In the past 10 years or so, an area of women's anatomy rarely mentioned in public has become front-page news: the vagina.
A major factor in prompting this publicity was the decision by the medical establishment powers that be to allow women to purchase anti-yeast vaginal suppositories over the counter. Unless you're blind, deaf, dumb and never turn on your TV or look at a magazine, you can't have escaped advertisements touting Monistat 7, Gyne-Lotrimin and other anti-yeast vaginal suppositories for yeast infections.
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| What Causes An Yeast Infection In Women |
Vaginal yeast infections are so common that statistics show virtually every woman is likely to experience them at least once in her lifetime. One colleague of mine who runs a women's health practice says that 5060% of her patients come to her with some form of vaginitis. Unfortunately, many women are plagued by infection after infection. The truth is that many of them had one episode of candida yeast infection that was never adequately addressed, so the yeast ran rampant in their vaginas and eventually throughout their systems.
It's important to note here that not all vaginal infections are caused by Candida albicans. Similar symptoms can be caused by bacterial vaginal infections, parasitic infections, sexually transmitted diseases, allergies and even hormonal changes. There are also other candida yeast infections caused by organisms other than the Candida albicans species. The difference is only evident with microscopic examination.
Although most professionals agree that the Candida albicans yeast is the most common cause of vaginitis, it's advisable for a woman to go to a health professional for a careful examination before self-treating a vaginal problem. The physician should examine vaginal discharges or secretions under a microscope to determine the cause or causes of the vaginitis so that an appropriate treatment program can be prescribed and recommended. Unfortunately, that is rarely done.
Most cases of vaginitis are characterized by itching and burning in the vagina and an unusual discharge, sometimes with a strong odor. However, many women experience no symptoms whatsoever.
If you think you may have vaginitis, check with your doctor before trying over-the-counter medications. While they may work just fine, your doctor will want to monitor your progress and try something else if you don't get complete relief in three days.
THOUGHTS FROM OTHER PHYSICIANS
Donald Lewis, M.D., my recently retired colleague here in Jackson, Tennessee, says, "If a regular patient calls up and talks to me (or to the nurse practitioner who works with me) and says she thinks she has a vaginal yeast infection, and she hasn't had one in five years, and asks me if it's okay to take an over-the-counter preparation, I'll usually tell her it's OK.
"But I also tell her that if the vaginal symptoms do not clear up in three days, then she should come in and let me do a careful examination. The nature of the vaginal discharge is important, including whether or not it has an odor. I also make a microscopic examination of the bacterial smear and determine the pH."
Another colleague, Daron G. Ferris, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine at the Medical College of Georgia with a special interest in treating vaginitis, cautions women against self-diagnosing a vaginal infection.
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| What Causes An Yeast Infection In Women |
Dr. Ferris found that about 65% of women who diagnosed themselves with a vaginal yeast infection were actually incorrect in their diagnosis and, by taking over-the-counter anti-fungal medications designed to eradicate candida yeast, they actually wasted their money and prolonged their discomfort until a correct diagnosis could be made. To find out more, you can check out What Causes An Yeast Infection In Women.