Is Yeast Infection A Sexually Transmitted Disease

Yeast infection is spreading very quickly among females. More and more females are caught by this infection. A large number of researches are carrying out to find out the possible and permanent treatment for this infection.

It is estimated that more than 12 million women are getting infected every year. Although yeast infection is not a usual sexually transmitted disease, it is considered to be sexually transmitted because it becomes the major cause of the vaginal discharge.

Although yeast infection can be found in men and children too, women are found to be the major host of yeast infections. This is due to dark, warm and damp environment inside the vagina that provides the ideal conditions for the growth of yeast infection.

Inside the vagina, there are self-cleansing and friendly bacteria that keeps the pH balance inside the vagina. When this balance is disturbed, the consistency of the vaginal discharge is changed and it is said that the woman is suffering from vaginal yeast infection.

The balance inside the vagina is disturbed by hormone replacement pills, diabetes, birth control pills and pregnancy. These things change the environment of the vagina and make it the best place for the growth of yeast infection. It is found that women get yeast infection mostly the week prior to menstruation.

A large number of women do not know that they are suffering from yeast infection and they consider their problem as some serious gynecological problem and they are getting treatment for that disease. It also happens that women suffer from some serious gynecological diseases and they think that they are suffering from yeast infections and that is why they get improper treatment.

Candida albicans is naturally found in the vagina, intestines and mouth of all the healthy women. When the growth of this Candida becomes out of control, yeast infection occurs. It is very difficult to explain all the factors that are responsible for the occurrence of yeast infection but some of them include sexual intercourse, use of irritating products, tight clothing and diabetes.

Occurrence of occasional yeast infection is considered as the normal phenomenon. Studies have not found the definite causes of the chronic yeast infection but there are two factors that are considered to be attributed to this infection.

These factors are depressed immunity and antibiotics. Normal bacteria that are present in the vagina are killed when an antibiotic is taken for the cure of infections of different kinds such as urinary tract infection, respiratory tract infection or acne. If a woman takes antibiotics two times a year, every time she will suffer from yeast infection.

The thriving of yeast begins as the pH balance inside the vagina is changed due to the depression of the immunity of a woman. There are several other factors that contribute towards the below average function of the immune system of women.

These factors include birth control pills, poor eating, stress, sleeping habits and other illnesses. So women should take plenty of rest, they should exercise and meditate to control their stresses, and they should eat balance diet in order to keep their immune system healthy.

Yeast infection is not a serious problem. As many serious gynecological problems have symptoms similar to yeast infection, there is a great chance for the damage to the genital tract that could lead to infertility. There is no such reliable discriminating factor present that a woman can tell about which infection she is having. Chlamydiae, gonorrhea, herpes, all of them have nearly the same symptoms.

Vaginal discharge is a factor that can discriminate among yeast infections and other diseases that are found in the genital area. All the women have vaginal discharge as a normal function of their body and the consistency of this discharge is found to be different at different times of a month. If the consistency of this discharge is found to be changed unexpectedly or dramatically, one should have a check up.

When a woman suffers from yeast infection, her vaginal discharge becomes white like cottage cheese, lumpy and it may have some smell like bread. Irritation or itching of the vulva takes place when a woman has yeast infection. Other symptoms include feeling of burns during urination and pain during intercourse.

Although there are several drugs that claim to be efficient for getting rid of yeast infection, only two drugs are found to be highly effective in this regard. These drugs are clotrimazole and miconazole. They can be purchased without the doctors’ prescription. They are used as suppository and they are advised to be inserted inside the vagina once or twice a day for a week.