A vaginal yeast infection
is caused by an overgrowth of the fungus or yeast Candida. Yeast normally live
in the vagina in small numbers, but when the bacteria in the vagina become out
of balance, too many yeast grow and cause an infection.
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We will mention research updates on natural yeast infection treatment when available.
Yeast infection Treatment
Lactobacillus
recolonization (via yogurt or capsules) shows promise for the treatment of
both yeast vaginitis and bacterial vaginosis with little potential for
harm. Boric acid can be recommended to women with recurrent vulvovaginal
Candidal infections who are resistant to conventional therapies, but can
occasionally cause vaginal burning.
Tea tree oil and
garlic show some in
vitro potential for the treatment of vaginitis.
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Stress as a cause for Vaginal Yeast Infection
Women who suffer from frequent vaginal yeast infections show
biochemical signs of being under chronic stress. Researchers studied 35 women who
experienced at least four yeast infections during the preceding year and 35
healthy "controls."
The team collected saliva samples from the participants in order to measure
levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Cortisol levels usually rise in the morning, but the research team found that this
rise was blunted among the patients with recurrent yeast infections compared
with the control subjects.
A shallow rise in cortisol, somewhat paradoxically, indicates a state of ongoing
stress, according to the researchers.
They also found that more patients than controls had a history of other vaginal
infections, supporting "the hypothesis of a reduced local immunity" in women
with recurrent yeast infections.
The authors conclude that "chronic stress may play a role" in the occurrence of
frequent yeast infections, and "further studies are needed to elucidate the
connection between" all their findings."
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, October 2005.
Boric acid for yeast
infection
Boric acid vaginal suppositories treat yeast infections in women with
diabetes better than the prescription anti-fungal pill fluconazole.
Vaginal yeast infections in diabetic women are often caused by a fungal
type known as Candida glabrata, and this tends to respond poorly to
treatment with oral anti-fungal drugs like fluconazole. Dr. Ravinder
Goswami, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi,
randomly assigned 111 diabetic women with vaginal yeast infection to be
treated with either a single dose of fluconazole, which is widely known by
the brand name Diflucan, or daily boric acid vaginal suppositories for 14
days. Nearly two-thirds of the women had Candida glabrata infections. In
this group, the cure rate was 64 percent for those given boric acid
suppositories compared with 29 percent in women treated with fluconazole.
Diabetes Care, February 2007.
Do you really have a yeast
infection?
Dr. Susan Hoffstetter, the co-director of the SLUCare Vulvar and
Vaginal Disease Clinic at Saint Louis University has found in her study
that only one in every four women who came for treatment for persistent
yeast infections actually had one. Dr. Susan Hoffstetter and her
colleagues looked at the medical records for 150 women who reported
persistent yeast infections. Only 26 percent of the women were infected
with Candida. Other causes of vaginal itching included sexually
transmitted infections, dry skin, or inflammation.
Yeast Infection Research Update
Alternative therapies for bacterial vaginosis: a literature review and
acceptability survey.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2005 Sep-Oct;11(5):38-43. Boskey ER.
Department of Preventative Medicine and Community Health, State University of
New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
This article reviews current research into non-antibiotic treatments for
bacterial vaginosis and assesses interest in the use of alternative therapies
for women's health in a non-representative sample of women. DESIGN: Literature
review and online survey. A convenience sample of 192 women was
selected from an online community devoted to the discussion of women's health.
Data on alternative treatments for bacterial vaginosis are mixed.
Studies have shown both positive and null effects for probiotic- and lactic
acid-based treatments. The results of antiseptic studies were more uniformly
positive, but the studies were generally not placebo-controlled. Women in the
survey population were both interested in and experienced with alternative and
complementary therapies for reproductive health problems--44% of them had used
home or natural remedies to treat vaginal infections or menstrual problems, and
only 20% indicated that antibiotics and antifungals would be their treatment of
choice. CONCLUSIONS: Women are interested in alternative treatments for women's
health problems such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. Although such
treatments have been investigated, further research--particularly in the form of
high-quality, randomized, controlled trials--is strongly indicated.
Antifungal activities and action mechanisms of
compounds from Tribulus terrestris L.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Jan 3;103(1):76-84. Epub 2005 Oct 5.
Antifungal activity of natural products is being studied widely. Saponins are
known to be antifungal and antibacterial. We used bioassay-guided fractionation
to have isolated eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris. In conclusion,
Tribulus terrestris has significant in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity,
weakening the virulence of Candida albicans and killing fungi through destroying
the cell membrane.
The in vitro activity of vaginal Lactobacillus
with probiotic properties against Candida.
Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Jun;13(2):69-75.
Lactobacilli, the predominant vaginal microorganisms in healthy
premenopausal women, control other members of the vaginal microflora and
thus protect against bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections. It
has been claimed that some lactobacilli are also protective against
Candida vaginitis. Little is known, however, about the mechanisms by which
these lactobacilli can control vaginal populations of Candida and prevent
vaginitis. To address this question, vaginal Lactobacillus strains with
known antagonistic properties against bacteria were tested for their cell
surface properties, adhesion to vaginal cell lines in vitro and
antagonistic activities against Candida. A small proportion of the
lactobacilli tested adhered strongly to cultured vaginal epithelial cells
and inhibited growth of Candida albicans but not of C. pseudotropicalis.
This anticandidal activity was in some Lactobacillus strains related to
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, but catalase treatment did not
suppress this activity in other Lactobacillus strains, suggesting
alternative mechanism(s). Moreover, tested vaginal Candida strains were
resistant to relatively high concentrations of H2O2 that markedly exceeded
those produced by even the most active Lactobacillus strains.
Male yeast infection
The same yeast that causes vaginal infections in women can cause yeast
infections of the penis in men. Signs and symptoms of a male yeast infection
include a red rash and burning at the tip of the penis. Most male yeast
infections are easily treated with over-the-counter antifungal treatments, such
as Monistat.
Oral yeast infection
Oral yeast infection, or thrush, is a common infection that occurs in some
newborns and younger children. It is caused by the Candida albicans yeast or
fungus, which can also cause vaginal infections and diaper rashes. When it
infects a child's mouth, it is called oropharyngeal candidiasis, or thrush.
Yeast infection cure
Yeast infection symptom
Home remedy for yeast infection