One of those few infections that surely become a woman’s nightmare and a living hell is – ‘yeast infection’ especially inflicting those women who are in the age group wherein they can bear a child naturally. Studies have shown that in 70-80% of these cases a strain of the yeast known as Candida albicans causes the infection. However this strain of yeast and many others naturally appear in women’s vagina (although in small amounts), but they are being balanced by a bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus. Only when this balance gets disturbed does the problem arise and women run from post to pillar to treat the infection but with less success.
Effective Remedies
Best Home Remedies for Yeast Infections
There is no need to get afraid if you develop the symptoms like itching, burning, pain and discharge (with an unpleasant odor). Don’t complicate things further and adopt these simple and effective measures to get the mush needed relief and cure from this infection:
Remain Dry:
Warm and moist conditions with inadequate supply of oxygen are the breeding places of yeast organisms. It is highly recommended that you dry your vaginal area thoroughly after showering so that you don’t provide these organisms their growing medium.
Wear Loose:
If you fear a yeast infection then it is advised that you prefer cotton underwear that are breathable and wear loose-fitting pants. If you must put on nylons, then wear those that have a cotton lined panty. Moreover when you are done swimming avoid lounging in your wet swimsuits for long and change into dry clothes.
Stay Away from Female Sanitation Products and Harsh Soaps:
The pH balance of your vagina can be altered if you use products containing alcohol and other chemicals. It leads to irritation and permits the yeast to thrive. If you don’t have any symptoms of a yeast infection, then stay away from routine douching. However for women suffering from mild infection, you can douche with mild vinegar to restore the vagina’s normal pH. In order to restore those friendly micro-organisms that might have been lost due to an antibiotic use or an infection, you can use yoghurt that contains lactobacillus. For the most effective douching, follow these steps:
- Prepare a douche solution as per your requirements.
- Ensure that the container, irrigation nozzle and the tube that you are using is very clean. However if you are unsure about the cleanliness of these, then rinse them properly with an antiseptic solution.
- Hang the container 13 to 19 inches above your hips and keep a folded towel underneath.
- After putting the nozzle into your vagina allow the solution to flow in slowly. You can even use your fingers so that the solution stays in for sometime till a little pressure develops. This makes sure that the solution reaches the whole inner surface.
- Douche for at least ten minutes.
Remember not to douche regularly.
Fetch Boric Acid:
Boric Acid is an inexpensive and effective yeast remedy. If you have a flare up then buy size “O” gelatin capsules from the pharmacist and fill them with boric acid. You can insert these capsules into the vagina manually daily for a week. If you are pregnant then it is advised that you omit this remedy.
Kitchen Remedies:
Use unsweetened cranberry juice to fight yeast and acidify vaginal discharge. Garlic is said to have anti fungal properties and is an effective remedy for curing yeast infections. Start by eating two fresh garlic cloves per day or eat them in a salad or as a sauce. If you are suffering from thrush then brush after every meal with a paste of baking soda and water. Follow up by rinsing with one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide (3%) and a half cup of warm water. Make sure that you replace the toothpaste after the thrush is cured.
Yoghurt for Balancing Acidity:
The live micro-organisms present in yoghurt are excellent remedies for treating yeast infections and help bring back any unbalanced acid-bacteria levels. There are also other ways to go for it, either eat yoghurt orally or insert one or two tablespoons vaginally, apply it externally or use douching technique with tepid water. Yet another substitute is that you can vaginally insert lactobacillus tablets (obtained from a pharmacy) or perform vinegar-douche twice daily.
Holy Basil Remedy:
For getting relief from thrush, use holy basil either as a tea or as a gargling solution. Make the solution by adding one and a quarter teaspoons of ground basil to half a cup of water. Keep under lid and steep for half an hour. When the tea has cooled down, then gargle with this solution. You can even sweeten the solution by adding maple syrup and drink one cup of this tea in the morning and evening. Read more Health Benefits of Basil.
Rosemary Tea:
In order to alleviate the itching and burning sensation from a yeast infection make a simple tea of rosemary and use it either as a douche or pat it on an external area to get instant relief. Instead of rosemary you can also make thyme tea by adding one teaspoon of dried thyme to one cup of boiling water and drink the solution two or three times a day to ease yeast infection.
Apple-cider Vinegar:
The vinegar can be used both internally and externally but before you apply it make sure that it you check out for it is very strong and directly applying it on the skin can cause you harm. This solution kills the yeast like anything and gives you instant all day long relief. The best way to use the vinegar is to add a cup of it into hot water and bath with it and you will surely feel very calming and relaxing afterwards. It is important that you never use white vinegar (it actually nourishes the yeast) but use the apple-cider vinegar (with the mother) type as this one is natural and not much processed. Read more Health benefits of Apple-cider Vinegar.
Stay Hydrated:
Simply drinking enough water, i.e. eight to nine glasses of it per day would drastically reduce your vulnerability of getting a yeast infection. What basically happens is that the more water you drink, the more you urinate and the body flushes out more sugars that would otherwise feed the yeast. But make sure that you drink pure and toxin-free water.
Couple Advice and Avoid Birth Control Pills:
Your partner and you can transfer the yeast infection back and forth even if one of you is getting treatment. So the safe way around is both the partners should be treated to prevent re-infection. Women also need to be extremely careful while taking birth control pills as it means that are more susceptible to yeast infections as studies have shown that the pills increase the level of glycogen in your vagina thereby accelerating yeast production. So in order to avoid being falling prey to recurrent yeast infections, go for alternative birth control methods.
Follow Good Hygiene:
Make sure that you wash yourself up carefully when faced with a yeast infection. Yeast infections are communicable and it is highly recommended that you take utmost care that it isn’t passed on to others by sharing bath towels or bathing together. Make sure that you clean the bathtub properly and wash clothes only in hot water (you can add white vinegar to it) to prevent the spread and further growth of yeast infection.
An accurate diagnosis is essential to make sure that you proceed on to treat the disease with the appropriate knowledge of how to handle it. There are some products that would simply relieve the pain while there are others too that can nip it in the bud. It is highly recommended that when you are looking forward to home remedies for the treatment of yeast infection, then select only that remedy that has the maximum chance of eliminating this infection. Many people have found natural and home remedies as the most effective and simple way of getting rid of this disease. You have tried everything till now so you wont be at loss to give it a try!
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