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.
What is
Yeast Infection?
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 rash
, 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.
Yeast Infection
Medications
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.
