Title : Effective Home Remedies For Yeast Infections
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Effective Home Remedies For Yeast Infections
Types Of Yeast Infections
While vaginal yeast infections are one of the most common forms of fungal infections, they are far from the only type. Candidiasis is a fungal infection that can affect areas such as the:
- Genitals (male & female)
- Skin
- Throat
- Mouth
- Blood
More than 20 species of Candida exist, and these fungi live on all surfaces of our bodies which can occasionally cause infection. Various types of yeast infections are possible, including the following:
- Candidal vulvovaginitis is a candidal infection of the vaginal tract and can result in itching, redness, irritation, and burning. This is often referred to as a feminine yeast infection.
- Perlèche is a softening of the skin with deep creases around the angles of the mouth.
- Thrush is a candidal infection of the mouth and throat that causes white patches to appear in the mouth. Thrush occurs most commonly in the mouths of people with chronic diseases including diabetes and HIV/AIDS, those with cancer, and those who use systemic corticosteroids or other medications that can suppress the immune system.
- Intertrigo is an irritation of the folds of the skin and warm moist body areas, such as the underarms, the groin, under the breasts, and under the folds of the skin of the abdomen of people who are obese. Usually, skin effectively blocks yeast, but any breakdown or cuts in the skin may allow this organism to penetrate.
- Candidal rash affects the diaper area.
- Candidal body rash can result from excess sweating, antibiotic use, or lack of movement leading to skin occlusion. It most commonly occurs in people with diabetes who are in the hospital.
- Congenital cutaneous candidiasis results from infection of an infant during passage through the birth canal. The rash appears within a few hours of delivery.
- Candidal paronychia is a chronic inflammation of the nail fold, that in some cases causes a discharge with pus, and a soft, watery swelling of the area around the fingernail or toenail.
- Erosio interdigitalis blastomycetica is a candidal infection between the finger webs that causes a softening of the skin and redness occur. Moisture under rings can cause this condition. Risk factors include people with diabetes and those who work with water (for example, house workers, launderers, and those who are exposed to strong chemicals).
- Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a condition that results from a genetic defect that leaves those who have it with thick horny skin lesions and with nail abnormalities.
- Systemic candidiasis is candidal infection throughout the body that is rare, and can cause death. Even common mouth and vaginal yeast infections can cause critical illness, other complications, and can be more resistant to normal treatment. This rash can manifest with bruises that can be felt. The bruises result from a reaction and response to Candida in the blood vessels. Systemic yeast infections that return may be a sign of more serious diseases such as diabetes, leukemia, or AIDS.
What Causes Yeast Infections?
Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid digestion and nutrient absorption. But when overproduced, candida breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems, ranging from digestive issues to depression.
Other Issues Caused By Yeast Overgrowth
Yeast/Fungal infections are not limited to women or the vagina. If you suffer from mood swings, seasonal allergies, or digestive issues, you may have Candida overgrowth or excessive yeast in the body.
Candida is a scientific names for yeast, which is a form of fungus. A very small amount naturally resides in your mouth and intestines to aid digestion, but your medications, diet, and environment can all change this delicate balance. When this fungus is overproduced, it breaks down the wall of the intestines and enters directly into the bloodstream, where it releases toxic byproducts that can cause a leaky gut. Symptoms of Candida overgrowth are:
- Skin and nail fungal infections (athlete’s foot or toenail fungus)
- Feeling tired & worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
- Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
- Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple Sclerosis
- Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and brain fog
- Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
- Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression
- Vaginal infections , urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
- Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
- Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
Can Men Get Yeast Infections?
Though yeast infections are more common in women, anyone can get one. It's possible for a man to get a genital yeast infection if he has unprotected sexual intercourse with a partner who has a genital yeast infection. However, if your girlfriend has a yeast infection, it doesn't mean you'll get one too. Sexual transmission of yeast infections is uncommon.
Signs and symptoms of a male yeast infection include a reddish rash, itching or burning at the tip of the penis. If you and your partner both have symptoms of genital yeast infection, it's important that you both be treated. Otherwise, you may keep reinfecting each other. Also, it's generally recommended that you refrain from sexual contact until all signs and symptoms of the infection are gone.
Vaginal yeast infections can be spread by sexual contact, but in general are not considered a sexually transmitted infection. Treatment for yeast infections is relatively simple depending on their severity.
