8 Common Causes of Vaginal Yeast Infections and Natural Therapies To Help Remedy Them
Vaginal yeast infections are 1 of the most common reasons why women experience vaginal odor and foul-smelling discharge.
This, and amongst other symptoms like intense swelling and itching of the vulva and vagina.
In this article, I’m going to help you understand what causes yeast infections, how to prevent them, and name some of the best natural therapies for infection and outbreak relief.
You know my approach is to help you heal in a holistic and functional way.
What is a Vaginal Yeast Infection?
In women, a vaginal yeast infection is the overgrowth of candida, which is a fungal species found inside your vagina and gut in balance with other microorganisms.
The issue here is balance and maintaining a terrain that favors a healthy vagina.
Yeast infections happen when there is an imbalance within the vaginal flora, creating a shift in the environment that allows for candida overgrowth.
Normally your vagina maintains a pH range between 3.8 to 4.5 that's slightly acidic to prevent the overgrowth of yeast. But, when something happens to disrupt the pH of your vagina it leaves you susceptible to developing a yeast infection.
What does it look like to have a Yeast Infection?
Here are a few signs and symptoms that reveal you are experieincing a yeast infection:
- Thick, white or yellowish, "cottage-cheese" like discharge
- Having an unpleasant fishy-odor
- Vulva and vaginal itching and burning
- Swollen and tender tissue
- Pain with urination
- Pain with intercourse
Symptoms can be worse the week before your period or following your period.
What cause Yeast Infections?
There can be several different underlying reasons as to why you are developing yeast infections. Knowing about, and understanding, the causes of your yeast infections can and will make a world of difference in how you go about treating and preventing future infections.
When it comes to your treatment my goal is to always address the root cause and not just your symptoms.
Keep reading to uncover these causes.
1. Poor Eating Habits
Sugar feeds fungal (yeast) and bacterial activity. Eating lots of sugary processed foods and drinking lots of soda and alcohol increases your chances of developing a yeast infection.
2. Elevated Blood Sugar or Diabetes
High blood sugar levels, either by way of diet or because of an underlying health issue, can leave you susceptible to yeast overgrowth. High blood sugar levels can lead to high sugar levels in other bodily secretions like your urine, sweat, saliva, cervical mucus and vaginal discharge.
Sometimes recurrent yeast infections are the first sign of hypergylcemia and diabetes for women. Purchase Blood Sugar Support for blood sugar regulation.
3. Using Antibiotics Regularly
Yeast infections are extremely common in women who take antibiotics regulary. Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill-off both good and bad bacteria, affecting your oral, gut and vaginal microbiome.
Antibiotics do shift the flora in your vagina, contributing to a change in vaginal pH. And, this only causes more yeast and bv infections.
4. Poor Gut Health
Poor gut health affects your vaginal health too; and is the root cause of many of our health issues.
Change to the normal balance of microbiota in your gut due to medication, excessive alcohol consumption, environmental chemical and toxins, high levels of stress and sugar will leave you susceptible to a yeast infection.
5. Unhealthy Sex Partner(s)
This goes without saying, but participating in sex with a partner who has bad hygiene or one who's more promiscuous in nature influences your vaginal health.
Having unaligned sex also affects the energy and health of your vagina.
Be intentional, protect your body and spirit. Stop participating in casual meaningless sex that increases your risk of developing unwanted vaginal infections. Be selfish with your body.
6. Wearing Tight Clothing
Your vagina needs air and space to breathe freely.
Wearing fabric that isn't breathable creates a warm, humid and moist environment that favors fungal (yeast) overgrowth. On the other hand, wearing cool fabric like cotton panties protects you from developing yeast infections.
And, sleeping without underwear gives your vagina time and space to breath as well.
7. High Estrogen Levels
Fluctations in estrogen can lead to an overgrowth of yeast, and eventually a yeast infection. High-dose estrogen birth control pills can increase the risk of yeast infections too.
8. Stress and Weakened Immune System
Stress, whether it be environmental, physical, emotion or spiritual, weakens your body's ability to fight off any infection and welcomes more outbreaks. Having a low immune system makes you more prone to developing any ol' infection.
Build your immune system up by prioritizing sleep, your mental health, quality nutrition and good work-life balance.
Do Yeast Infections go away on their own?
In some cases, yeast infections self resolve, but in my experience, most women require more support and treatment. The key to resolving recurrent infections is to investigate what is making you susceptible to yeast overgrowth in the first place.
Natural Remedies for Yeast Infection
There are seveal natural remedies that can help alleviate your symptoms and resolve your yeast infections.
Over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs like Monistat and Fluconazole can negatively affect your gut health and stress you immune system even more. Making you susceptible to yeast infection outbreaks in the future.
To add, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, dizziness, rashes and in some cases, liver toxicity are possible side-effects of these medications.
The popular boric acid suppositories can also be endocrine disruptors, and should be approached with caution and not relied, misused and overused.
1. Prebiotics and Probiotics
Studies have shown that bacteria, lactobacillus, in particular inhibit yeast growth. Your gut microbiome is shared with your vaginal microbiome, which is why dietary practices that support a healthy gut also supports your vagina.
This is why prebiotics and probiotics are important. Prebiotics are actually food for probiotics (healthy bacteria). Check out our all natural Prebiotic Support supplement,
Probiotic foods contain beneficial bacteria that helps with your gut and vaginal health. Pickles, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi. tempeh and miso are all good probiotic-rich foods.
2. Neem Herb
Neem herb is a powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. Neem has been used successfully for years to treat candida and yeast imbalance in women. Because neem cures infection from the inside out while balancing your immune system, it can be more effective than over-the-counter vaginal creams.
3. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is antimicrobial and has been shown to be an effective topical treatment to yeast overgrowth. Purchase our Feminine Salve that's made with extra-virgin coconut oil.
4. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is an antifungal that's useful for treating yeast infections. Be sure to dilute tea tree essential oil in carrier oil like coconut to prevent hurting your delicate tissues.
Purchase our Feminine Salve that's made with tea tree essential oil.
5. Apple cider vinegar baths (or apple cider vinegar in general)
A vinegar bath as an adjunct therapy can help shift the pH to inhibit the growth of yeast. I would not recommend douching with it for a yeast infection.
Douching can push an infection higher into the genital tract and disrupts the important organisms that protect against yeast overgrowth.
6. Mind Your Food and Nutrition
I advise women to avoid excess processed sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol to prevent yeast overgrowth. Your diet largely influences microbial growth in your entire digestive tract, vagina and even your skin.
While sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol should be consumed in moderation, and be apart of a healthy balanced diet -- if you feel you can never eat these foods without experiencing a yeast infection then this warrants further investigation.
7. Heal Your Gut
As I mentioned earlier in the blog article, your gut heath is extremely important. This is why I told you probiotics are successful as a treatment plan too, because they support your gut health too.
For a comprehensive natural treatment, I recommend women start with my Yeast & BV Health Kit to support gut immunity and inflammation, and to help shift their microbiome to a more favorable state.
I really do hope this article was informatove for you, and that it provided you with the resources and tools you need to support your vaginal health.
Be well and Take Care
Shavonne