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In: Health & Fitness
5 Nov 2009Almost every woman will experience a yeast infection at some point in her life. Yeast infections are caused by an imbalance of candida albicans fungus in the vagina. Small amounts of yeast are often present in the vagina, but when they multiply then women can start to experience the symptoms of what is commonly known as thrush. There is plenty of medication for yeast infection treatment that is available through your pharmacy.
If you are experiencing intense itching, redness, swelling or even burning in the vaginal area, then it is most likely that you have thrush. The infection is usually accompanied by a thick yogurt like discharge that smells like yeast. If the yeast infection is severe enough it may even make going to the bathroom or sex painful and unpleasant until the infection is treated.
Although you can pass the yeast infection onto your partner, it is not considered an STD. The yeast infection is caused by a fungus called candida albicans. Overgrowth of this fungus can be caused by wearing tight synthetic clothing, deodorants, creams or soaps that alter the sensitive PH balance in the vagina, your period, antibiotics, pregnancy, weakened immune system or the contraceptive pill.
There are many types of medication for yeast infection treatment that are available for purchase at a pharmacy. It is not usually necessary to visit the doctor or to have a prescription for this medication. However, it is recommended that you do visit your doctor if you are having recurring yeast infections as it could be a symptom of another health problem or could be indicative of an STD.
There are generally three types of medication for yeast infection treatment: oral tablets, creams or pessaries, which are a dissolvable tablet that is placed inside the vagina.
A very well known medication for yeast infection treatment is clotrimazole 2%. This antifungal drug is perfectly safe for pregnant women to use and works by preventing the candida to multiply. You can buy clotrimazole in different formulations such as a one day, three day and six day treatment. Creams usually come with applicators to make the cream easier to insert. Clotrimazole is marketed under various brand names.
The difference between the cream and the pessary is that the cream is very soothing and the pessary is long lasting. There are now brands of yeast infection medication that have products with both a cream and pessary included. Other creams you might be able to use include miconazole, nystatin and mycostatin. These ingredients can be great alternatives to clotrimazole products if you find that clotrimazole has not worked for you.
If a cream or pessary seems like too much work, then there is now an oral tablet that can be bought over the counter. The tablet contains fluconazole and it is a once only dose. It kills the yeast infection, however, this treatment is generally not recommended for use in pregnancy. Talk to your pharmacist about this option if the idea of a cream is not appealing to you.
Most women will experience a yeast infection at least one time in their lives. Fortunately candida is easy to treat and there are many different kinds of medication for yeast infection treatment. If you have a partner, you should also get a cream for them to use so they do not pass the infection back to you after you have treated yourself.
To get more information about female yeast infection, visit female yeast infection.