Controlling Yeast Infections

Intense itching is usually the hallmark of a vaginal yeast infection. Once a woman has experienced it, she's not likely to forget it. Nearly 75% of all women will have at least one such infection in their lifetime. Many are plagued by recurring yeast infections which are most frequent between the ages of 16 and 35.

Yeast is a term for single-celled fungi. The technical name for the variety of fungus often present in the human body is candida, and the technical name for infections caused by these fungi is candidiasis. Such infections occur not only in the vagina, but also in other parts of the body in both sexes.

In December 1990, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the over-the-counter (nonprescription) sale of the first of several products for treating vaginal yeast infections in women previously diagnosed by their doctors as having them. A woman who has had one vaginal yeast infection can usually recognize its symptoms if it recurs. And a woman who has had several infections has no doubt about what's wrong when the next yeast infection starts.

There are several symptoms that identify a yeast infection, but if a woman does not experience an itching sensation, it's unlikely that she has a yeast infection. Another symptom signaling a yeast infection is a thick, mostly odorless discharge. But this symptom can be misleading, because discharge in and of itself is not diagnostic. If a woman has a white discharge with an intense, irritating itch, she may have an infection. Unfortunately, many women will, in response to increased estrogen at midcycle and the increased production of cervical mucus, develop a white, curdy discharge. This is not a yeast infection.

While not all women experience the following symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection, it's possible to have: vaginal soreness or irritation, a rash on the vulva around the vagina, pain or discomfort during intercourse, abdominal pain, soreness of the vulva or vagina, burning during urination, and even vaginal bleeding in some cases, in addition to itching and discharge.