Treatment options for yeast infections

Before you start any course of treatment, you should get a proper diagnosis from your physician. Since misuse of antibiotics is one of the top causes of chronic yeast infections, you want to make sure that what you do have is infact a yeast infection and not some other kind of infection. In addition, if you suspect that you have a vaginal yeast infection, you'll want to notify your physician so that he/she can perform a pelvic examination to rule out other diseases such as trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis.

For vaginal yeast infections, over the counter treatment creams such as miconazole, butoconazole nitrate, tioconazole, and clotrimazole are easily available. They are sold in the United States under the brand names of Femstat 3, Gyne-Lotrimin, Monistat 7, and Vagistat among others. Prescription oral medications such as Diflucan adn Sporanox are also available for severe infections.

However, for mild or first time infections, homemade and natural cures are the safest options. Eating yogurt or kefir which have live cultures of good bacteria is effective for preventing yeast infections. Try douching or covering infected areas with plain, unflavored and sugar free yogurt to restore the natural balance of beneficial bacteria and acidity. Make sure that you use sugar free (this means fruit free!) yogurt! Otherwise the sugar in the yogurt would just feed the yeast and worsen your infection. Another natural treatment would be using vinegar to douche/rinse the infected areas, however this could also cause irritation and kill other beneficial bacteria. You will also want to cut down on foods that contain the following: sugars, starchy vegetables, and yeast (breads, beer, etc.). Eat diets high in garlic and onion as they have powerful anti fungal properties.


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