A vaginal yeast infection is when the number of yeast is higher than the number of beneficial bacteria in the vaginal tract. This can cause itching, redness, inflammation, and a discharge that is reminiscent of cottage cheese. All in all it is a very nasty and uncomfortable experience for women.
What woman hasn’t experienced a yeast infection? If you’re one of those lucky few, then count yourself very fortunate because most of the rest of us have had them a time or two. The first time I had a vaginal yeast infection, I was sure I was going to die. The itching, burning, inflammation and curdy discharge made my life miserable for several days, and this was back when you had to go to the doctor to get this treated, and well before I knew anything about natural treatments. Needless to say, I really I wish I’d known then what I know now, and that is that often the natural cures for this type of infection are less expensive, and in many cases more effective than the creams, suppositories, and oral drugs that are available from your physician, at least that has been my experience.
So what natural cures are effective for treating a vaginal yeast infection?
1. Avoid foods that have yeast in them. You want to decrease the number of yeast in your body, not increase them, so be sure and avoid foods containing yeast. Such foods include bakery products, dairy products such as cheese, and milk, as well as mushrooms, and alcoholic beverages to name a few.
2. Reduce the amount of sugary foods in your diet. Remember, yeast is a fungus and must have an energy source in order to multiply, and sugar is one of its most favorite energy sources. Hence, you eat a lot of sugary foods when your body is already in a yeast/good bacteria imbalance, then you are going to be feeding the problem and exacerbating your symptoms. So, lay off the sugary foods, particularly soda, and instead substitute your soda with water, this will help your body to get back in balance.
3. Eat plain yogurt with acidophilus or take acidophilus pills which are available from any health food store. Personally I prefer to eat plain yogurt rather than take the pills since I am a person who does not like to take pills. Acidophilus which is also called Lactobacillus acidophilus is a beneficial bacteria that exists naturally in the body. It’s benefit if you have a vaginal yeast infection is that it helps to increase the amount of beneficial bacteria thus putting your body back into balance rather than allowing the yeast to continue rule. Yeast also exists naturally in the body but as with anything sometimes too much of one thing or the other isn’t such a good thing. You can also use acidophilus capsules as a suppository at night, just be sure and wear a pad because they dissolve and leak. Another option is to dip an unscented tampon in a container of plain yogurt with acidophilus and put it in over night. Continue to do this nightly and for 2 or 3 nights after your symptoms have disappeared to be sure your infection is cured.
4. Add one cupful of white vinegar to a warm bath and soak. Vinegar kills yeast and will help to reduce symptoms by destroying the yeast that is causing them in the first place. You can also make a vinegar douche by adding one cup of white vinegar to your douche bottle and filling the rest of it up with water and then douching like normal. Some claim that white vinegar will make yeast grow and to use apple cider vinegar but I have been using the white vinegar for years and have not found this to be true.
5. Drink unsweetened cranberry juice. You can find cranberry juices that are naturally sweetened, or sweetened with no-calorie sweeteners at any health food store. Cranberry juice is highly acidic and will help to decrease the number of yeast in your body. Just remember not to buy cranberry juice cocktails because they are loaded with sugar and will simply exacerbate your problem.
6. Garlic is another great natural cure for yeast infections. You can use it a number of ways to cure a yeast infection. To get some real relief it is suggested that you use one clove or tab as a suppository every couple of hours until you get some relief from the symptoms, just remember to wear a pad. You can also take garlic tabs which you can find in any health food store internally, or drink a glass of water with a pressed whole garlic clove.
7. Take oil of oregano daily internally according to the directions on the package. Oil of oregano kills yeast on the spot. Be sure that what you buy has lots of Carvacrol in it because this is the active ingredient.
A few other things you can do to help are: wear cotton panties as they take moisture away from your skin, whereas nylon panties do not, and yeast thrive in warm, moist environments, wear loose clothing, drink 8 glasses of water daily, and choose unscented personal products. These will also help you to avoid getting further yeast infections.
The beauty of natural cures for a yeast infection are that you can use many of them together to help combat the problem. Unlike the creams and pills which only treat the symptoms rather than addressing the overall possible health problem, many natural cures actually work towards restoring the body back to balance.
These are only a few of the many natural cures for a vaginal yeast infection, so the next time you get ready to call your doctor or make a trip to the drug store for the creams or suppositories, try one of these natural remedies instead. I know you will find them at least as effective as the creams and pills, not to mention far less expensive!
