cause, here are tips to avoid recurring infections.

Avoid :. These plant-based products can be powerful, but so far, no research has shown that essential oils work better for yeast infections than conventional methods.

One issue with essential oils is that some people might be allergic to them. Do a patch test on a small area of skin before applying them to larger areas of the body. This is especially important when considering sensitive areas such as the vagina.

Confirm with a doctor that your symptoms are indeed caused by a yeast infection before trying essential oils as treatment. You can also ask about safer oils, such as coconut oil, for your yeast infection.

Having both a yeast infection and your period can feel like a double whammy. Yeast infections are most likely to occur in women during the final days leading up to their period. Fluctuations in hormones are thought to be a cause of yeast infections before your period, causing imbalances in healthy bacteria in the vagina.

While a nuisance, early treatment can help clear up your yeast infection before your period starts. Also see a doctor if you continue to get yeast infections before your period every month.

Yeast infections are common occurrences, but prompt treatment can help reduce the uncomfortable symptoms within a few days. By recognizing your own risk factors, you can prevent future infections.

Read this article in Spanish. Chronic yeast infections can affect your daily life. Learn about yeast infection sores. Yeast infection sores are uncommon, but they can occur from a yeast rash or other skin condition.

Yeast sores can…. Though it may be tempting to self-diagnose a vaginal yeast infection, since effective over-the-counter OTC treatments exist, experts recommend you see a doctor. Several other conditions — notably bacterial vaginosis vaginal infection caused by bacteria , trichomoniasis a sexually transmitted infection , and dermatitis irritated skin — can cause symptoms similar to yeast infections, making self-diagnosis difficult.

To diagnose a yeast infection, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history, perform a pelvic exam, and take a sample of vaginal discharge. A lab technician will examine the discharge to determine if there is an overgrowth of candida.

Your doctor will make a diagnosis based on all the findings — a positive fungal culture alone does not mean you have a yeast infection, because women can have candida in their vagina without showing symptoms. Most yeast infections clear up within a few days, depending on the severity of the infection and the medication used. But up to 8 percent of women develop recurrent or chronic yeast infections at least four infections per year. These infections are typically due to non- albicans species, and may require different treatment.

Vaginal yeast infections are treated with over-the-counter or prescription antifungal creams, ointments, tablets, suppositories, or oral medications. You will need to take the medication for 1 to 7 days, depending on which medication you are using. If you have recurrent yeast infections, you may require multiple doses of fluconazole in the first week of infection, followed by at least six months of maintenance therapy periodic fluconazole doses depending on the presence of symptoms.

Can home remedies and natural cures help treat and prevent vaginal yeast infections? Many women wonder what else they can do to deal with yeast problems. Despite the documented effectiveness of over-the-counter products and prescription medication for vaginal yeast infections, some women prefer to treat their ailments with natural or home remedies.

Home remedies for vaginal yeast infections include:. While they are very popular, the effectiveness of home remedies for treating and preventing yeast infections is not very well known or understood.

Some remedies, at least, appear to be helpful for vaginal yeast infections, though more research is needed. For example, using probiotics as an adjuvant therapy could help cure yeast infections, but the quality of evidence is low or very low, according to a review published in November in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews And boric acid, at least, is recommended for the treatment of non- albicans species.

Yeast infections are not considered sexually transmitted infections STIs , as most are not transmitted person to person and they can occur in people who have never had sex.

But having sex with a vaginal yeast infection can be, well, complicated. While the infections are not dangerous, they are uncomfortable and annoying enough that women may want to help prevent them. Risk-reducing steps include: Left untreated, vaginal yeast infections may cause a number of different complications, including:. About 70 to 75 percent of women will get a vaginal yeast infection at least once in their lives.

And 50 percent of these women will experience more than one infection. What's more, 5 to 8 percent of women experience recurrent or chronic yeast infections, and come down with four or more yeast infections in a single year. Vaginal yeast infection is the second most common type of vaginal infection, after bacterial vaginal infection, in the United States. It results in 1.

Candida yeast colonizes the vagina of at least 20 percent of all women — and 30 percent of all pregnant women. Research suggests that vulvovaginal candidiasis is especially common among pregnant women; because of this, the infection is sometimes considered a complication of pregnancy.

Both the increased candida colonization and yeast infection rates during pregnancy appear to be caused by several pregnancy-related factors, including increased estrogen levels , reduced immunity, and increased concentrations of sugar a food source for yeast in vaginal secretions. The symptoms and severity of yeast infections are no different during pregnancy, but treatment varies slightly. Applying a topical azole for seven days is the recommended treatment for yeast infections during pregnancy; oral azoles have not been proved safe for pregnant women.