Home Screening For Yeast Overgrowth
While women often self-diagnose yeast infections, in many cases, they can actually have bacterial vaginosis, which has similar symptoms but, unlike a yeast infection, it is caused by bacteria, and needs to be treated with antibacterials. A Urinary tract infection also has similar symptoms like pain and burning, without discharge, but they, too, require antibacterials.
Work up a bit of saliva, and spit it into the glass of water. Check the water every 15 minutes or so for up to one hour.
If you see strings or fibers traveling down into the water from the saliva floating on the top, cloudy specks (particles suspended in the water) or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass you have a candida problem.
Causes Of Vaginal Yeast Infections
Yeast lives in the vagina all the time in small, harmless numbers. However, if this fungi grows out of control, the result is itching, burning, and redness that is extremely uncomfortable. In most cases, a thick, white, odorless discharge, resembling cottage cheese will also appear. Lactobacillus bacteria, which is a good type of bacteria, will normally keep the vagina's pH and yeast levels in check. However, this delicate balance can be tipped by:
- Antibiotics (they lower the amount of lactobacillus, or good bacteria, in vagina)
- Pregnancy
- Corticosteroids
- Uncontrolled Diabetes
- Raised estrogen levels from birth control or pregnancy
- Hormonal imbalance near your menstrual cycle
- Weak immune system
- Over The Counter Douches
- Poor eating habits, including a lot of sugary foods
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
A diet high in sugar can predispose many, especially women, to yeast infections. Cutting back on refined sugars and refined carbohydrates as a group for a time. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh vegetables of various colors. Eat one to two cloves of garlic per day, preferably raw. Garlic has a long history of use as an effective antifungal agent.
How to Prevent Vaginal Yeast Infections
In many cases, you may know exactly what led to your yeast infection, as some women experience these infections every time they take antibiotics. By recognizing your own risk factors, you can prevent future infections. One awesome way to avoid ever need antibiotics is to eat more antibacterial foods. Here are some common methods of prevention, most targeted at avoiding bacteria growth near the vagina:
- Avoid wearing tight pants, pantyhose, tights, or leggings
- Avoid using feminine deodorant or deodorant tampons/pads
- Do not sit around in wet clothing—especially bathing suits
- Eat a well-balanced diet, and avoid refined carbs
- Eat yogurt & kefir
- Wear natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or silk
- Avoid sitting in hot tubs or taking frequent hot-tub baths
- Wash underwear in hot water
- Avoid underwear altogether
- Change feminine products frequently
Eliminate Foods That Feed Yeast/Candida
Sugar
Candida overgrowth is mainly fueled by sugar, refined carbohydrates and gluten, with Candida’s main food supply being sugar and all forms of it, such as glucose, fructose, and sugar substitutes such as Nutrasweet, aspartame, and saccharin. Avoid certain fruit at this time can also be a good idea, (except lemons), as most are also very high in sugar as are some vegetables like sweet potatoes, parsnips and beets. Sugar is also contained in most processed foods such as smoked luncheon meats, ketchup, cereal, and certain yogurt brands, making it important to read labels carefully.
While it’s true that sugary, starchy carbohydrates feed Candida, if you don’t eat complex carbohydrates and whole grains then you’re missing out, and depriving your body of nutrients. Additionally, you will not be getting enough fiber that helps keep your digestive tract clean, and creates an inhospitable atmosphere for Candida to multiply.
Alcohol
Alcohol use in excess kills off friendly bacteria, increases toxic overload on the liver, and allows candida overgrowth. Alcohol is actually a yeast by-product, so you can see the potential problems. Every living thing that eats must create waste on the other end. Usually that waste is toxic (poisonous) to the organism, but not so with yeast. The alcoholic by–products it creates can actually serve as a fertilizer to help it grow further. This explains why various researchers have indicated that everyone who drinks alcohol regularly (daily or a few times weekly) is likely have Candida Overgrowth.
Gluten Grains
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, triticale and it is hidden in an endless variety of processed foods. Gluten-containing grains have come to be used extensively in breads and other baked goods because of their “glutinous,” sticky consistency. Gluten grains feed Candida because they have a high glycemic index just like sugar, that creates insulin resistance within the cells leading to blood sugar problems like hypoglycemia and diabetes.
Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats)
Candida sufferers cannot afford to jeopardize their health by consuming toxic oils and fat. Avoid all of the newfangled polyunsaturated fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils (margarine, Canola oil, safflower oil, etc.), called trans fats. These junk fats and oils are not only toxic and increase the body’s need for vitamin E and other antioxidants, but also depress the immune system. All trans fats, found in margarine and shortenings used in most commercial baked goods and most processed food, should always be avoided even by healthy people.
