What You Need to Know About Vaginal Yeast Infection

Ladies, do you feel some uncomfortable burning and itching in your genital area? When you take your panties off, do you see whitish clumps on it that are odorless but look like cottage cheese? Do you experience pain when having sex? Does your vulva – the outer part of your genitals – appear a bit swollen? If you have one or more of these symptoms, it may be a good idea to see your gynecologist because you may have vaginal yeast infection.

Vaginal yeast infection, otherwise known as vaginitis, happens when the yeast colony in your vagina and the outer skin of your genitals grow unchecked. You may not be aware of it, but there are actually a number of bacteria colonies living inside the vagina. However, there is usually a balance in bacterial growth inside the vagina because it is acidic in there and one of the bacteria colonies living in it, called Lactobacillus acidophilus, keeps the growth of the other bacteria under control.

Nonetheless, there are some factors that cause the yeast colonies in the vagina to grow out of proportion. When this occurs, it leads to yeast infection.

Treating Vaginal Yeast Infection

The one good thing about vaginal yeast infection is that it is a common affliction among women and it is not life-threatening. It can also be treated with use of medication. But before you assume that what you are having is indeed vaginitis, you have to visit a doctor to be sure. Vaginitis shares a number of similar symptoms with other sexually transmitted infections.

If you cannot afford a visit to the doctor, or if you feel that going to the gynecologist may be a little inconvenient for you, you can buy a home testing kit that checks the yeast population in your vagina. You can get this kit from any reputable online seller that specializes in testing products.

As mentioned above, the most common treatment when it comes to vaginal yeast infection is medication. You can get pills that you can take orally for this ailment. You can also be prescribed suppositories that you will insert into your vagina. Other forms of medication for vaginitis are creams that you apply on your vulva and inside the vaginal tract.

Preventing Vaginitis

Research statistics have shown that yeast infection among women is so common that three out of four will get it at least once in their lifetime. This ailment is really not something to worry too much about, but it certainly can be prevented through proper habits.

For one, you should keep your genital area dry, especially after taking a shower. You can blow dry yourself using your hair dryer at minimum heat settings. When you go swimming, do not linger wearing your wet swimsuit for too long. Change your swimsuit as soon as you can.

Wiping from front to back with tissues also helps prevent vaginal yeast infection. Also, you should avoid using feminine douches, perfumed toilet paper and scented tampons. You can also try wearing tight pants, pantyhose and nylon underwear less often.