What Is a Yeast Infection? 

If you’ve never had a yeast infection, or even if you have had one before, you may still be wondering, “Just what is a yeast infection?” Caused by a type of fungus /yeast known as Candida albicans, a yeast infection is simply an overgrowth of this fungus. Although yeast is normally present in the vagina, it is only in small numbers. It is when this fungus grows and becomes present in larger numbers that it becomes an issue and is a yeast infection. Along with wondering “what is a yeast infection?” you might also wonder what some symptoms are. Some of the more common yeast infection symptoms include pain/burning when urinating, discomfort or even pain during intercourse, redness, burning, and/or swelling of the vagina, and thick, cottage cheese-like vaginal discharge that is white and usually does not have a bad odor. The causes of yeast infections are also an important part of discovering exactly what a yeast infection is. Although there are many possible causes, more common ones include wearing too-tight clothing, antibiotics, birth control, and more.

If you have a yeast infection, you may be concerned and confused, wondering, “What is a yeast infection?” and “How did I get it?” However, there is no reason to fret; statistics suggest that up to 75% of women will experience a yeast infection at some point in their lives, and with proper treatment and preventative measures, you can easily reduce their incidence. Further, many of these women will experience more than one yeast infection. Once you have discovered just what a yeast infection is, you can take measures to not only treat current ones, but also to prevent future infections.