What is Yeast Infection?
Yeast infections are also called candidiasis and are caused by a type of microscopic yeast or fungi. Studies show there are more than twenty species of Candida that live on the surfaces of the human body. When they become overgrown, they can cause a candidiasis infection of the mouth, intestines, vaginal area and warm, moist skin folds. Even babies get yeast infections in some forms of diaper rashes. Yeast can get under the nail beds and cause yeast infections of the nail beds.Besides warm moist areas, yeast can get inside breaks in the skin and cause those areas to be infected. Babies get mouth yeast infections along with diaper rashes. Older individuals, such as those with dentures, have an increased risk of getting yeast infection of the mouth. Most of these infections are treatable with the right medications taken for the right period of time. In rare situations, a person can develop disseminated yeast infections of the whole body, called disseminated candidiasis. It is a difficult disease and as many as 75 percent of the people die from this disease. In fact, those yeast infections that disseminate or those that recur often can be a sign of more serious problems, such as AIDS, leukemia and diabetes.
Many yeast infections can be treated from home using prescription, natural cure such as Sarah Summer Natural Cure for Yeast Infection or over-the-counter medications for about a week. It's okay to self-treat as long as you don't have a serious problem in your body like AIDS, diabetes or leukemia.
For vaginal yeast infections in women, there are several treatments available, including Sarah Summer Natural Cure for Yeast Infection, miconazole which is marketed as Monistat-Derm or Monistat Vaginal, tioconazole, which is Vagistat Vaginal, Buconazole, marketed as Femstat, and clotrimazole, which is marketed as Gyne-Lotrimin. These products are in prefilled applicators, cream and small ovules which are inserted into the vagina, usually at night. The medication works at night and some of it falls out by morning. Some have cream for you to use on the outside of the vulvar area for the itching. If you're not better in one week, then see your doctor.
For those suffering from oral thrush, you use nystatin suspension swished in the mouth twice a day. In some cases, you can have the doctor swab the mouth with gentian violet, which turns the mouth purple for about a week. Gentian violet is best used on small babies who won't care that their mouth is purple. Don't forget to boil pacifiers and baby bottle nipples to make sure the thrush doesn't come back. Adults can use lozenges or troches for the treatment of oral thrush or take pills that contain nystatin in them.
For skin infections and diaper rash with Candida, you can apply nystatin dermatological cream up to three times a day. Keep the skin clean and dry and make sure you change the diaper regularly and use barrier creams when you do so.
If you aren't already a healthy person and have an immune disease or diabetes, yeast infections can spread to the rest of your system so you'll want to see your doctor whenever you think you have a yeast infection.