At least
three out of four women have experienced vaginal
thrush at some time or the other. Most have
recurring infections. Though not life threatening, it
can be an extremely unpleasant and distressing
disease.
Vaginal Thrush -
factors and causes
Vaginal
thrush, also known as vaginal Candidiasis
or vaginitis, is caused by yeast called Candida
albicans. This yeast is a part of the normal flora of
the skin, mouth, digestive system, vagina and other
parts of the body. Its numbers are kept in check by
friendly bacteria. When certain conditions alter the
balance of the friendly bacteria, the Candida multiplies
exponentially and the overgrowth causes
symptoms.
Read more
about cause of yeast
infection
(thrush)
There are various precipitating
factors which lead to vaginal thrush. Vaginal thrush
normally follows a course of antibiotics, which kills
off the friendly bacteria, allowing the Candida to
flourish. Hormonal imbalances during pregnancy, before
periods, high doses of oral contraceptive pills have
known to cause vaginal thrush. Debilitating disorders
like diabetes and diseases like cancer or AIDS cause
Candidiasis. A compromised immune system is most
certainly an invitation for the Candida to cause
infection like vaginal thrush.
Though it is not normally
considered a sexually-transmitted disease, sexual
transference is known to occur. Lack of personal
hygiene, tight synthetic clothes, allergies etc. is also
an important cause of vaginal thrush. Recurring vaginal
thrush infections which do not respond to treatment may
be an early sign of diabetes or HIV
infection.
Symptoms
of vaginal thrush
Early symptoms of
vaginal thrush include vaginal irritation, itching,
bright red rash affecting inner and outer parts of the
vulva, pain during urination, thick curd-like discharge
from the vagina, and painful intercourse. Symptoms of
vaginal thrush often mimic those of other
sexually-transmitted diseases, so it is recommended that
a medical practitioner make the diagnosis and draw up a
treatment plan.
Anti-fungal
medications may be used to manage vaginal
thrush. Over-the-counter treatments are available is the
form of cream, tablets, and pessaries. Single dose oral
tablets are also available. However, yeast infection
medications and OTCs
may have side effects, most common of which are
nausea, allergies and rashes. Moreover, most
vaginal thrush medications are only work in the short
run. The reason is that vaginal yeast medications are
aimed at tackling the immediate causes of Candida,
whereas vaginal thrush is a complex condition,
triggered by an overall internal imbalance (or a set of
internal factors)
.
As there
are many internal as well as external factors involved
in the etiology of vaginal thrush, just the use of
anti-fungal medications does not prevent recurrence. To
ensure complete and permanent relief a holistic approach
is recommended, which looks far beyond just curing the
symptoms. A Candida cleanse diet, use of probiotics,
life-style changes all go into making the treatment of
vaginal thrush
successful.
