Women And Preventing Yeast Infections
A yeast infection is a very annoying thing to have to deal with and causes a lot of discomfort. Symptoms like itching, burning and irritation worsen the longer the infection is untreated and all you want is relief. But just treating the symptoms is not going to solve the problem, you need to identify and deal with the root cause of the infection. By knowing these triggers you can take steps to prevent a yeast infection from happening again.
As well as the itching that gradually gets worse, and the burning mentioned women also face symptoms that include pain, redness and swelling. All of this is due to a fungus called Candida Albicans overgrowing. It lives on all of us in controlled small numbers by good bacteria and does us no harm. But there are triggers that lead to a lack of balance which the fungus takes advantage of and rapidly multiplies. This leads to the yeast infection.
The ideal place for the yeast to breed in is damp and warm areas of the body, making the vagina a particularly favorite spot for them. One thing you can do to help avoid a yeast infection is to look at your clothing. Tight clothes keep an area warm and damp as no air can circulate. Cotton panties are best as they allow the skin to breathe. Also when in wet clothing, such as a bathing suit or workout clothes, dry and change as soon as you can.
Your diet could probably have some big changes made to it to help prevent yeast infections. Cutting out sugar is vital as the fungus feeds on it. Other foods to eliminate are processed and refined foods. Drink plenty of water and add probiotics to your diet, either in supplement form or you can also get yogurts that have Lactobacillus Acidophilus in them which will also help rise the number of good bacteria in your body.
Other things to avoid in order to prevent a yeast infection are antibiotics. These kill all bacteria in the body bad and good. Try to keep healthy with exercise, a good diet, fresh air and enough sleep. Also avoid using any perfumed products or sprays down there as these will upset the chemical balance, cause irritation and so trigger the overgrowth.
When using contraception remember that there are spermicides like Nonoxinol that can cause infection. Some condoms have spermicidal lubricant so read the labels. Also birth control pills can trigger a yeast infection as they upset the natural balance of the body’s hormones.
For more info on how to deal with candida, check out our yeast infection symptoms website, where you can find plenty of information on the subject. Today’s special: yeast infection during pregnancy