Thursday, January 22, 2009

How to Cure Thrush - Know Your Options

By Petra Spink

Candida Albicans is a yeast fungus which is totally responsible for thrush. It is present, in a completely safe way, in the vagina, gut and stomach. Most of the time this yeast is kept in check and poses no problem. However, unpleasant symptoms can appear when this normally stable environment changes. This change in surroundings develops into thrush (candida) or otherwise known as yeast infection.

There are numerous reasons for the occurrence of vaginal thrush. Wearing tight clothing such as jeans or favoring synthetic items (eg nylon underwear) which prevents ventilation can increase the likelihood of thrush forming. Yeast infection can strike if throughout pregnancy and/or you are taking antibiotics. when your immune system is under attack can also leave you vulnerable to thrush (eg if you suffer from diabetes or HIV).

Things you would not normally associate with creating a vaginal infection such as fragranced bath salts may be a key cause. Certain ways of life are not conducive to keeping thrush at bay - being on edge and not being able to chill out encourage imbalance in the vaginal environment.

Typically thrush sufferers will experience the following symptoms (although some women may be totally unaware that they have thrush. A thick. white discharge from the vagina may be evident. This is not unlike cottage cheese in appearance and may smell unpleasant. Your vagina may be painful and feel itchy. The vulva (your vaginal lips) may look red and agitated. Burning sensations when passing urine are commonplace amongst thrush sufferers. Sexual intercourse may be very painful to perform.

You must be sure that you do actually have thrush and not a different infection before you think about curing it. Speak to your medical practitioner who will run some tests. This may include an internal in order to get some cells to test. This may be a little daunting but do not worry as this is perfectly straight forward. After the test you will know for sure if you have thrush.

When you know for sure that you have a yeast infection you can seek treatment in several ways. Your medical practitioner or pharmacist may dispense antifungul drugs because it is a fungus which causes thrush. It could be one of 3 methods: capsules to be taken orally, creams to apply to the inside of the vagina and vaginal lips and pessaries. These are rigid tablets to be pushed high into the vagina.

The treatments that have been prescribed by medical professionals for years have various side effects. Each has their own unique downside. Pessaries and creams for example are messy and not very user friendly. The fact that they leak and cause all sorts of mess and hassle can be very frustrating for the thrush sufferer. These courses of drugs must also be continued until the end even if the woman is menstruating.

One method that some thrush sufferers use to treat it is capsules which are swallowed. Unfortunatley the side effects are quite unpleasant. Nausea, dizzyness and upset stomach can all be experienced. A tampon left to soak in natural, live yoghurt and then placed high into the vagina is a method also used to alleviate thrush. These days a number of women with candida are choosing entirely natural remedies to cure thrush. - 15255

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