Yeast Infection Prevention

Yeast infection prevention is a relatively straightforward process.  Naturally, few people give consideration to this until after they have had the first attack.  The wide variety of (often very) painful symptoms are usually such that the sufferer is keen to prevent a recurrence, but, sadly, this is a problem that will often keep coming back.

 

The reason for this is that yeast infection cures are usually focussed on resolving the symptoms of the problem rather than dealing with the underlying causes.   In order to prevent yeast infection, it is important to address the reasons why the problem is arising in the first place.  It’s estimated that 3 out of every 4 women will get a yeast infection at least once in their lives, so it is important to be aware of the best methods of prevention.

 

The best strategy is to adopt a holistic approach to yeast infection prevention, by addressing all areas of your lifestyle to create a “yeast-free” zone around all your activities.  Here are a few ideas:

 

1. Underwear: always wear cotton underwear and pantyhose with a cotton crotch.  Artificial materials such as nylon and lycra can trap air and create warmth and moisture which is a breeding ground for yeast.  Also avoid clothing that is tight in the crotch.

 

2. Cleanliness and cleaning habits:

  • Always keep the vaginal area as clean as possible. 
  • Always wipe from front to back after going to the toilet.  This will prevent yeast and other toxins being transferred from the intestinal tract to the vaginal area.
  • Never share towels and washcloths and make sure the vaginal area is completely dry after washing.
  • Always wash underwear in hot water and without fabric softener.
  • Avoid douching!  This is one of the worst things that can lead to yeast infection.  Douches wash away the protective mucous in the vagina, leaving it more susceptible to all types of infection.
  • Avoid scented or perfumed soaps and don’t use talcum powder around the vaginal area.  All these can cause irritations, leading to infection.
  • Change your clothes immediately after exercising.
  • Change sanitary products regularly and avoid using scented ones.

 

3. Diet: there are a host of dietary strategies that can be used as part of a yeast infection prevention strategy, but some simple tips are:

  • Eat a diet high in vegetables, proteins and grains.
  • Avoid processed foods, sugars and alcohol.
  • Eat a cup of yoghurt per day – make sure it contains acidophilus bacteria, which is a yeast inhibitor.
  • Take daily supplements such as garlic, that can help to fight against yeast infection.

 

4.  Sexual activity:

  • Always use a water-soluble lubricating gel to prevent dryness during intercourse.   Never use petroleum –based gels.
  • Use a condom during intercourse, if you or your partner have a yeast infection.  Better still, avoid sex until it has been cured!
  • Hormonal contraceptives can often lead to yeast infection problems.  If you are experiencing chronic problems, get advice about changing your birth control methods.

 

5. Antibiotics: Only use antibiotics when absolutely necessary.  There is a lot of evidence that the use of antibiotics can lead to changes in the body’s environment and give rise to yeast infection.

 

6. Exercise: Stay healthy – get lots of regular exercise and lots of sleep to ensure your body remains in good balance.

 

These are just some of the many strategies that can be put in place as part of an effective yeast infection prevention programme.  Many of these are simple, commonsense strategies, but if you think you have a yeast infection, always make sure that you get advice from a medical professional before embarking on any type of treatment.

 

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Finding a Proper Candida Albicans Cure

In order to find a Candida albicans cure, it’s important to know first what it is and how it occurs.  So here comes the science bit:

Candida albicans is a yeast-like fungal organism which is found in small amounts in the normal human intestinal tract. It’s usually kept in check by the body’s own helpful bacteria, but it can significantly increase in numbers when this balance is disturbed, causing candidiasis of the intestinal tract, or yeast infections of other parts of the body. Candida albicans causes thrush (also called Monilia albicans) and vaginal infections.

There are actually 2  levels of a Candida albicans infestation. The first is called Mucocutaneous Candidiasis, which refers to infections of the mucous membranes, including mouth and tongue infections, (known as thrush or oropharyngeal candidiasis), vaginal infections and those of the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. Mucocutaneous infections are the most common forms and tend to be more “surface” infections, in that they remain on the outer parts of the body, or are not too deeply entrenched.

