what is a yeast infections

what is a yeast infection

When your body produces too much yeast it often results in an infection. Since yeast is common in or on the skin, penis, mouth and vagina these are areas where a yeast infection can occur (although there are generally more incidence in women than men).

How Yeast Grows

The vagina helps prevent the growth of yeast through a caustic (for the yeast) acidic environment. This environment can be altered negatively by menstruation, as well as the use of birth control pills, diabetes and certain antibiotics. These agents work to lower the acid normally found in the vagina. When this happens, yeast, which is common in the vagina in small amounts, can find an atmosphere for rapid growth.

The use of synthetic materials in underwear or lingerie can also contribute to yeast infections by trapping moisture which also creates an atmosphere conducive to excess yeast production.

Why Yeast Infection Occurs

Ph balance in the body is the key. Yeast is prevalent in the body at all times. Yeast infection will occur when the acid ph of the body is lowered. The immune system regulates the acid balance in the body. Your diet is the leading factor to help the immune system keep a healthy balance. The body has a healthy ph of 6.4 (when measuring urine or saliva), the further away, greater or lower, from this natural reading you have, will cause greater disease and illness such as yeast infection.

Stress is one of the largest causes of unbalanced ph readings in the body. Blood ph is higher than body ph. Injury, overweight, antibiotics and birth control pills all alter the natural ph of the body. Fatigue is often overlooked as a stress factor. Your ph reading does vary slightly through the day but should average 6.4 for the day.

What Not To Do

Some may be following advice that is actually harmful, so it is important to know what has been offered in the past as an effective alternative that will not help cure a yeast infection, and may actually accelerate yeast growth or do long term damage to the vagina.

You should never use baking soda in attempting to cure a yeast infection. Baking soda has a high ph causing the yeast to proliferate.

You should never use Echinacea in your attempt to cure a yeast infection. While it may be good to take orally as a means of reducing the effects of a cold, when vaginally inserted it can cause acute burning sensations.

You should also never use bleach in eliminating the effects of a yeast infection. Bleach can actually burn vaginal tissue and result in scarring.

You should avoid douching because it reduces normal and healthy vaginal secretions by drying out the vaginal surface.

Effective Ways to Reduce Yeast Infections

Reducing grains, sugar and most processed foods from your diet can also help reduce available yeast in your body.

Raw vegetables are not only good for you, they can help combat yeast infections

The persistent use and regular washing of either cotton or silk intimate apparel is also an effective way to reduce the incidence of yeast infections.

Nature's Assistance

Acidophilus is a culture that contains plenty of good bacteria and can help your body fight a yeast infection. It is also a primary ingredient in most yogurt.

Colloidal silver has also proven successful for many women due to the fact that this mineral is highly effective in eliminating more than 600 diseases.

Tea tree oil has also proven an effective ally in the fight against yeast infections and can be inserted vaginally.

If you have suffered several episodes of yeast infections it may make sense to try a more natural management approach as well as effective prevention methods. By learning about how yeast is formed and regulated in your body you might discover new ways to personally assist your own future health.

How common are yeast infections in women?

yeast infections women

Frequent yeast infections in women are becoming more widespread now than they were years ago. The worst part is, it is drugs and medicines that are used to cure this infection and others that are the biggest contributors to this ever-growing problem. Sufferers of persistent infections really need to look at how they are treating their infections, and then ask themselves, is this really working, or making things worse?

How has your treatment been going? I suppose you're like all other chronic Candida sufferers and you're using the same anti fungal creams, suppositories and pills every day. This is the usual cycle of a frequent Candida sufferer, and to be honest, this is not how you deal with fungal overgrowth in your body.

While you're using these anti-fungal drugs all the time, you're actually making your infection worse. The fungus that you're trying to kill is building up resistance, and it is also becoming a much more aggressive strain. So as your treatments get stronger, so does the fungus. You'll know exactly what I'm talking about if you've already been to your doctor for prescription anti fungal creams because over the counter creams were not working.

How's your diet? If you're like most people trying to get healthier then you're eating foods that are reduced in fat, but at the same time, have a higher sugar content. These foods are great if you're exercising every day to burn off the carbohydrates you're consuming. If on the other hand, you're suffering from frequent yeast infections. Then you're continually feeding your infections every time you eat what you think is a healthy meal or snack. Fungus loves sugar, and the more you eat of it, the more fungus you have living in your body.

That's another thing. If you've only been trying to kill the fungus in your vagina, then you're in for a big shock. You have fungus breeding in your intestines as well. The intestines is where most fungal infections start. An itchy vagina is just one symptom of an infection that is more widespread in your body than you think.

To cure recurrent infections you must treat them from the root cause. You need to stop the Candida in your body from mutating into more fungus. You can't eliminate the Candida from your body, as it enters it every day when you eat. That happens to all of us. What you can do though, is prevent it from mutating into more fungus as it enters your body.

There isn't a single drug that you can purchase over the counter, or one that you can get on prescription that will stop the Candida yeast from mutating into a fungus. Only your body's natural defenses are capable of doing this for you. They've been doing it your whole life. You just need to reverse the damage that has been done to them

Yeast infection symptons in children

yeast infection symptons

Yeast infection in children and infants usually manifest in the vaginal (vaginitis) or rectal area (diaper rash, pruritis ani, or hemorrhoids).

They can usually be treated successfully by changing to a high-fiber diet and using natural remedies, especially lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus. Spir-ulina, chlorella, barley green, and other green foods are easy to take for infants and children and are good immune system boosters. Topically, creams containing calendula, zinc oxide, and aloe vera are often effective.

The usual cause of the yeast infection in children is the high sugar intake found in commercial infant formulas or "unsweetened" fruit juices. Even if juices are freshly squeezed and consumed immediately, the average glass of apple or orange juice has the equivalent of five or more teaspoons of sugar.

Cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk, and even goat's milk can increase the total daily sugar intake to fungal growth-stimulating levels in susceptible individuals. Switch to water until the infection clears, then use these beverages sparingly, if at all for older children For infants, switch to yeast-free, sugar-free formula and rotate types of milk.

In the case of vaginal yeast infection in children, make sure that underpants are loose and allow the passage of oxygen. Fungi are difficult to eradicate from underwear even if they are machine-washed with detergents.

In persistent, recurrent vaginal yeast infections, placing the moistened underwear in a microwave oven and turning the setting to high for five minutes destroys all traces of the yeast infection. Placing underwear on a clothesline in the sun for one hour will also kill Candida. Sitz baths with Epsom salts or magnesium sulfate are soothing for the inflammation, often the cause of severe itching in Candida vaginitis.

Echinacea, goldenseal, calendula, ginger, pau d'arco, and aloe vera can be consumed in liquid form as herbal juices or tinctures. Lactobacillus products can be taken in a powdered form, as can buffered vitamin C.

Children often seem to respond better to homeopathic remedies like cantheris (123 or 6C) and sulfur (303 or 9C) taken three or more times daily.

Recurrent or resistant yeast infection in children should alert one to the possibility of an underlying diabetes or immune system problem. A medical doctor can order appropriate tests that confirm or rule out underlying diseases requiring medical treatment.