The symptoms that come along with Candida Albicans yeast overgrowth, also known as a yeast infection, can be quite nightmarish. The itching and burning can be extremely annoying not to mention even painful, but believe it or not, the cure may be right in your own refrigerator.
The Triggers and Symptoms of yeast infection
A yeast infection develops when the Candida albicans yeast in the body outgrows its normal size. When a yeast infection develops, the body will begin exhibiting very troublesome symptoms. A yeast infection can occur all over the body, although the vagina is the most common area to develop a yeast infection, it’s not the only place that one can occur. Candida fungus can grow in the mouth (oral thrush), the skin, and the intestines. If the infection is left untreated, it can spread to other areas of the body causing more severe problems such as infertility, trouble eating or drinking, and gastrointestinal problems.
A variety of things can cause Candida Albicans to grow in the body including a weakened immune system, a bad diet, poor hygiene, and the use of birth control, to name a few. Most people don’t realize that something as simple as yogurt can bring the fungus back to a normal level, getting rid of the infection.
Medication? What About a Low-Cost Natural Remedy?
There are a variety of anti-fungal and yeast infection medications that you can buy over the counter. They can become costly and some people may experience side effects from using the medication as well. Many people prefer using a safer natural remedy for a yeast infection such as yogurt to help alleviate their symptoms while also getting rid of the infection.
Only plain unsweetened yogurt will work on a yeast infection, any kind of flavoring or sugar/sweetener will kill the affects that plain yogurt has on the yeast. Look for any plain yogurt that has “live cultures” written on the carton. These live cultures include acidophilus and this is what keeps the yeast in check.
You should eat at least a ½ cup of plain yogurt a day. If you really don’t like the taste, you can add a little bit of honey for flavoring, but nothing that has sugar in it as yeast loves sugar and it will only worsen the problem. If you just can’t stomach eating plain yogurt, you can also find acidophilus supplements that you can take and it will have the same effect as eating the yogurt. Consuming acidophilus is especially great for treating an intestinal yeast infection because it goes straight to the infection working to to fight off the bad bacteria causing the problem.
For a vaginal yeast infection, you can cover a tampon with the yogurt and insert it into the vagina for an hour or two, but don’t leave it in. You can also make a yogurt popsicle by using a a sterile plastic glove and putting yogurt into the fingers of the glove and placing the glove in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can insert the frozen yogurt directly into the vagina. This may also help soothe the burning and itching symptoms of a yeast infection. This frozen yogurt can become quite messy though and you may wish to wear a sanitary pad after you insert it. Acidophilus is also available as a suppository capsule that you can place directly into the vagina for treatment.
For other skin yeast infections, you can apply the yogurt directly onto the affected area and leave it on for a little while.
Both eating plain yogurt and using it topically together will have the best affect on the yeast infection by working to keep your immunity at a good level so that you can continue to fight off the nasty yeast infection that is invading your body at the moment.
But…
Some people recommend making a douche with the yogurt. Douching is not good for a yeast infection. A douche, no matter what it is made of, can actually do more harm than good. A douche can actually push bad bacteria up into the body instead of cleaning it out. Most doctors recommend to stay far away from douches because they can sometimes end up causing a more serious infection.
The best thing about using plain yogurt for a yeast infection treatment is that you don’t have to worry about any nasty side effects that might occur during the use of other anti-fungal medications and the yeast won’t become resistant to the acidophilus like it can with prescription medications. Sometimes the yeast can build up a resistance to prescription medications and stops responding to that kind of treatment.
Trial and Error
You may need to play around with the yogurt treatment and try different methods of using it to find what works best for your body. Every person’s body is different and what works for one person may not work for another. You know your body better than anyone, so decide which method(s) you would like to use and try it.
There can be many different causes behind a yeast infection and it is always important to find out what is causing yours. You may need to change your diet, your soap, or even the type of underwear that you use to prevent a yeast infection from occurring. If the yeast infection continues to occur or does not go away after treatment, you should contact your doctor. A weakened immune system can also be the culprit behind a yeast infection and many times a yeast infection is the first sign of something more serious causing the immune system to become weak. It’s important to never let a yeast infection go untreated; always treat it promptly otherwise the infection can grow and spread into other areas of the body causing even more problems.
Yogurt is one of the easiest treatments to use to fight off a yeast infection. Not only is it very healthy for your body as a whole, it can keep the bad bacteria and fungus at bay giving you relief from the annoying symptoms of a yeast infection. If the infections persists or get worse, you should consult your doctor without delay.