The second and stronger level of infestation is known as Disseminated Candidiasis and consists of Candida in the bloodstream and also infecting the organs of the body. This type of Candidiasis can be very dangerous and maybe even life-threatening. The longer Candida has infested a body the greater chance it has of going through into moving into deeper levels, which is why it is extremely important to cure it as soon as its presence becomes known.

There are many things that can create the overgrowth of Candida albicans, but the simple fact is that it is the result of the body going out of balance.  Unfortunately, modern lifestyles support the tendency for imbalance that leads to this problem and that is why it can be difficult to remove once it has appeared.  That is also why lifestyle change is usually the best way to achieve a permanent cure.

So, what is the best Candida albicans cure?  Actually, that is impossible to answer because it depends on the person and the problem.  In essence, there are a whole range of cures that need to be considered and the only certain thing is that you will probably benefit from combining them.  Things to consider are:

Over-the-counter medications: there are many of these including antifungals such as Nystatin and Dyflucan.  These types of medication are great for relieving the symptoms, but not for addressing the root causes of the problem.  Also, there may be possible side effects with some of the drugs.

Diet: this is one of the most important things to consider – there are many yeast-affecting (both positive and negative) products in our diets and adopting a yeast-inhibiting diet is extremely important for long-term success.  Sugar-rich foods, and high carbohydrate foods need to be avoided at all costs, because yeast feeds on the sugar that is created when carbohydrates break down.  Conversely, fibre, healing oils, herbs and natural antifungals, such as garlic are excellent for combating Candida.  Supplement the diet with good, yeast-inhibiting bacteria such as probiotics.

Exercise: getting healthy is one of the best ways to combat Candida.  Good health will help to create the proper balance within the body as well as boosting the immune system, thus inhibiting yeast growth. In addition, taking exercise will force the body to take on more oxygen and Candida cannot thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.

Adopting these as well as other strategies such as wearing loose natural clothing, avoiding perfumed soaps and adopting a good cleaning regime will help to create a holistic approach to curing Candida albicans, which is essential for achieving permanent relief from this problem.

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Curing Candida – The Natural and Holistic Way

Curing Candida is actually quite straightforward – the problem is finding a permanent cure.  Also, one of the things people fail to realise is that Candida is actually a naturally occurring yeast in the body, that performs a useful function in helping some of the body’s processes to work properly.  The problem occurs when something causes the yeast to start growing out of control, leading to lots of potential health difficulties.

There are a host of strategies that you can use to destroy Candida overgrowth. These range from anti bacterial food, immune support and physical activities that will rid your body of Candida. The key to permanently ridding yourself of the problem is to adopt a holistic approach by using a range of these strategies.  Let’s look at a few of the more natural :

1. Fibre: fibre is excellent for clearing toxic debris, including fungi, from the stomach and intestines.  Use fibre such as Konjac fibre and Psyllium husks in your diet.

2. Antifungals: these will kill or inhibit the growth of Candida.  Good examples are garlic, Oregon grape, Olive leaf extract and Goldenseal.  They are also helpful  for fighting bacteria and viruses.

3. Immune boosters: one of the main causes of Candida overgrowth is when the immune system is diminished because of ill-health, tiredness, etc. Some great immune boosters include Echinacea, Aloe Vera juice, Colostrom and green foods.  They will help to improve your immune system and also fight Candida directly.

4. Healing Oils: Oils contain essential fatty acids that help to dissolve Candida.  Some great healing oils are fish oils, coconut oil, olive oil and oregano oil.

5. Herbs: these operate in the same way as the anti-fungals in fighting Candida directly.  Use cloves and Pau d’arco regularly to help fight Candida.

6. Ocean vegetables: these help to naturally supplement mineral and vitamin deficiencies in our bodies, creating a natural balance that inhibits overgrowth of Candida.  Good ocean vegetables include Kelp, Nori, Wakame, Dulse and Kombi.

7. Probiotoics: these are healthy bacteria that inhabit the stomach and gastrointestinal tract and restrict yeast overgrowth.  Well-known probiotics include Bifidus and Lactobacillus Acidophilus.  These can be found in and range of popular diet supplements and yoghurts.

8. Oxygen: Candida cannot thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.  So how do you give your body more oxygen?  It’s simple really, just exercise more! Coenzyme Q10 is a dietary supplement that is also thought to work in a way which encourages more oxygen to enter the body.

