Dealing with Menopause Symptoms

Caused by the fungus Candida Albicans, oral yeast infection is also known as Thrush. Yeast infections can affect other parts of the body too - the vagina most commonly but also nails, folds of skin, the anus and so on. Generally, where it’s warm and moist is the best place for the the fungus to breed.

How Thrush happens: Candida lives on all of us in small numbers harmlessly. Amongst the many other microorganisms living on us we also have healthy or good bacteria. These keep the fungus at low numbers and therefore help us to avoid yeast infections. If the numbers of healthy bacteria go down for whatever reason, the number of fungus will go up and this overgrowth generates a yeast infection. There are a number of reasons the body can become out of balance such as taking of corticosteroids, using antibiotics over a long period of time, being diabetic, poor diet, certain illnesses particularly those that weaken the immune system, treatment for cancer and hormonal times such as pregnancy for women.

Symptoms of Thrush: The infection can develop very quickly and can last for a long time. Common signs are white spots in the mouth on the tongue and inner cheeks, and possibly even on your gums and tonsils too. These spots are painful and can bleed if scraped. If it spreads to the escophagus, it is hard to eat or swallow and there can be a feeling that the your food is getting stuck.

Preventing Thrush: There are things you can do to help prevent an infection of the mouth happening. Keeping excellent oral hygiene is important, which involves brushing twice a day as well as flossing. Mouthwashes are not a good idea as they upset the balance of microorganisms in the mouth and may deplete good bacteria making you more likely to get a yeast infection. Smoking is not good and if you are a smoker your odds of getting Thrush are higher.

How to treat Thrush: There are several over the counter options for you to choose from, or if it is a particularly severe case you need to see your doctor for a stronger drug. There are also natural means to help soothe the symptoms such as eating plain probiotic yogurt. In order to prevent a recurring problem look for the triggers above and identify what your root cause is and deal with that too.

Firstly lets clear up a very common incorrect belief about yeast infections. They are not just a female infection, men can get yeast infections too. Nor does age make any difference, as babies can get it and so can the elderly, and then anywhere in between! This is because the fungus that causes a yeast infection actually lives on all of us in small numbers already. It is not a problem and does not hurt our health, as long as the good bacteria are there to keep it at small numbers and not allow an overgrowth.

Candida Albicans (Vaginal) - Caused by the fungus Candida Albicans, and as mentioned the most common form. Over three quarters of women are likely to face this problem, but two thirds of women who diagnose themselves with a vaginal yeast infection are incorrect and therefore are treating themselves incorrectly too. This happens because a vaginal yeast infection looks a lot like other problems down there like STDs and bacterial vaginosis, and unless you are a professional you cannot tell the difference. Rashes, redness, sometimes a discharge like cottage cheese, certainly itching and swelling are all common symptoms.

Moniliasis - also a vaginal yeast infection though this one can be more painful for those that get it. Note here that women more likely to suffer are those going through hormonal changes such as in pregnancy and those taking prolonged courses of antibiotics. Talk to your doctor.

Balanitis - The male genital yeast infection. The penis may swell, be red, itchy, have a rash, as you can see symptoms have some in common with the vaginal infection. Men can get it when having intercourse that is unprotected with a woman who has a vaginal yeast infection.

Thrush: Thrush is the term more commonly used for an oral yeast infections. Young babies often get Thrush as their immune system is not yet strong enough and it is recognizable by the white patches in the mouth that when scraped do not come away as milk residue does. However in babies it is less painful than the adult version. Adults also will find lesions that easily bleed beneath the white spots.

Intertrigo: This is when a yeast infection is on the skin such as under folds in the obese and armpits. Friction can bring on an infection where skin rubs on skin and symptoms are a rash and itching.

Now that you are more familiar with the different types of yeast infection it is possible to get, perhaps it is time to move on and look at prevention!