Symptoms and Treatments

What is Yeast infection?

Yeast is a microscopic fungus commonly of the Candida Albicans species responsible for a number of fungal infections called Candidiasis.  Most are specific to women such as viginitis or vaginal yeast infection. But they can also cause infection on the skin like diaper rush as well as nailbed infections

Description

Candidal infections are common in warm moist parts of the body like the vagina and the underarms.  The skin’s natural defenses can block yeast infection but a skin break or cut can bring the yeast to penetrate the skin and cause havoc. Adults can also suffer Candidal infections in the mouth and gums as well as under the breasts and lower abdomen or inner thighs and between skin folds especially among obese people.

Causes and Risk Factors of Yeast infection

Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina and is reported by around 75% of women but this can be caused by other bacterial infection such as gonorrhea and gardnerella apart from yeast.  Vaginal Candidiasis, however, is the more common. In addition, yeast can also infect the external female genital or the vulva which includes the labia and the clitoris to cause similar inflammation of these areas called Vulvitis.

Yeast infection affecting the vulva or vagina often occurs in women taking antibiotics to treat UTI or urinary tract infection, respiratory tract infection and other types of infection as well as taking in immunosuppressive drugs that allow the yeast commonly found in the vagina to multiply and take in new yeasts to irritate the vaginal lining to cause vaginitis.  Women with diabetes mellitus, who are pregnant or taking oral contraceptives have increased risks of getting vaginal yeast infection as well as those using douches or perfumed hygiene sprays.

This is not considered a sexually transmitted disease since yeasts are common in the vagina of normal healthy women.  However, men can develop skin irritation of the penis, especially the moist glans of the uncircumcised penis where the yeast can thrive after a sexual intercourse with one who is infected.

Symptoms of Yeast infection

In woman suffering from vaginitis, the symptoms are non-specific, meaning, other ailments can share the same symptoms.  But the most common is vaginal or vulval itching. Other symptoms include

• Burning sensation or soreness in the vulval/vaginal areas
• Pain during urination and/or sexual intercourse
• Vaginal discharge consisting of odorless whitish fluid like cottage cheese but is not always present
• Localized pain in the vulval area medically referred to as vulvodina

Diagnosis of Yeast infection

Vaginal yeast infection is indicated with the presence of cheese white discharge on the vaginal walls. Otherwise, the symptoms are non-specific and other ailments that cause the same symptoms need to be eliminated.  Confirming the Candidal infection requires a specimen from the affected vaginal area for microscopic evaluation.

Treatment of Yeast infection

Vulvitis and Vaginitis are commonly treated with antifungal medications applied topically in and around the affected vaginal and vulval areas.  The more commonly available antifungal topical creams are butoconazole (Femstat 3), Terconazole (Terazol 3), clotrimazole (Lotrimin) and miconazole (Monistat).  OTC topical treatment is quite common but sufferers should note that the symptoms are also present in other medical conditions like bacterial vaginosis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia and unless they get the right diagnosis, won’t get those symptoms eliminated.

Oral antifungal medications can also be used but are known to cause side effects such as headaches, abdominal pain and nausea.  They are also contra-indicated for pregnant women.