Thrush: how to prevent an unpleasant disease
Thrush, or vaginal candidiasis (VVC), is an infectious disease of the vagina caused by a fungus. About 75% of women experience this infection at least once in their lives [1, 2, 3], and relapses often occur. We made an extract from materials from doctors about how thrush develops and what to do to avoid the disease.
Table of Contents
Thrush: causes of infection
Vulvovaginal candidiasis is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida. The fungus lives in women’s intestines and does not cause harm during normal operation of the body, but under the influence of various factors it can attack the microflora of the vagina and cause extremely unpleasant symptoms.
The reasons for this failure are different:
Recurrent VVC occurs in approximately 50% of women. A predisposition to candidiasis can develop even due to improper underwear or poor-quality hygiene products — pads and cosmetics. Usually, thrush begins shortly before menstruation and disappears during menstruation.
Thrush in women: symptoms and treatment
There are two important symptoms that indicate VVC. They can complicate urination by holding up urine, and even cause insomnia and neurosis.:
1. Atypical vaginal discharge. Most likely, they will be white, thick or, conversely, flaky, curd-like. A characteristic sour smell will appear.
2. Unpleasant sensations. Candidiasis is accompanied by severe burning and itching, as well as swelling and rashes similar to vesicles-they are called vesicles.
With repeated episodes of thrush, the symptoms are no longer so pronounced, so if the disease has been repeated four times or more, you should pay more attention to the state of the genitals.
In the presence of symptoms and a confirmed diagnosis of VVC, the main task of treatment is the complete destruction of the causative agent of infection. Depending on the diagnostic results, gynecologists prescribe topical medications [4]. The main ones can be divided into three categories::
- polyene products
- imidazole compounds
- triazole products
Modern candles and pills for thrush help to cope with the disease in the period from three to seven days. Imidazole — type drugs, such as Clotrimazole, show the highest efficiency [2]*.
Simple rules for preventing thrush:
- barrier contraception
- comfortable underwear made from natural fabrics
- adequate hygiene of the intimate area
- good nutrition
- give up smoking and alcohol
- do not overuse sweets
