What Causes a Yeast Infection?
Most vaginal yeast infections are caused by the organism Candida albicans. Yeast infections are very common and affect up to 75% of women at some point in their lifetime. The main symptom of a vaginal yeast infection is itching, some burning, discharge, and pain with urination or intercourse can also occur.
It is possible for a woman to transmit a yeast infection to a male sex partner, even though yeast infection is not considered to be a true sexually-transmitted disease because it can occur in women who are not sexually active, this happens when our vaginal pH level is unbalanced. A vaginal imbalance can happen because of various reasons as in, hormonal imbalance and medications can cause an imbalance.
A little fact, it is estimated that 20% to 50% of women have Candida already present in the vagina.
For an infection to occur, the normal balance of yeast and bacteria is disturbed, allowing overgrowth of the yeast.
Keeping the vaginal area dry and avoiding irritating chemicals can help prevent yeast infections in women. Consuming foods with probiotics as in yogurt also may help and limit your sugar intake.
