Yeast Infection Symptoms

By Author: Michele Patrick
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A yeast infection is a fungal infection that can affect several sites in the body, including the mouth, skin, vagina and intestines. The primary organism that causes these infections is called Candida albicans, although there are other species that can cause yeast infections. The yeast infection symptom a person gets depends on where the infection is located and on how severe the infection is.

The most common infection involving Candida albicans is the vagina. It is often triggered by antibiotic use, diabetes, high blood sugar levels, douching or being allergic to perfumes or dyes used in underclothing. Even tight, unbreathable underwear can trigger a yeast infection because the fungus breeds in warm moist areas. The most common yeast infection symptom is itching which can be really annoying. Burning and a whitish discharge can occur as well. The discharge is thick and resembles cottage cheese. The best treatment for this kind of infection is to use vaginal anti-fungal cream like clotrimazole that comes in prefilled applicators or as ovules that you insert into the vagina.

The Candida infection can affect ...
... the mouth as well. The condition is called oral thrush. It occurs primarily in newborn babies and in those who are immunosuppressed. It looks like a whitish coating around the mouth and on the tongue. The yeast infection symptoms can be none or can involve a soreness of the mouth where the lesions are. The mouth can itch a little bit. The best treatment for Candida mouth infections is to use Nystatin suspension, an anti-yeast medication that you swish in the mouth and spit if you're old enough. Young infants generally swallow the small amount that's in their mouth. It takes about a week to get rid of a Candida mouth infection and mothers of babies with the condition need to boil all pacifiers and bottle nipples to make sure the infection doesn't come back again.

Yeast infection symptoms of a skin infection include itching and burning of the affected skin. It most likely occurs in warm, moist areas of the skin including groin folds, under the breast and in the diaper area in babies. The primary yeast infection symptoms include skin itching and burning. The skin is usually moist and macerated. The key to treating such an infection is to clean and dry the affected area and apply a nystatin skin cream that is applied two to three times per day. The infection is usually cured by about a week.

There can be yeast infections of the intestines, primarily involving the colon. The yeast infection symptoms can include diarrhea, constipation, cramps and abdominal pain as well as systemic symptoms. The yeast take over and wipe out the healthy bacteria in the gut so that yeast is the predominate organism. This can cause a leaky gut syndrome which makes holes in the gut large enough for undigested particles of food and yeast particles to travel to the bloodstream. The yeast infection symptoms you'll get from that include chronic fatigue, headaches and joint pains. Food allergies can occur as well.

Yeast infections can vary depending on where in the body they affect. Most yeast infections are self limited with only a minimal amount of medication to treat them.