Drug
manufacturers and providers face an increasing demand
for yeast
infection medication.
The reason for this is that yeast infection
becomes
more prevalent among the population of developed
countries. According to recent estimations, Candida
infection is present in 75%- 80% of the entire
population of developed countries. While sales of yeast
infection medications had
reached hundreds of millions dollars every year, many
questions regarding their efficiency and the risk
involved with taking medication to treat Candida
infection are yet to be answered.
Yeast
infection, also known as candidiasis, is caused by
candida fungi.
Candida albicans causes approx. 80 percent of all
yeast infections, while Candida glabrata, Candida
tropicalis, and other types of fungi account for the
other 20 percent. Yeast organisms are normally present
in human body, even among healthy individuals. They live
in the warm, moist environment of the vagina, mouth,
gastrointestinal tract, and rectum. Among healthy
individuals, yeast organisms are balanced by the
beneficial microorganisms (probiotics). This stops
Candida from multiplying and causing damage. Only when
Candida starts to multiply rapidly, the external
symptoms manifest.
Candidiasis
can manifest in different body areas. Examples of most
common subtypes are vaginal Candida infection, oral
thrush, diaper rush, etc. Yeast infection symptoms may
vary depending on the specific subtype; for instance,
vaginal infection usually causes genital itching and a
thick, white, odorless discharge. These symptoms can be
unpleasant and painful, and in case of recurring
candidiasis they serve as evidence of severe overall
internal imbalance or autoimmune diseases.
Since 1990, various yeast infection medications are available to the patients in the form of anti-fungal creams, anti-fungal suppositories and anti-fungal tablets.
These
include, among others, Butoconazole, Clotrimazole
(Mycelex-7), Diflucan, Gyne-Lotrimin, Miconazole,
Monistat - 7, Nizoral, Nystatint, Sporanox, Terazol,
Tioconazole, Vagistat and Vitaklenz. These medications
vary in how they work. Active ingredients such as
clotrimazole (found in products such as Gyne-Lotrimin
and Mycelex-7) and miconazole nitrate (found in Monistat
7), usually prescribed for vaginal infections, attack
and dissolve Candida organisms. On the contrary,
medications prescribed for oral thrush and are used for
stimulating salivary flow are muscarinic cholinergic
agonists. These medications include pilocarpine
(Salagen, MGI Pharma) and cevimeline (Evoxac, Daiichi).
All yeast
infection medications can be effective in
the short run, yet they have several common
downsides:
1.
They work
temporarily. Yeast infection medication are aimed at
tackling the immediate causes of Candida in the short
run, whereas candidiasis is a complex condition,
triggered by an overall internal imbalance (or a set of
internal factors)
2.
Long-term
intake of the
medications may cause a myriad of side
effects.
3.
Relying on medicinal treatment encourages patients
to pursue their unhealthy lifestyle, which can in turn
aggravate ones medical condition, contribute to
recurrent Candida infections and lead to other health
complications.
Unlike the holistic approach, yeast infection medication therapy is based on the conventional approach that doesn’t treat the body as a whole while focusing on the symptoms of the disease. This is why most yeast infection medications will provide nothing more than temporary relief alongside a myriad of side effects. On the contrary, alternative treatments that include taking specific herbal and vitamin supplements while following a complete set of dietary principals and Candida control protocols, will fix the internal cause of candidiasis, thus preventing its recurrence safely and effectively.
