Yeast Infection: Complications During Pregnancy and Treatment Methods
Yeast infection is a very common disease among women today. It is considered to be the second biggest cause of vaginal inflammation/itching and according to the statistics half of the women in our society hear about or experience the symptoms of this unpleasant disease at least once in their lifetime. Contrary to its popularity, most patients take this disease very lightly. Although it is not really a dangerous disease, yeast infection can cause amazing discomfort, up to a level for it to be unbearable. So taking it on a more serious level instead of waiting to hit that spot is probably better for your health.
What is a Yeast Infection?
So what exactly is a yeast infection? It is caused by a type of fungi called Candida that is already present in our body. There is a natural balance of different types of bacteria in different parts of our body. Certain conditions cause an overgrowth of Candida, it outranks the other good bacteria numerously and result in an infection. Some of these conditions are usage of antibiotics, which kill some of the good bacteria while curing our diseases, hormonal changes such as pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, birth control pills and less common causes like sexual intercourse or weakened immune systems.
We are more prone to risks of yeast infection before and after birth, especially more in our pregnancy period where there is a lot going on with our hormones. It results in a perfect environment for yeast to overgrow into an infection. Pregnancy is definitely a very sensitive period in your life time. So it is really important to maintain a healthy body during pregnancy. In order to start a proper treatment method, you have to make sure what you are having is a yeast infection. Yeast infection shows similar signs with different diseases so you do not want to oversee those or raise a possible risk to your baby.
What are the Symptoms of a Yeast Infection?
Three most common symptoms of yeast infections are, burning and itching sensation in and out of your vagina, white vaginal discharge, resembling the look of cottage cheese, and the smell of baking soda, painful urination/intercourse. These three symptoms especially the discharge, are very solid indicators of a yeast infection presence. If you are having them, do not panic. It is treatable.
Pregnancy, After Birth Complications?
Yeast infection is relatively harmless to your baby during pregnancy. It does not create any complications. However during the birth, you may pass yeast infection to your baby's mouth. This is called Thrush and it appears as white patches on the newborn's mouth or tongue. This is a common condition which can also jump to your nipples and make breastfeeding not fun at all. In order to promote a healthy breastfeeding relationship, you need to start a proper treatment or better fix the condition before birth so you do not have to deal with all that while taking care of your newborn.
How do I Treat / Avoid Yeast Infection?
If you experience yeast infection during pregnancy, you will probably be recommended over the counter creams. They are usually effective, but there is a chance that yeast infection will return in a few weeks. In addition to usage of such light treatments, there are home remedies that can actually promote healing and help with the burning/disturbing sensation of yeast infection. Most common ones are yogurt and garlic. They both carry substances that are really helpful in yeast infection conditions. Applying them directly into the infected area as well as consuming them is usually very powerful. Other than such direct applications, there are simple lifestyle tips that you should follow when you are having this infection, such as not wearing wet clothes, keeping your genitals clean, not using any perfume, fragrance or foreign substance on your vaginal area, avoiding tight clothing, going bare on certain nights to air your genitals. Your physician might be able to recommend a candida diet which could greatly help with your condition too. There are also safe prescription treatments available during pregnancy that your doctor may recommend to you. So if all these do not work in your favor, you may as well start considering that option.
While a very common disease, you should realize that yeast infection is totally treatable even during pregnancy. So in order to avoid problems after birth and during breastfeeding, it is important take care of this infection before it gets too far.
Article written by Christina Soul. Check more of her articles about yeast infection and yeast infection symptoms - She is a freelance blog writer in women issues, health and style.