In fact, research published in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA suggests oral azoles increase a pregnant woman's risk of spontaneous abortion. Vaginal yeast infections are also considered a complication of type 2 diabetes, as the metabolic disease makes you more susceptible to the infection. Diabetes mellitus also makes you more prone to infections by the azole-resistant species of yeast C.

If your diabetes is uncontrolled, you'll have high levels of sugar in your blood, which also affects the levels of sugar in other areas of your body. Specifically, the mucous membrane in the vagina and vulva becomes saturated with sugar, allowing Candida to rapidly reproduce. A diet high in refined sugars may contribute to a diabetic woman's risk of yeast infection. Though the term "yeast infection" is most often used to refer to a vaginal infection, it also applies to other types of candidiasis.

A yeast infection of the mouth and throat is called thrush , or oropharyngeal candidiasis. When a yeast infection affects the esophagus tube connecting the throat and stomach , it's called esophageal candidiasis, or Candida esophagitis. A yeast infection of the skin — which typically occurs in warm, moist areas, such as the armpits and groin — is called cutaneous candidiasis. And if candida gets into the bloodstream, such as from using a contaminated intravenous catheter or as a complication of thrush, the yeast can cause a deadly infection called invasive candidiasis.

Here, it enters your bloodstream and travels to other parts of your body, including your lungs, liver, and heart valves. It can cause infection or inflammation in various body parts, such as meningitis infection of the membranes of the brain , esophagitis esophagus , endophthalmitis eyes , endocarditis heart , urinary tract infections UTIs , and arthritis joints.

Candida can cause an infection of the bloodstream itself, called candidemia. Invasive candidiasis most frequently affects people who are critically ill and in intensive care units, such as from yeast that travels to the bloodstream from the gut, or leakage after abdominal surgery.

Doctors typically treat the infection with antifungal medication, but up to 40 percent of people with invasive candidiasis die regardless of treatment. Additionally, men can get yeast infections in their genitals candidal balanitis , mouths, and other areas. For more go-tos on preventing, diagnosing, and, of course, treating yeast infections, here are some additional sources of information that can help.

Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic is a well-respected, integrated clinical practice, education, and research institution that prides itself on offering the most up-to-date medical information to the public. This article will look at the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of yeast infections, as well as medication and home remedies. Sometimes a more complicated yeast infection may occur, with more severe symptoms.

Four or more infections may arise in one year. Medical conditions that can cause a complicated yeast infection include pregnancy, uncontrolled diabetes , having a weakened immune system, and the presence of an alternate Candida fungus, as opposed to Candida albicans. In men, it affects the head of the penis. Symptoms include redness, irritation, and discharge. It can also affect the skin or the mouth. There are two ways to treat an uncomplicated yeast infection: Direct vaginal therapy or oral treatment.

When treating an uncomplicated yeast infection, a short-course of vaginal therapy is normally sufficient. One option is a one-time treatment of a prescription or an over-the-counter medication such as butoconazole Gynazole-1 , clotrimazole Gyne-Lotrimin , miconazole Monistat 3 , and terconazole Terazol 3.

Some of these are available to buy online, including clotrimazole , Monistat 3 , and terconazole. Since these medications are oil-based, they can weaken latex condoms and diaphragms, potentially making them less reliable. Non-latex condoms are available to purchase online. Alternatively, an oral antifungal , fluconazole Diflucan , can be used in one single dose. In the case of a complicated yeast infection, treatment will include the use of long-course vaginal therapy or multi-dose oral formulations.

Maintenance medications may be recommended. These drugs are taken regularly to prevent the infection returning. Long-course vaginal therapy includes treatment with a vaginal cream, ointment, tablet, or suppository for approximately 7 to 14 days. Sometimes, two to three doses of oral fluconazole may be recommended instead of direct vaginal therapy.

If symptoms are severe, a doctor may prescribe a few days of topical steroids to help ease symptoms while the antifungal medication works. Before using antifungals, it is important to be sure that the symptoms are due to a yeast infection. The overuse of antifungals can increase the chances of yeast resistance, so that the medications may not work in the future when they are needed.

If maintenance medications are necessary, these begin after one of the above methods of treatment has finished. It may include weekly treatment with oral fluconazole for 6 months or weekly treatment with vaginal clotrimazole.

The use of condoms is often recommended.