How to decode your Yeast Infection
Yeast infections are common but understanding them can be hard. Why won’t it go away? What is non-albicans Candida? This guide is here to help you get real answers with real science.
Why are yeast infections so complicated?
A vaginal yeast infection, also known as vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) or vaginal thrush, is a very common fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast. In fact, approximately 75% of women will experience at least one yeast infection in their lifetime.
Mild to moderate yeast infections that are sporadic or infrequent are normally caused by the yeast, Candida albicans and are called “uncomplicated yeast infections”. This can usually be easily treated using over-the-counter antifungal medication.
In some cases, the yeast infection cannot be easily treated or it will come back after treatment. This could be because it is a “complicated yeast infection” or because it is not a yeast infection at all! Up to two-thirds of non-prescription drugs used to treat yeast infections are used in error.
Yeast infections that are severe, recurrent, caused by non-albicans Candida and/or occur in women who are immunocompromised are called “complicated yeast infections”. To maximize treatment success, it is important to know if your symptoms are really down to a yeast infection, and if so, what type of yeast infection it is. To add to all this, sometimes yeast isn’t a problem at all (if you have no symptoms)!
We are here to help you navigate through the complicated world of vaginal yeast. Here’s how to decode your yeast infection in 5 simple steps with Juno Bio.
Step 1: Rule out the more common causes of these symptoms
Typical yeast infection symptoms include itching, white, cottage cheese-like discharge, vulval irritation and pain during sex. However, there are a number of other conditions that could cause these or similar symptoms.
Vulval irritation
Whilst vulval itching and irritation is a common symptom of yeast infections, most of the time vulval itching is caused by dermatitis, not an infection.
Dermatitis is a term used to describe skin irritation that presents as itchy, red and dry, or a rash. It can be caused by genetics, your immune system, stress, exposure to allergens and irritants, or by a combination of these things.
There are a huge number of irritants or allergens that could potentially upset your delicate vulval skin! Below is a list of just some of the things that could cause irritation. It may be worth ruling these out as the cause of your discomfort before assuming you have a yeast infection.
- Fragranced soap or bubble baths
- Fragranced toilet roll or fragranced sanitary pads
- Cleansing wipes
- Antiseptics, topical medicine or pessaries
- Spermicides, lubricants, condoms or diaphragms
- Washcloths, certain dyes in underwear, tight-fitting clothes
- Bodily fluids
After dermatitis, yeast infections are the most common cause of vulval itching, accounting for 35-40% of cases of vulval itch in reproductive-aged women. Less common causes include other dermatological conditions (e.g. lichen simplex chronicus, lichen sclerosus, psoriasis and lichen planus), other microbial infections (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus spp., Shigella spp.) or parasitic infections (pinworm, pubic lice and scabies). Itching can also be an early symptom of vulvar cancer, but this is very rare.
Unusual discharge
Vaginal discharge is fluid that keeps the vagina moist and clean. It changes throughout the menstrual cycle, with sexual arousal and during pregnancy. Normal vaginal discharge should be:
- clear or white
- thick and sticky
- slippery and wet
- not strong or unpleasant smelling
If you notice a change in the smell, color or texture of your discharge, it could be a sign of an infection. Most commonly this is due to bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections or trichomoniasis (a sexually transmitted infection; STI). Other STIs, aerobic vaginitis and cytolytic vaginosis can also cause unusual discharge.
Discharge that is white and clumpy but not unpleasant smelling is a sign of a yeast infection. However, cytolytic vaginosis can often be mistaken for a yeast infection as it too causes thick, white discharge.
Pain during sex
Vaginal pain during penetrative sex could be the result of a yeast infection, or it could be caused by an STI, vaginal dryness due to menopause, lack of sexual arousal, vaginismus, or exposure to irritants or allergens (see “Vulvar irritation”).
Pain felt deep inside the pelvis during penetrative sex could be the result of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis or fibroids. There could even be a non-gynecological cause such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or constipation.