Smart Shopping for Yeast Infection Treatments

How good is your immunity? The commonly occurring yeast infection Candida, occurring in women, can flare up under conditions of changing vaginal acidity or hormones. Occurring in a majority of women some time in their lives, the symptoms include genital itching or burning with or without an accompanying vaginal discharge (described as "cottage cheese-like"). Men should look for rash on their penis.

Fortunately, anti-fungal drugs are able to cure more than 80 percent of all cases of candidiasis. They are taken orally, applied directly to the affected area or used vaginally for vaginal yeast infections. Three-day and seven-day treatments for genital or vulvovaginal candidiasis may be equally good enough.

What to Look for

Look for drugs that can be taken orally once daily. Fluconazole, for example, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The over-the-counter (OTC) products contain ingredients like butoconazole nitrate, clotrimazole, miconazole and ticonazole. With these OTC products, you can ask your doctor what is best for you that can be applied with vaginal suppositories (inserts) or creams with special applicators, every night for a week.

The ideal yeast infection treatments are those that can revive your health with minimum expense and maximum efficacy. Also, look for user-friendly products among the azoles for vaginal candidiasis.

Common Pitfalls

While it is remarkable that OTC treatments for yeast infection are easily available, there is a danger that the longer you take them, the more resistant you could become. It should take no more than a week to clear up.

Self-diagnosis is on the rise what with urine-dipstick tests to screen for urinary-tract infection, and using swabs and panty liners to detect vaginal pH changes signaling vaginal yeast infection. And it is not uncommon to find women using powerful drugs called "azoles" without expert examination. A few studies have revealed that nearly two-thirds of all OTC drugs for yeast infection were being used by women even without an infection in the first place. And this practice is fraught with the risk of infection turning resistant.

In fact, vulvovaginal candidiasis and urinary-tract infections share similar symptoms, such as a burning sensation when urinating. The Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC) advises that it is important to be sure of the diagnosis by your physician before treating with over-the-counter or other anti-fungal medications. Laboratory testing can figure out the cause of the symptoms to treat them effectively. Even the FDA warns, "If you experience vaginal yeast infections frequently (they recur within a two-month period) or if you have vaginal yeast infections that do not clear up easily with proper treatment, you should see your doctor promptly to determine the cause and receive proper medical care."

Most significantly, if you are someone afflicted with HIV-AIDS on long-term anti-fungal treatment, you can expect to find your yeast unyielding.