What is a yeast infection?
Get to know what the culprit really looks like

Yeast makes your life miserable. But what is a yeast infection?

In simple terms, yeast is a type of fungus. It is scientifically known as Candida. The culprit fungus that causes Vaginitis is called Candida albicans.

Usually, yeast remains in human skin and its moist areas like the mouth or vagina. A recent study found that around 20% to 50% healthy women carry yeast in their vaginal area. Let’s take a clear look at Vaginitis. According to medical practitioners, it’s known as a particular type of vaginal inflammation.

Vaginitis is common and 75% women go through this problem at a point in their life.

Vaginitis could be sourced by different types of infections like bacteria (e.g. Gardnerella and gonorrhea), protozoans (e.g. trichomonas), and yeast (e.g. Candida). Among the different types of yeast infections, vaginal yeast infection is the hardest one. Actually, it happens to be some of the most common type of vaginitis. It is sometimes known as vaginal Candidiasis. These facts do not answer the question - what is a yeast infection. So let’s go further.

If you want to know what is a yeast infection, we should take a brief look at Vulvitis. It’s a type of inflammation that occurs on the patient’s outer genital organs (like female’s vulva). Just in case you did not know, the labia, clitoris or vaginal entrance is the parts of the vulva. Many women experience yeast infection on the vestibule of their vagina. To medical professionals, vulva yeast infections are known as vulvitis. Just like vaginitis, Vulvitis happens because of some vaginal infections. As the vulva may also be inflamed when there’s a vaginal inflammation, vaginitis sometimes has been coined as vulvovaginitis.

Let’s now see what oftentimes causes yeast infections in the vagina. Infections related to vaginal yeast charge when the vaginal areas are attacked by new yeasts. This could also happen if the yeast in the vaginally starts to grow unusually high and the high grow of the bacteria is more than what the guardian bacteria can handle. To reply to your query ‘what is a yeast infection,’ you should look at the real picture.

This phenomenon happens if the normal, protecting bacteria is eradicated by the use of antibiotics (which we take to heal different types of infections of urinary tract).

Sometimes the immunosuppressive drugs we use can get the yeast invasions to multiply. This results into the irritation of the vaginal lining (that’s what we know as vaginitis).

In some cases, vaginal yeast invasions or infections occur due to inner vaginal injuries due to chemotherapy. In addition, women suffering suppressed immunity problems (e.g. cortisone-oriented medications like prednisone) can develop yeast infections in the vagina more frequently than women who have normal immunity. And other conditions predisposing women to develop yeast infections in the vagina include diabetes, mellitus or pregnancy. Same goes for oral contraceptives. If you use douches and/or perfumed vaginal hygiene sprays, this could also increase the risk in women vaginal yeast infection.

Some people answer blindly when they are asked the question ‘what is a yeast infection,’ – especially when they end up mixing up yeast infections with STD. But a yeast infection in the vagina isn’t a STD or sexually transmitted infection. Candida might be already present in a normal vagina, and the yeasty condition could occur among celibate women. Then again, it’s possible that men could also develop yeast symptoms in the penis. And this problem occurs as a skin irritation. To understand the answer to the question ‘what is a yeast infection,’ you need to understand that many men develop yeast infection after they have sexual interaction with their infected partner

Yeast infections (i.e. aka or candidal infection) could be best described as an excessive-growth of harmful microscopic fungi which live in a human body already. Yeast is generally controlled by your body’s "good" bacteria. If the harmful fungi (also known as yeast) start populating in or on the moist areas of the body, it’ll turn into an infection.

If these infected areas are very warm and damp (e.g. skin folds, armpits, groin, anal/oral areas, nail bed, etc). Thing is that, concealed skin is sometimes softer and much more sensitive compared to the exposed skin. And the pores in these regions remain open and become a primary breeding ground for yeast invaders. In many instances, yeast infections aren’t partial to normal female body. Sometimes, men are vulnerable just like babies. These are the areas which are generally infected by yeast areas. But yeast can occur in areas other than these areas.