All of these fats and oils are extracted by a process called hydrogenation. This process uses high heat, a metal catalyst such as nickel, zinc, copper, or other reactive metals and hydrogen gas. This is a volatile combination creates an extremely toxic product that the body reacts to like plastic.
Consume Foods That Kill Yeast/Candida
There are many foods that are incredible for killing yeast, and do better than medications you can buy. Here are some of the top anti-fungals you can find at the grocery store.
Garlic
This amazing food item offers antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties because it contains allicin, a sulphur-containing compound that also hosts natural antifungal properties specific to Candida. When eaten raw or applied to and infected area, this little food is one of the best antifungals around.
Coconut Oil
This amazing anti-fungal naturally contains a fatty acid called caprylic acid that interferes with Candida growth and replication by poking holes in the walls of the yeast cells, causing them to die off.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is acidic in nature and contains enzymes that help kill the excess yeast in the body. It also helps to restore the pH level of vagina, makes it less tolerable for yeast fungi to thrive and infect the vagina to cause yeast infection. This not only helps to prevent yeast fungus but also helps to re-colonise the intestines and vagina with friendly bacteria. Once if this process takes place, healthy bacteria acts as powerful guard that will stop the bad bacteria (Candida) from returning to cause yeast infection. ACV has extremely rich composition to boost the body’s immune system by making it stronger to fight against fungus that causes yeast infections.
Greek Yogurt & Kefir
Greek yogurt and kefir contain loads of healthy lactobacillus bacteria. MayoClinic.com reports that lactobacillus in yogurt can help to prevent or treat yeast infections. The lactobacillus in yogurt can form healthy bacterial colonies in the body that help to fight the overgrowth of yeast.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Foods such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, cabbage, and radishes, contain isothiocyanates that are sulphur- and nitrogen-containing compounds that attack Candida.
Cranberries
Cranberries contain both antibacterial and antifungal properties, so they can be used to fight the fungi responsible for yeast infections. It can also treat urinary tract or any other kind of bladder infections.
- Drink unsweetened cranberry juice several times a day. This will speed up the healing process and produce effective results within a short time.
- If unsweetened cranberry juice is not available, you can take cranberry tablets two or three times a day. Cranberry tablets are readily available at a natural health store.
Ginger
Ginger contains gingerols and shogaols, the anti-inflammatory and antifungal components of the ginger root. While ginger is not the most powerful antifungal of the group, it does provide significant liver support while your body is detoxifying the Candida overgrowth.
Cinnamon
This fantastic item is an anti-inflammatory spice with added antifungal properties. Similar to caprylic acid, it appears to damage yeast cells, causing them to denature and eventually die off. Cinnamon appears to be beneficial in the treatment of Candida, H. pylori, and even head lice, but it should not be used while pregnant or in the presence of a stomach or intestinal ulcer.
Cloves
This spice naturally contains eugenol, a powerful essential oil and extremely effective antifungal when taken internally. Clove oil can also be effective as a topical aid for fungal infections of the toe and fingernails.
Fish Oils
Fish, unlike mammals, birds and reptiles, do not respond to sunlight and rely on vitamin D found in phytoplankton and other fish. They must feed on phytoplankton and other fish in order to obtain and store significant vitamin D in their fat, flesh, skin, and organs. Try to find wild fish where possible, and remember wild salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are also known to fight fungal infections.
Home Remedies For Yeast Infections
You can treat vaginal yeast infections with natural remedies if you would like to avoid taking prescription medication. Here are some of the most popular and effective natural remedies:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Cleansing/Douches
- Garlic
- Boric Acid Vaginal Suppositories
- Tea Tree Oil/Cream
- Probiotics: Greek Yogurt or Kefir taken orally
Apple Cider Vinegar
Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix it with a glass of water and drink before every meal. Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar creates an unfriendly environment for the yeast, while helping create a good environment for friendly gut flora.
There are actually several ways to use ACV as a home remedy for yeast infections, with the first being to drink it every day. Mix up 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of filtered water and drinking two to three times a day. Admittedly, this concoction doesn’t taste the best, but you do get used to it.
