Suffering from this type of infection causes a lot of discomfort and sometimes even pain.
The discomfort caused by this condition can be very mild, but if the situation is not treated it can be complicated. Here’s what vaginal thrush is and what its causes, symptoms, and treatment are.
What is vaginal thrush?
Vaginal thrush is a condition of a woman’s intimate areas. It is a specific infection by a type of fungi of theCandida family, whose distribution through different parts of the human body is common.
Fungi of this taxonomic family can be found in different mucous membranes of the body, such as the mouth, nose or rectum. However, it can also be located in other areas that concentrate temperature, such as the skin, eyes or esophagus.
The vagina is a mucosa in which there are also concentrations of this population of fungi. However, when vaginal candidiasis occurs, it means that these microorganisms have gone out of control and have begun to reproduce for some reason.
Causes
Vaginal candidiasis infection has different possible explanations. The usual thing is that it is triggered in people who for some reason are immunosuppressed, because usually their body has suffered some type of stress and their defenses are low.
This is the case of people who have a disease that affects the immune system, such as AIDS. People who have received chemotherapy treatment are also vulnerable, and their body is not in full condition to fight opportunistic microorganisms.
But beyond severe conditions such as those mentioned, the most common is that it is due to a less serious condition such as a cold. In fact, one of the most frequent causes is related to the fact of suffering some type of bacterial infection (in the respiratory tract or other places) and medicating with antibiotics.
Antibiotics fight pathogenic bacteria that attack us, but in reality they also fight many types of bacteria that are in our body. Some of them have a favorable action, such as those that form the intestinal flora.
In this way, taking antibiotics decreases the number of bacteria in our body, and this can be used by other microorganisms from the kingdom of fungi to reproduce. This opportunism is what gives rise to vaginal candidiasis in many cases.
Finally, it is also important to mention that good personal hygiene is very important to avoid this type of infection. Washing the area with a little water every day when you are in the shower is essential.
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Symptoms
Suffering from vaginal candidiasis can be very annoying. Milder symptoms are only a slight itching or irritation of the genital area, but sometimes the symptoms can go further.
When this is the case, the affected area can become inflamed and red, and secretions may appear that are not typical of a normal situation. Sometimes nothing more than this may be seen at first glance, but the situation can get worse.
If it is not treated when these symptoms begin, it is possible that after a few days the consequences of the multiplication of theCandida fungus can be appreciated. Generally, the vaginal walls are covered with a white layer, with a pasty consistency that can resemble curd.
To confirm that it is candidiasis it is possible to make some samples if requested by the doctor. In these cases they are sent to analyze in a laboratory, which allows to determine if it is vaginal candidiasis.
Is there a possibility of contagion?
One of the most common questions when you have vaginal thrush is whether there can be contagion. The truth is that anyone can suffer from candidiasis, and this does not exclude the case of men.
In men, candidiasis manifests itself in their genital member, in the area of the glans. Cases ofCandidafungal infection are less common than in the case of women, but it can occur for the same reasons that it affects them.
It is usually not a disease that is contracted by contagion. These types of microorganisms reside in the body of all people, and only in some cases can they reproduce uncontrollably.
Therefore, having intimate relations with a person who has thrush may increase the chance of infection, but only in cases where you are immunosuppressed.
A healthy person who has not suffered any kind of stress on his body should not get such an infection. What can happen to the person who has thrush is that they may feel pain in the case of having intimate relations.
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Treatment
The most effective treatment to combat thrush is to turn to a medication. Natural remedies can help mitigate the discomfort, but to quickly end the problem you have to use antifungal drugs.
There are different forms of this type of medicine. They can be treated effectively with ointments that are applied throughout the genital area, being effective in practically all cases.
On the other hand there is the option of resorting to oral medications in the form of pills or granules. This type of format is undoubtedly more comfortable and acts more quickly, so it is usually the preferred option.
This medicine is taken for a few days, and usually within a week the problem is solved. However, in some cases there are some difficulties in definitively remitting the infection.
When this occurs or the infection is suffered periodically and recurrently, it is necessary to go to the specialist doctor to study the case. On the other hand, to prevent vaginal candidiasis in future occasions it is important to have good personal hygiene, eat well and avoid situations that produce stress.
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References
- Goehring, R.V. (2008). Mosby Elsevier. Mims’ medical microbiology. (4th ed.). Philadelphia (PA).
- Nwokolo, N.C. & Boag, F.C. (2000). Chronic vaginal candidiasis. Management in the postmenopausal patient. Drugs Aging, 16(5), 335-339.
- Pappas PG (2006). Invasive candidiasis. Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. 20(3), 485-506.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
