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.
|