Recurring Yeast Infections:

General Information and Symptoms

Recurring yeast infections are enough to drive you crazy. If you've had them, you know what I mean.

Not only are yeast infections annoying in that they can affect your sex life, your confidence and more, they can also be very uncomfortable. It's not just women that suffer from them either - men, children and babies can also suffer from yeast infections.

But what can we do about them?

First, we'll define exactly what they are. Then we'll discuss the symptoms of a recurrent yeast infection, your treatment options and how to get rid of that candidiasis.

Do Your Yeast Infections Keep Coming Back? Click Here to Find Out Why And How to Get Rid of Them Forever

So what is a recurring yeast infection? The medical community defines this as having 4 or more yeast infections in a year. There are some woman who suffer from candidiasis (another term for yeast infection) every month or more. This has the ability to affect their lives for years.

If you have a recurrent yeast infections, you can take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. In fact, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that over 75% of women will have at least one yeast infection during their lifetime and over 40% will have more than one. And to the point of this article, the CDC estimates that approximately 10-20% of women will suffer from recurring yeast infections.

Before we go on, I would like to point out that, on a related side note here, a recurring yeast infection is different than a chronic yeast infection.

Although they are often used interchangeably, a recurrent yeast infection is one that you can successfully treat and get rid of but it is likely to come back in the future. A chronic yeast infection, on the other hand, is one that is always there for a prolonged period of time - in other words, you can not get rid of it.

So if you do see your doctor and discuss your infection, just be aware of the difference.

What are Yeast Infections?

Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of Candida yeast (Candida Albicans), a fungus that is present in all of our bodies and that usually causes no harm. If you are particularly run down, or you've been following a course of antibiotics, the Candida yeast can get out of control and cause a yeast infection (for other possible causes, see our page on causes of recurring yeast infections).

Yeast infections can affect many parts of the body – the vagina, the penis, the groin, the mouth and throat, the diaper area of babies, the gut and the skin.

All of these places are warm and moist, giving the Candida yeast the ideal environment to multiply and grow.

If the yeast infection is not treated properly, or partners reinfect each other during sexual intercourse, the infection can turn into a chronic yeast infection that never goes away or that keeps recurring.

Some physicians even believe that an out of control yeast infection can cause toxins to enter the bloodstream, causing many health problems like gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, fatigue, mood swings, dizziness and blurred vision.

So it is important to find a way to cure that yeast infection.

Symptoms of a Yeast Infection

Yeast infection symptoms depend on the part of the body infected, but here are common symptoms of the main types of yeast infections:

Vaginal yeast infection – Symptoms include itching, a burning sensation and a cottage cheese like discharge.

Male yeast infections (penile yeast infections) – Symptoms can include an inflamed, red, itchy area, soreness and a white or yellow discharge.

Oral thrush – Symptoms include thick white patches on the tongue, inside of the mouth and throat.

Gastrointestinal yeast infection – This can have many different symptoms, including bad breath, gas, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

You can have recurrent yeast infections in all these parts of the body. It does not just affect the vagina as some people believe.

So what are you options for curing a yeast infection? Continue onto our next article on recurring yeast infections treatment options.

Do Your Yeast Infections Keep Coming Back? Click Here to Find Out Why And How to Get Rid of Them Forever

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