Controlling Yeast Infections

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Intense itching is usually the hallmark of a vaginal yeast infection. Once a woman has experienced it, she's not likely to forget it.

Nearly 75 percent of all women will have at least one such infection in their lifetime. Many are plagued by recurring yeast infections, which are most frequent between the ages of 16 and 35.

Yeast is a term for single-celled fungi. The technical name for the variety of fungus often present in the human body is candida, and the technical name for infections caused by these fungi is candidiasis. Such infections occur not only in the vagina, but also in other parts of the body in both sexes.

In December 1990, the Food and Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter (nonprescription) sale of the first of several products for treating vaginal yeast infections in women previously diagnosed by their doctors as having them.

A woman who has had one vaginal yeast infection can usually recognize its symptoms if it recurs. And a woman who has had several infections has no doubt about what's wrong when the next yeast infection starts.

There are several symptoms, but, according to Michael Spence, M.D., director of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Program at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, "If a woman does not itch, it's unlikely that she has a yeast infection."

Another symptom is a thick, mostly odorless discharge. But this can be misleading because, according to Spence, "Discharge in and of itself is not diagnostic. If you have a white discharge with an intense irritating itch, you may have an infection. Unfortunately, many women will, in response to increased estrogen at mid-cycle and the increased production of cervical mucus, develop a white, curdy discharge. That is not a yeast infection."

While not all women experience the following symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection, it's possible to have: vaginal soreness or irritation, a rash on the vulva around the vagina, pain or discomfort during intercourse, abdominal pain, soreness of the vulva or vagina, burning during urination, and even vaginal bleeding in some cases in addition to itching and discharge.

Causes of Yeast Infection

Candidiasis is caused by one of four varieties of candida: Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei. By far the most common — causing nearly 80 percent of vaginal yeast infections — is Candida albicans.

Most people have these organisms in the genital or intestinal tract to some degree at various times. It's the overgrowth of the fungus that causes problems.

According to Spence, there are a number of causes of the uncontrolled growth, usually related to some type of immune suppression. Sometimes there's been a significant change in diet. Other times it's due to use of antibiotics to treat another infection, such as strep throat or acne.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics such as penicillin or tetracycline can kill or suppress helpful bacteria in the genital tract, allowing yeast to grow unchecked, according to Philip Mead, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

It's even possible that an underlying disorder, like diabetes, is the root cause of the infection. "Whenever you see a fungal infection in a woman, these are the things that come immediately to mind," says Spence.

When physicians see recurrent yeast infections without another cause, they have to wonder about HIV disease. Because HIV (the virus that leads to AIDS) involves a lowering of the immune system, it could significantly impair a woman's ability to combat yeast, says Spence.

"Yeast infections can be passed back and forth between partners in unprotected intercourse, but because yeast is frequently present anyway, a sexual partner is more likely to pick up the infection if his or her immune system is also depressed," says Mead.

Immunity can become depressed by a number of factors besides HIV infection. Illness or infection of any kind weakens the immune system. Physical or mental stress can also wreak havoc, leaving the immune system less able to combat yeast infections. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and taking any medication, including birth control pills, can upset the body's balance, allowing yeast to thrive. Pregnant women also have a tendency to have more yeast infections, as the immune system becomes temporarily altered by hormonal surges.

About the Author

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