Women develop yeast-related problems more often than men, and perimenopausal (before menopause) women appear to be especially susceptible. There are probably several reasons for this.
In his classic book, The Missing Diagnosis, Dr. C. Orian Truss clearly describes the unique problems of women with candida-related health problems. He pointed out that countless women between puberty and menopause are troubled by vaginal problems, PMS, digestive symptoms, personality changes, concentration problems and a destructive loss of self-confidence.
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| Yeast Infections In Women |
DIFFERENCES IN ANATOMY
Women are more likely than men to develop urinary and genital yeast infections because of their anatomy. For example, a woman's urethra (the tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside) is short, making it easier for bacteria to enter the woman's bladder and set up an infection.
Urinary tract infections are especially apt to occur in women after frequent or prolonged sexual intercourse. These infections are usually treated with antibiotics, allowing the candida yeast that lives normally in the intestinal tract to multiply because the natural balance with friendly and unfriendly bacteria has been disrupted.
The short distance between the anal opening and the vulva and vagina increases a woman's chances of developing a genital infection. Since yeasts thrive on the warm, dark interior membranes of the body, the vagina furnishes a hospitable home.
THE PILL
Experts say at least 35% of women using birth control pills are susceptible to repeated bouts of vaginitis caused by Candida albicans yeast and, by at least some estimates, the figure is as high as 50%.
HORMONAL CHANGES
Yeast colonization is encouraged by hormonal changes in the normal menstrual cycle, during pregnancy and when hormones begin to fluctuate with age. Some women begin to experience hormonal swings in their early 30s, but the majority of women experience these swings beginning in their early 40s.
The culprit may be progesterone, the hormone that is produced in very small amounts just before ovulation. During pregnancy, high levels of progesterone persist, and during perimenopause, hormonal levels may fluctuate several times a day. For reasons medical science does not yet understand, these higher levels of progesterone correspond to rapid yeast growth in women.
Cornell's Dr. Steven S. Witkin validated this theory in his 1991 research that showed progesterone actually stimulates the growth of Candida albicans.
PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN GO TO DOCTORS MORE OFTEN THAN MEN
Women are more likely than men to develop personal relationships with a physician because women go more often for routine checkups and Pap smears, when they are pregnant or when they develop vaginal yeast infections.
Accordingly, when a woman develops a fever, cough or cold, she's more likely to contact her physician to ask for relief. The physician may then prescribe an antibiotic, promoting the growth of yeasts.
PROLONGED ANTIBIOTIC USE FOR TEENAGERS WITH ACNE
Teenagers, especially girls, are concerned about their complexions. That makes them more likely to consult a doctor and to be put on long-term antibiotics. Although these drugs can be helpful to some teenagers with ache, they wipe out normal bacteria in the intestinal tract. As a result, yeasts multiply and a cascade of other health problems can develop in the short- and long-term.
I have received tens of thousands of phone calls and letters, most of them from women between the ages of 25 and 50 with complaints of being "sick all over." In response to these calls and letters, here's one of the first questions I ask:
"Did you, during your teen years, take long-term tetracycline for ache?"
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| Yeast Infections In Women |
Many of these people, including men, answer, "Yes." In my mind, this is a red flag indicating the problems could be yeast-related, so I advise them to look at the anti-yeast program that has been helpful to so many patients. To find out more, you can check out Yeast Infections In Women.