Yeast Infection Symptoms and Causes

Yeast in the body

Yeast organisms occur in the body naturally and are balanced by beneficial microorganisms such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, a common and healthy bacterium. Generally, these yeast organisms don’t present any harm to the healthy person.  When this balance becomes disturbed, an over abundance of yeast develops, causing yeast infections in women. Yeast loves warm, moist places and our body has a lot of these.  Yeast is a fungus scientifically referred to as Candida. The specific type of fungus most commonly responsible for vaginal yeast infections is Candida albicans, affecting about 75% of all women at least once in her lifetime.  Candida albicans causes about 80 percent of all yeast infections, while other types of fungi account for the additional 20 percent.  Yeast is commonly present on normal human skin and in areas of moisture, such as the mouth, vagina, and rectum. It is estimated that 20% to 50% of healthy women normally carry yeast in the vaginal area.  It is more important to note that 40% of women have chronic yeast infections, meaning 4 or more per year, so it is vital to understand not only the symptoms but the specific causes related to vaginal yeast infections.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a yeast infection include itching (in some cases intense itching), soreness, pain during intercourse, burning during urination, and a vaginal discharge that some would describe as having a milky or cottage cheese-like appearance. Since the root cause of most yeast infections is Candida overgrowth, there are good reasons to educate yourself about the causes so that you can:  1) prevent future and/or chronic yeast infections 2) be aware of the things that cause yeast infections for you personally, thereby alerting you to the early symptoms of using more natural remedies-- eliminating the need for anti-fungal medications (like Monistat) treatments.  Not unlike prescribed drugs, frequent treatments of these same medications can lead to an eventual resistance for cure

Causes

Antibiotics

Probably among the leading causes of vaginal yeast infections in American women, antibiotics will kill all of the bacteria and disrupt the ‘good’ bacterial balance in the vagina, sending everything awry very quickly.  In other words, if you have a vaginal yeast infection within days of taking antibiotics, this is your culprit.  Some women get yeast infections from only using certain antibiotics and some women get them every time they are on them.

Diabetes

Women diabetics are more prone to develop yeast infections because of the high glucose content in their blood streams and urine.  When your glucose secretions are high, your body’s secretions will have abnormally high levels of glucose.  When body tissues stop functioning as they should, the normal defenses of the body weaken and allow Candida albicans to get the upper hand. The extra glucose in your secretions provides the perfect food for Candida.

Education is a key to the modern day women to make informed decisions on not only understanding the symptoms and causes of yeast infections; but, also to prevent and properly manage these infections in the future.