Preventing Recurring Yeast Infection

Preventing Recurring Yeast Infection

Almost every woman has had or will have a yeast infection in her life, but recurring yeast infections can be frustrating and indicate that you might have an underlying health problem leading to them.
First, it's important to make sure that what you're having really is a yeast infection. Many women have infections with similar symptoms, but they're actually caused by something else. For example, bacterial vaginosis has similar symptoms but isn't caused by yeast at all.
Treating a bacterial infection with yeast infection medication won't help you to get relief. What you think is a recurring yeast infection may actually just be a bacterial infection that never got treated properly.
The only way to know for sure is to have an examination from your doctor. He or she can perform a culture to determine the source of your infection. If it's determined that you do have a yeast infection that continues to come back again and again, it's important to look at what factors may be causing it.
Chronic yeast infections can be associated with autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and other health conditions. Make sure that you talk with your doctor and rule out these serious problems. If no underlying health condition exists, it's time to look at your lifestyle.
There may be things you're doing that actually put you at greater risk for yeast infections without knowing it. For example if you're taking long-term medications they could lead to yeast overgrowth.
It's also possible that the soaps you're using could be contributing to the problem. Soaps can strip the body of natural balance and leave you more at risk for yeast to take over. In addition, using douche products can actually increase the probability of developing a yeast infection.
The body has a natural system for keeping balance and harsh chemicals can throw that balance off leaving you vulnerable to a takeover by yeast. It's best to use mild cleansing agents formulated specifically for the genital areas.
You may also prevent yeast infection by keeping the vaginal area as dry as possible. Drying that area thoroughly after showering and bathing can be beneficial. You may even want to use a hair dryer to finish the job.
It's also helpful to use powders that will absorb moisture. Powders made with talc are best as cornstarch powders can actually feed the yeast and make the problem worse. You can find powders specifically designed for women.
Finally, you may need to work from the inside out. Your body may need a boost of bacteria to help balance out the yeast. There are a few ways you can increase levels of healthy bacteria.
Eating yogurt with live cultures can help you to foster the growth of healthy bacteria. You can also take pro biotic supplements that introduce healthy bacteria to the body. We tend to think of bacteria as being bad, but in order to have good reproductive health you need certain bacteria to be present.
Recurring yeast infection can be a difficult and embarrassing problem, but you don't have to suffer when there are many different treatment options available.