Another way is to soak a clean rag or cloth in some ACV, then place it on the walls of the vagina, or for men, around the penis. Leave on for 10-15 minutes or longer (as long as it's not burning). However, you can buy a low acidic ACV (5% or less). Finally you can use a ACV Douche in the morning then repeat afternoon.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. ACV mixed (white vinegar can be too harsh acidic)
- 1 Cup warm filtered water
Directions:
Buy an enema kit at the drugstore, which offers the same equipment as a douche kit, but without the harsh douche solution. Mix the apple cider vinegar with one quart of room temperature water. Using a funnel, pour the vinegar-water solution into the douche, then attach the nozzle. Be careful to hold the bag below the pelvis and to exert only slight pressure as you want to flush out the vaginal canal only and not push the solution up through the cervix into the uterus. Douching is an excellent way to cleanse when you have an infection, but regular douching can actually destroy the healthy pH balance in the body. So do not douche daily, only when you have an infection, and make sure everything including your hands and fingers are CLEAN and WASHED so as not to reinfect yourself or anyone else.
Garlic Home Remedies
Because eating garlic as really the strongest natural cure, you should always start off using it as you will get the quickest results. Crushing/mincing garlic cloves breaks the cell walls, which releases garlic’s beneficial properties. To kill off Candida overgrowth take 3-4 (or more if necessary) average sized cloves per day eaten alone or mixed in foods and with meals. Another alternative is to drink 3-4 cups of garlic tea or soup per day.
Garlic Suppository
Take a clove of fresh garlic and peel it, leaving the clove intact. At bedtime, insert the clove into the vagina, then in the morning, remove the garlic clove and throw it in the toilet. The reason that the treatment is done at bedtime is that there is a connection between the mouth and the vagina. The moment the garlic is placed in the vagina, the taste of the garlic travels up to the mouth, many will find this strong flavor/odor annoying during the day, so the treatment is recommended for nighttime. The garlic often causes the vagina to have a watery discharge, but one night's treatment can be enough to kill the infection. Some may have to repeat this treatment a second night, but be sure to continue until all itchiness is gone.
If the infection has advanced to the point that a woman has large quantities of white discharge and red sore labia, it can still be treated by garlic but with a higher dose. Use a clean cloth dipped in diluted apple cider vinegar to remove some of the discharge, then take a clove of garlic and cut it in half, and placed in the vagina at bedtime. Repeat this for a few nights and until symptoms are gone. If the labia or other skin around the area is very irratated, coconut oil will work wonders to soothe the discomfort, heal any open or raw areas and also fight off yeast.
Borax & Boric Acid Suppositories
Plenty of studies have been done on borax and boric acid for treating yeast infections. Three of the most recent studies all found that boric acid was far more effective than antifungal drugs such as Sporanox and Diflucan. In fact, one study found that 77% of people were cured of yeast fungus through the use of boric acid compared to only 50% who used the topical and oral medications. Taking borax and using boric acid suppositories work astoundingly well on yeast infections, but it is recommend they not be used by pregnant women.
Probiotics (Good Bacteria)
When you have a yeast infection, you also have bad bacteria running rampant in your body Probiotics help to get rid of these bad bacteria, along with unwanted candida albicans. These good bacteria gain dominance over harmful bacteria, then live on the walls of the intestines and the vagina so the unhealthy micro-organisms cannot return. As long as healthy levels of good bacteria are maintained, the bad bacteria and candida will not come back in nasty numbers. This is why we must keep replenishing the supply of beneficial bacteria in our bodies.
Add more fermented foods to your diet like pickels, tempeh, sauerkraut, kefir, miso, Greek yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, spirulina, and chorella for an extra powerful supply of probiotics. Remember, you can never overdose on probiotics, in fact, the more the merrier!
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has powerful and effective natural antifungal properties that can help with home treatment of yeast infections. Pregnant women should not use this remedy as some of the properties present in tea tree oil can be harmful to the baby.
Thisnatural disinfectant that works as well or better than pharmaceutical antifungal products. Apply a light coating to the affected area two or three times a day, and continue to apply it for two weeks after signs of the infection have disappeared to make sure the fungus is eradicated. You'll find tea tree oil products at health food stores, but be sure to select brands that are 100% tea tree oil. Other remedies include:
- For Vaginal Yeast Infections: Place a few drops of tea tree oil on a tampon and insert it into your vagina for two to three hours. Repeat the process twice daily.
- For Infections on The Skin: Dilute organic tea tree oil with water or one teaspoon of olive oil or sweet almond oil. Rub the diluted oil over the affected skin area several times a day.
Olive Leaf Extract
Olive leaf extract can kill fungus rather than just inhibiting its growth. It contains antiviral, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. It also has 400% more antioxidants than Vitamin C and double the antioxidants of green tea. Olive leaf should be taken daily to achieve the maximum effect.
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