There are a variety of home remedies and over-the-counter medications that can be used to successfully treat yeast infections at home. Some of these remedies include dietary changes, drinking certain fruit juices, and certain cleansing solutions, all of which you can easily prepare at home with ingredients commonly found in your refrigerator.

Apple cider or white vinegar are great home remedies that many people have found very useful to treat yeast infections. With this process, you dilute a bit of vinegar with some water, and apply to your body where the yeast infection is occurring. The treatment is both effective and very, very inexpensive.

However, there are some drawbacks. It can irritate the skin, although it won’t damage it permanently. Most especially if your skin is raw, irritated or tender, though, or if the vinegar isn’t properly diluted, you could experience irritation. If you don’t want to use vinegar to treat your yeast infection, you can also use tea tree oil as another alternative.

Yogurt is another home remedy for yeast infections that many people find very effective. A cup of yogurt a day, many people say, can not only treat a yeast infection, but it can also prevent one from occurring in the first place. There’s no harm in doing this, of course, and whether or not it actually does treat or prevent yeast infections, your body certainly gets a lot of important nutrients from it, like calcium and protein.

Natural supplements can also help prevent and treat yeast infections. Garlic is one of these foods; it has a natural antibacterial quality that can be of great benefit in curing yeast infections.

One of the most important things you can do is to stop “feeding” yeast infections when they occur, and your diet is also a good way to help prevent them. Starchy foods like pasta, potatoes and bread can “feed” the infection, while cranberry juice can kill a yeast infection and can keep urinary tract infections at bay, too. Drinking cranberry juice can both help cure an existing infection and prevent future ones.

If you’re not sure that a natural home remedy is right for treating your yeast infections, over-the-counter medications like Vagisil, Gyne-Lotrimin, Femstat, Mycostatin, and Femstat are all effective and popular treatments for East infections.

Still other things you can do won’t necessarily cure a yeast infection, but they can give you some relief from symptoms. Putting an ice pack that’s wrapped in a cloth on the affected area can soothe it, and can reduce swelling associated with infection, too. Soaking in a baking soda bath can provide some relief as well.

Prevention, of course, is key if you want truly comfortable living without yeast infections. Wear clothing that breathes and is loose-fitting, especially in the groin area. Feminine hygiene products should be unscented, as should toilet paper.

When you are menstruating, be sure you change your pad or tampon frequently, and make sure to wipe from front to back. Breathable, white cotton underwear is your best choice. You should also avoid wearing a wet swimsuit for long periods of time. Many women who experience chronic vaginal yeast infections also report that birth control pills may trigger an infection. If you suffer from chronic yeast infections, avoid prolonged, perfumed bubble baths.

If you’ve tried remedies for vaginal yeast infections, whether over-the-counter or home-based, for several days and have seen no improvement, see your doctor; you may have another condition besides a yeast infection.