A Yeast Infection Looks Like Cottage Cheese Sitting Over Red BaseAround 50 per cent of girls going to college in US suffer from vaginal yeast infection at least once by the age of 25. While, 75 per cent of all women suffer form it once in their lifetime. So it is a fairly common problem in most women. Though it is easy to treat the yeast infection, all women folks must know how a yeast infection looks like, for there are many other infections that mimic the symptoms of yeast infection. First things first, a vaginal yeast infection is nothing but an overgrowth of naturally occurring yeast in the vagina. The overgrowth is severe enough to cause persistent itching as well as other symptoms. It causes severe inflammation on the affected area and looks like a red patch. This may further produce pus. The yeast infection also causes curdy white discharge in the woman. Many compare the discharge with cheesy substance, which may be thick or thin, as per the condition. So, a yeast infection looks like a patch of curdy substance over the red base. Other symptoms may include painful intercourse, pain while urinating, and vaginal and labial burning and itching. Yeast infections are more common during the second trimester of a woman's pregnancy, than any other time in her life. Though they are not harmful to the pregnancy, it is quite difficult to treat them during pregnancy. This may add to too much of inconvenience for the expecting mother. Antifungal medicines are normally recommended to treat yeast infections. These antifungal medicines are available in the form of ointments, creams, and tablets. You can buy antifungal medicines over-the-counter, but if you are pregnant, you must necessarily consult your doctor for the treatment. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- However if you are seeking treatment for yeast infection while trying to conceive, you should take your doctor's advice rather than following a self-diagnosis. This is because self-diagnosis may often lead to misdiagnosis of yeast infection. Also seek your doctor's advice on can you get pregnant while you have a yeast infection. The risk of a woman to get the infection is most likely to be based upon her immune system and its functioning. So if a woman or even a pregnant woman has a good immune system against the yeast, she may not have the infection. Although during pregnancy there are lots of hormonal changes in a woman's body which increase the possibility of having a yeast infection. Besides the above, taking hormones, birth control pills, antibiotics, or steroids may also cause the infection to take a root. The condition like high blood sugar could also be a cause. Other causes include sexual intercourse, contact with semen or blood and douching. In order to prevent yeast infection from staying on to your vagina, you should avoid continual and too much moisture in your genital area. You can do this by wearing cotton made panties with loose fitting slacks. Also, do not wear wet bathing suits or even exercise clothes for a long time and remember to wash these clothes after each use. Now as you know how a yeast infection looks like, besides its causes and treatment, you must take good care of yourself. Maintain genital hygiene and also follow the precautions to get away with the infection. |