Vaginal Infection

Introduction

You should seek medical care any time if you have pain. vaginal yeast infection may cause unpleasant itching, they should not cause pain.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if this is the first time that vaginal yeast infection symptoms have occurred, or if you are unsure if you have a yeast infection. (If you are sure that you have a yeast infection, you can treat the disorder with over-the-counter medications.) But if your symptoms do not respond to one course of over-the-counter medications, you may not have a yeast infection.

Vaginal yeast infections, although uncomfortable, are usually not life-threatening. You should see your health care provider. In addition, seek care for any of the following:

• Foul-smelling or yellow vaginal discharge
• Any stomach or back pain
• Vomiting or fevers
• If symptoms return within two months

If symptoms return within two months

1. If you have vaginal discharge associated with fever  , vomiting, and abdominal  pain or if you have vaginal discharge accompanied by vaginal bleeding that is not a normal menstrual period, you may go to a hospital's emergency department.
2. Your symptoms have not improved in three days, a large amount of vaginal discharge is seen, or if initial symptoms worsen.
3. You have greenish or large amounts of discharge or fever.
4. You have been taking antifungal medications for a yeast infection and you develop yellow skin, yellow eyes (the white part is yellow), or pale stools.
5. Lesions or rash develops elsewhere (tender, red, pus-filled bumps, which can spread to the thighs and anus).
6. Dizziness develops.

Self-Care at Home

Bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis   will not go away with home care or over-the-counter medications. They require antibiotics. You must see your health care provider.

Only yeast infections may respond to over-the-counter medications. If you have never had a yeast infection   and think you have one, it is important that your health care provider agrees with this diagnosis before you try any home care techniques or over-the-counter medications. Generally, the first incidence of yeast infection should be treated by your health care provider.

After the first infection, if a second infection occurs and you have no doubt it is a yeast infection, you may treat yourself with one course of over-the-counter vaginal medication, such as miconazole (brand name Monistat), an antifungal vaginal medication.

Due to the availability of over-the-counter medications, a lot of women now self-diagnose as having a yeast infection, despite the fact that approximately two-thirds of all remedies sold in stores to treat yeast infections were actually used by non-infected women. When these medications are taken beyond what is necessary, a resistant infection could develop. Using the drugs that are currently on the market to treat resistant infections is quite challenging. If in doubt, consult your health care provider.

Nowadays, there are a lot of over-the-counter drugs available for treating moderate cases of yeast infections. The cure rates with the nonprescription drugs are about 75-90%.

The medications are sold as vaginal suppositories or creams. They are inserted into the vagina with a plunger-type applicator and are usually used one each day for seven days. Stronger doses are given over one to three days only. Most women can treat yeast infections at home with these medications:

• miconazole (Monistat-7, M-Zole)
• tioconazole (Vagistat Vaginal)
• butoconazole (Femstat)
• clotrimazole (Femizole-7, Gyne-Lotrimin)

Massage these remedies into your vagina and surrounding tissues for one to seven days or insert the suppository form into your vagina, depending on the formulation. Stop taking the medication right away if the region becomes more irritated.

Before using these therapies, let your doctor know if you are pregnant.

See your doctor if symptoms persist for longer than a week. You may have a severe yeast infection or other problems that mimic a yeast infection.

Home care techniques have been used for many years although scientific studies have not proven their effectiveness.

• Vinegar douches: While many women use a douche to clean themselves after menstrual periods or sexual intercourse, doctors discourage such routine cleansing. The vagina is made to cleanse itself. Douching may remove the healthy bacteria lining the vagina. By attempting to treat an abnormal vaginal discharge by douching, you might actually worsen the condition. Do not douche without your health care provider's knowledge when you have an abnormal discharge, and do not douche for 24 hours prior to seeing the doctor.
• Eating yogurt that contains live acidophilus cultures (or eating acidophilus capsules): Yogurt acts as a medium for certain good bacteria to thrive. Contrary to popular perception, research on the potential advantages of consuming yogurt containing lactobacillus acidophilus cultures to prevent yeast infection has shown inconsistent findings. It is yet unknown whether eating yogurt cultures has any scientific benefits.
• Antihistamines and topical anesthetics, or numbing drugs, are included in other over-the-counter treatments that merely cover up symptoms without treating the underlying cause.