Vaginal Candida,
What you should know

The good news is that if you have a vaginal yeast infection, especially if it's your first, it's probably temporary, and usually you can get rid of it without too much fuss and muss.

Yeast infections like warm, moist, acidic places and unfortunately, your vaginal area is a perfect place for it.

Each treatment for treating your yeast infection naturally is covered more in depth all over the rest of the site. These are the basics every woman should know.


WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A YEAST INFECTION?

* Tied for the most common symptom is extreme itchiness.
* The second good indicator is a white vaginal discharge that is usually thick, but can be thin like milk.
* The discharge can look like cottage cheese, but usually does not smell. Or if it does smell, it kinda smells like unbaked bread.
* If it does stink (gross, not like rising bread), that is a good indication that you may have a sexually transmitted disease and not candida.
* Pain/soreness, a raw feeling. Generally, it's inflamed and/or swollen.
* A rash or a red area made of pimple-like spots.
* Pain during sex and when urinating
* When you get the discharge on your finger and let it dry, it feels either chalk-like or, like you've dried out the skin where it was.

HOW DO I KNOW IT'S CANDIDA?

I'll admit, I'm not extremely fond of doctors.
They cost too much and most of the time, I don't think they help me anymore then I've been able to do myself.
After all, I'm the one who lives with my body, and generally, I'm right. It's what I think it is.

BUT---

I've looked around and I have not found an at-home kit that gives a reputable diagnosis. The spit test is a good place to start, but not conclusive.
If you are aware of a reputable kit, please let me know, and I will be very pleased to pass the information along.

Some things that may seem like candida but aren't are:

Bacterial vaginitis-
The discharge is generally thin and milky. As a general rule, it also has a "fishy odor that is more noticeable after sex.

Trichomonas-
The discharge is generally green-yellow and 'frothy'. It smells really nasty, but not fishy or yeasty.
You still may have itchiness, soreness, it's worse with (or after) your period, as well as burning while urinating, so don't let that fool you into thinking that this is a yeast infection.

Viral vaginitis-
You know how you can get sores with a bad yeast infection?
That's why this one is confusing. There doesn't seem to be a lot of discharge here, so you might think you have a light infection.
But really, it's herpes.
This is really where you need to double check with a gynecologist.

So, especially if this is your first infection, I would recommend sucking it up and going to get a proper diagnosis.
Have them check it under a microscope to make sure it's yeast.
If you aren't treating the proper disease, you're just wasting your time and getting sicker.


How did I get my vaginal yeast infection?

1. Using birth control pills.
2. Having or mismanaging diabetes.
3. Lowered immunity, chemo, aids, viruses or colds.
4. Sometimes your menstrual cycle, and the changing pH, can trigger them.
5. Poor nutrition, like processed foods, or extremely sugary ones.
6. Physical and mental stress. You can only sustain fight or flight for so long, before it affects your entire system. This is probably the one that is ignored the most, yet it might just be one of the most important.
7. Use of some antibiotic, kill the bad bacteria, you kill the good too.
8. Pregnancy. All those hormonal and pH changes
9. Nonoxynal-9 a spermicide that, without fail, always makes my infection flare-up.

HERE is a bigger list.

If it is, what are some things I can do to get rid of a yeast infection, or at least make it better?

* DRINK MORE WATER!!!!!!!! This cannot be overemphasized. Your system needs to be moving to keep it from becoming stagnant. Also, your mostly water. Give yourself the fluid you need to move this out of your system.

* Treat both yourself and your partner to get rid of a yeast infection and not pass it back and forth.
* Wash your sex toys with mild soap and water.
* Or, use a condom on your toy or partner when playing with them. This includes oral sex.
* Make sure to change it when switching from your usage and his/her usage; between vaginal and anal penetration.
* Use a water based lube.

* Keep it natural.
* Wear cotton panties. Let it breath so that it stays dry. You don't want to trap air, heat and moisture. (Tights, pantyhose, nylon underwear, and tight pants are not helpful right now.)
* Use unscented products like plain, white, natural toilet paper; Ivory soap, and the like.
* No perfumed soaps, feminine sprays, tampons or pads that have a scent.

* Keep it clean
* Wash both your anus and vulva daily with warm water and a very mild soap.
* Wipe from front to back. Keep fecal matter (and internal fungus) away from your vaginal area.
* Make sure everything you use is sanitized or sterilized to avoid any additional complications.

* Air it out.
* No tampons unless your using it to apply treatments.
* After a shower, take a hairdryer and with low heat (or no heat if it has that setting), dry your vaginal area.

* Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Excess caffeine and sugar (and processed foods) will make you miserable.

* Douche only with solutions that your trying to cure your yeast infection naturally with (garlic, chamomile, tea tree and the like. Make sure you know how to use them before you do this). Over the counter douches mess with your pH and flora and will make you itchier.

* Exercise. Get your system moving and strong enough to ward off infections.

* Get enough sleep. Your body regenerates during sleep. Give yourself a chance to heal.

If you really want to get rid of a yeast infection naturally, I would suggest you also look over the systemic section as well. It tackles this from a different angle, and will give you a little bit deeper understanding of your yeast infection.