Vaginal yeast infections are quite irritating. They are uncomfortable, itchy, and sometimes painful. Most vaginal yeast infections are caused by the Candida family of fungi. The infections are not harmful to otherwise healthy women.
Most of the organisms live in a healthy balance as a part of your vaginal flora. However, certain triggers may cause an imbalance resulting in an infection. These triggers could be a change in your vaginal pH, or the microbiome is disrupted. It may be something like your blood sugar being high or your gut microbiome being off balance. When an infection occurs, it can lead to irritated, itchy, burning sensations in your vagina and vulva, increased urination, and an unpleasant discharge.
Preventing and healing yeast infections naturally
It’s best to take a multi-pronged approach when dealing with a yeast infection. You need to use vaginal probiotics and herbal treatments to address the overgrowth of harmful fungi while restoring balance to the microbiome and your overall health.
If you want to treat a current yeast infection or prevent one from the beginning, look at the triggers below and make some lifestyle changes, ideally eliminating the triggers. This may mean avoiding sugar and alcohol for several months. You should also reduce exposure to chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors and put your health at risk.
Eliminate triggers
There are 6 key triggers that can cause an imbalance in your vaginal microbiome by altering your pH, increasing blood sugar, or damaging the healthy flora. The result can be a yeast infection.
- Alcohol. If you want to treat or prevent a yeast infection, alcohol must be eliminated. Even red wine feeds the yeast, and wine is just sugar and yeast. This includes eliminating cocktails that are high in sugar. You can opt for vodka or tequila with sparkling water and a bit of lime or cranberry juice.
- Antibiotics. Antibiotics have played a wonderful role in dealing with bacterial infections. However, they also kill the beneficial bacteria as well, which may enable the unhealthy yeast to overgrow. Many antibiotics are overprescribed. If you have a viral infection, antibiotics won’t help and may harm you. If you do need an antibiotic, take a good probiotic as well that includes the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains.
- Sugary foods: Yeast loves sugar, and sugar also interferes with a healthy immune response. This is a prime trigger for a yeast infection. If you have elevated blood sugar levels, you need to restore your blood sugar balance in order to address recurring yeast infections.
- Chemicals, softeners, and fragrances that are in soaps, menstrual products, toilet paper, and more: These can cause issues for your vaginal health. Look for natural, unscented personal hygiene products.
- Sex: No, you don’t need to avoid sex. Just be aware that condoms and lubricants may cause an imbalance. Your vaginal pH may become affected by the higher pH of semen, and sexual acts can spread your partner’s flora to you. Prevention is key to warding off a yeast infection
For mild and moderate yeast infections, avoiding triggers and using probiotics is often enough to treat the infection. Antifungal medications bring relief, but they are just a band-aid covering an underlying problem and don’t treat the root cause.
Use probiotics
You can use both vaginal and oral probiotics. For oral probiotics, look for Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, 1-2 capsules daily depending on the severity of your current symptoms or how often you get recurrences, for 6-24 weeks. You want to take these daily until you’re free of infection for 6 months.
For vaginal probiotics, look for alternating products, one day using the above product blend, and the next day, a product containing Lactobacillus crispatus. A number of studies now show that these three probiotic strains can improve the vaginal ecosystem and heal and prevent vaginal yeast infections by restoring the local flora and resetting the gut microbiome as well.
Also, take 20 mg of zinc citrate orally, daily, especially for recurrent infections and take a multivitamin if you haven’t been eating your best to help boost your immune system, and consider adaptogens if you think it’s stress that’s making you susceptible or throwing your system off.
Heal your gut
If you experience recurring yeast infections, you may need to address gut health as well. Eliminating sugar and simple carbohydrates from your diet is an important step, as is taking the probiotics mentioned above. Eating a healthy diet rich in good quality protein, 6-8 servings of veggies/day, getting gut-healthy fiber in your diet from complex whole grains, legumes, and flaxseed, and including at least 1/4 cup of lacto-fermented veggies in your diet daily is also important.
Heal irritation
If you have a lot of local irritation (burning, burning when you urinate, frequent urination due to irritation or itching), these solutions can help you to heal inflamed, irritated, and even damaged tissue. You may want to try using 1 to 2 of the natural methods before considering medications:
Apply 2 tablespoons of live active culture yogurt to the vagina and vulva daily for 3-5 days. To apply inside the vagina, use your fingers or carefully use a vaginal applicator. This is very soothing to irritated tissue and has probiotics.
Many herbs have healing properties that can help in the topical treatment of vaginal infections. Aloe vera gel can be applied liberally to the vulva to heal irritated and inflamed tissue. Make sure it is pure aloe gel without preservatives – the added preservatives, even citric acid, can burn sensitive tissue.
Herbal suppositories can be prepared at home with a blend of herbs specific for vaginal yeast infections. They can provide soothing relief, heal tissue, and have antimicrobial action for the vaginal canal. You can find herbal suppositories at health stores.
What about medications?
Sometimes anti-fungal medication is necessary and appropriate. A 1-to-3-day course for most women is a reasonably safe and effective approach. However, if you have frequent or recurrent infections, antifungal medications are just a band-aid covering an underlying problem and don’t treat the root cause. Addressing the root causes actually improves your health and the infections stop recurring as a positive ‘side effect.’
Natural prevention or treatments are appropriate in many situations. However, if you have persistent, recurring infections, check with your doctor. Some diseases including diabetes and HIV can cause repeated vaginal infections. For women with HIV or undergoing cancer therapy please check with your doctor before self-treating with natural medicines or foregoing conventional medication for treatment.