About Yeast Infection
Yeast infection is basically a fungal infection, commonly known as candidiasis or thrush. There are many types of this infection and, depending on the subtype of it, a yeast infection can either be relatively harmless and easily treatable or even life-threatening.
Based on the location of the body affected by the yeast infection, people can suffer from superficial variants of this health problem and systemic ones. The most often seen cases of the former one are oral thrush and vaginitis, while the latter affects many parts of the body and is incomparably more serious. Additionally, systemic yeast infections usually appear in people who suffer from diseases which severely compromise immunity, like AIDS or cancer patients, for example.
One of the main signs of a yeast infection are irritation and inflammation of the affected area. However, the manifestation of such infections vary, depending on the area where the fungi can be found. On the skin or the external tissue, this infection leads to redness in the area, followed by itching and an overall sensation of discomfort. More serious symptoms tend to appear once this infection gets ignored and left to escalate, moving in the oral area, the pharynx or the esophagus, as well as the inside of the gastrointestinal area. Furthermore, a yeast infection can take place in the bladder or some other parts of the urinary tract. Finally, it is commonly found in the private area, appearing on the genitals or the surrounding skin, in both men and women.
Yeast is present in our body naturally. However, its growth is carefully controlled and maintained by our immune system, which prevents it to exceed the healthy limits. Yet, once people use shower gels or some other cosmetics based on harsh chemicals, these tend to eliminate the healthy microorganisms located inside and on the surface of our body, affecting the harmony and leading to an overgrow of yeast. Additionally, using birth control pills is a factor which has been related to yeast infections, as well as hormone replacement therapy and antibiotics use. Alternatively, one can get the genital yeast infection through sexual contact with the infected person.
In order to have a yeast infection diagnosed and confirmed, the affected individual is required to undergo swab testing in medical facilities. If the results are positive, the health care professionals prescribe adequate medical therapies for dealing with this problem.
The treatment usually involves taking anti-fungal medications or topical creams. In cases of a more serious infections of this type, the approach may be more complex and radical, including the usage of many other types of chemicals and medications.
All in all, if you notice the above mentioned symptoms of a yeast infection, do not ignore it, since it might become even harder to treat. Rather, seek medical assistance and have your body examined as soon as possible.