Sometimes, women can experience yeast infection in under breasts and around vaginal area. There are some men who suffer yeast infection around the penile foreskin. Many babies undergo this problem around the diapered areas. As the mouth of the patient is also damp, cases of oral yeast are also common. Signs yeast infection does vary from one patient to another.

And things depend on where the yeast infections have invaded. Vaginal yeast infection comes with creamy white discharge, which resembles a lot with cottage cheese. It has a foul odor. Usually, besides the vaginal discharge the yeast infected area will experience itching and irritation. It’s also possible that patients encounter pains if they engage in sexual intercourse. Some undergo a horribly burning sensation while urinating.

I hope all these facts have somewhat answered the question ‘what is a yeast infection’.

Oral yeast invasions (thrush) can have visual indications too. It could include a horrible white residue. Some people notice a curd-like film underneath the tongue. Cases where curd-type infections occur around the cheeks occurs - are also common. It could feel sore as well as super sensitive in most of the cases. But other signs could include redness, soreness or dryness around the mouth creases. There are other signs of oral yeast infections. This might involve partial or overall mouth infection. But patients experience the infections especially underneath the dentures. For many males, penile yeast illness will generally appear reddish, dry or patchy. These affected areas are likely to be ultra-tender and itchy.

Let’s take another look at the issue. Candida related infectivity is occurs among women because of changes in the vagina – negative changes actually. This happens due to highly potent antibiotic dosage. The use of too much steroid can also make this to happen. It’s also not unusual that pregnancy, sperm or birth control medications. Sometimes menstruation can have lots of influence on this. When it comes to men, infections mainly occur due to diabetes and obesity. Sometimes, yeast infection is passed on by infected person. Some physicians say that your poor physical hygiene can cause these things. In many cases, yeast infections have close relationship with aging or menopause. Among young and old people, Candida related infections might occur because of highly weakened immunity system happening due to medications used for illnesses like AIDS and cancer.

Fortunately, Candida or yeast invasion is not that hard to overcome. No matter what the medical condition is, you can find an instant treatment for that. There’re holistic approaches you could use for treating or eliminating yeast infections. To get the earliest and most optimal results, you need to use treatments early on. So early diagnosis and holistic treatment is a must. Just in case your situation worsens or if the disease is untreated, you should go for conservative medicine approach. Try to get medical help as soon as you can. If yeast is left untreated for too long, this might actually lead to various types of life threatening outcomes.

But we want to make ourselves clear on one thing… the facts and pieces of advice are not meant to substitute or renounce medical care offered by approved health practitioner and physician. There are different types of info that serves solely as a highly educational tool. You could consider using a few of them. Try to find some educational information from the info cited on the Office on Women's Health under the Department of Health & Human Services.

So here’s a recap of what we said so far. If you ask "what is a yeast infection?" this can be answered in a simple way – yeast is generally caused by special kinds of fungus, which causes a disease typically known as Candidiasis. This infection can actually affects every woman out there. Still, it will generally affect those who are in the 30 to 50-year age range. In general, yeast infection or Candida is mostly seen among pregnant women. Then again, people with poor immunity system can also suffer from yeast infections.

However, the infection generally affects all women in the vagina. But it could occur in other parts too. Most commonly attacked areas are the vagina, mouth, genital parts of the men. But women can also experience this beneath their breasts and armpits. Even underneath the nails there could be yeast infection. Sometimes babies suffer from yeast infections due to diaper rashes. And the most vulnerable people with yeast infections are perhaps the ones who have poor and broken down immunity due to high power treatments taken to fight off AIDS or chemotherapy.

You could also get nasty yeasty infections which actually attack your blood cells or various internal organs. Unfortunately, the human brain can also be affected by yeasty infections. Such patients need to be treated urgently and carefully to get out of the clutch of yeast infections. Just in case you did not know, yeast infections are simply fatal for these patients when things get to extreme. But in the minor stages, yeast is nothing more than a merely bothersome irritation that makes your life uncomfortable. If the infection reaches a severe stage, things still are manageable. Some people have found excellent results by using home made remedies made out of yogurt or honey. But take your medical treatment seriously for best results.

Sincerely,