9. Vitamins: some vitamins work in an antifungal way and support the body’s fight against Candida. Vitamins A, B and C are particularly useful in this regard.

Before following any of these methods for curing Candida, it’s extremely important to ensure that you get proper medical advice and a firm diagnosis.  In addition, the key to implementing a great anti-Candida regime is moderation – don’t immediately try to implement all of these cures at the same time.  Remember that a consequence of killing Candida is that your body will contain the resulting toxins, so you have to ensure that your body is not suddenly flooded with too many toxins and in unable to cope, leading to even more problems.

It is a weakened immune system which may have caused the problem in the first place, so don’t make it worse.  Introduce the above cures slowly and surely over a period – and keep switching them so that the yeast doesn’t start becoming resistant to a particular cure.  Adopting a careful, long-term, holistic strategy for curing Candida overgrowth is the key resolving the problem permanently.

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Vaginal Thrush Remedies

Vaginal thrush is a problem that will affect most women at some time in their lives.  This is because the yeast (Candida) which causes this problem lives within the body and only needs to experience the right type of conditions to start growing out-of-control, resulting in vaginal thrush. The most important thing for women is therefore to be fully aware of what will give rise to this infection and know how to either prevent it happening in the first place or implement successful remedies.

Here are some causes and vaginal thrush remedies:

  • Tight clothing – Candida breeds in warm, moist conditions, such as those created by wearing tights and tight trousers/jeans.  The best remedy is to wear light, airy clothing, stockings instead of tights and always wear cotton underwear.  Don’t be afraid to avoid wearing underwear whenever possible.
  • Periods – some women get an outbreak of thrush around the time of their periods, because of the warmth created and the hormonal changes that take place.  The main remedy here is to try to remain as clean and healthy as possible, wear light clothing (again) and try to get plenty of rest.
  • Contraceptives – the pill is sometimes known to create greater vaginal discharge, which can cause the yeast to breed more successfully.  Other methods of contraception may remedy this problem, although the dryness and irritation caused by condoms is also linked to the development of thrush.
  • Sex – it’s better to avoid sex when suffering from thrush.  Although it is not in itself a sexually transmitted disease it can be passed on during sexual activity. Sex will also be quite painful if a vaginal thrush infection is present.
  • Poor diet – this is one of the most controllable causes of vaginal thrush.  Sugary diets are perfect for providing the food (sugar) that yeast thrive on.  In addition, a poor diet will weaken the immune system, making the body much more vulnerable to illness including thrush infection.

The remedy is to focus on a healthy diet. Avoid too many complex carbohydrates such as biscuits, bread, potatoes and cereals.  These will be broken down into sugar.  Eat refined carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta.  Also avoid yeast-based foods such as mushrooms, cheese and alcohol.  Drink lots of cranberry juice, which is excellent for cleaning the bladder of bad bacteria which can lead to infection.

Also eat lots of natural yoghurt, which contains good bacteria called lactobacilli, which prevents yeast from breeding.  Also take acidophilus supplements which build up the lactobacilli inside you.  Something else that is very good to eat is garlic, which is a natural antibiotic that combats bad bacteria. Don’t worry, you can now get odourless garlic quite easily if you don’t like the smell!

  • Soaps and deodorants – over use of scented soaps, bubble baths and vaginal deodorants can encourage thrush by changing the natural pH balance in the vagina. The remedy is to use non-scented soaps and also pat the vagina dry after washing, rather than rubbing, which can cause soreness and irritation.
  • Sanitary products – there is evidence that tampons and sanitary towels can create the warm, moist conditions for yeast to thrive and cause thrush when left for too long a period.  Change tampons regularly and also use light flow tampons if flow is not heavy – they will often absorb the vaginal discharge that is part of its natural cleansing process.
  • Vaginal hygiene – it is extremely important to keep the area as clean as possible and to adopt basic hygienic techniques such as wiping from front to back to prevent harmful bacteria from entering the vagina.  However, as indicated above, the key is to keep things simple – scented products are harmful, as is the common practice of douching the vagina.

As you can see, vaginal thrush remedies are mainly a matter of commonsense.  Just be aware of how to stay healthy and hygienic and this will significantly reduce your chances of getting this very common and painful infection.