Natural Yeast Infection Remedies

by Beth Kaminski

Posted on Thursday 3rd of September 2009

Yeast infection is a fairly common infection with some specific yeast infections affecting only women. In cases like these, they are often referred to as thrush. These are easily treatable with either medication or DIY home remedies both being equally effective. As it happens, yeast infection stems from the fungi that feed on the body's natural flora and harmless bacteria, which acts as the body's protective shield against toxic agents and micro organisms.
One of the key things to remember when treating or curing yeast infection is that the cure or treatment may kill the body's own bacteria, which may:

1. Make the infection worse
2. Cause the infection to recur more often
3. Destroy the body's natural defenses

As such, the approach to finding remedies for yeast infection should be done with caution, particularly when the infection is located in a sensitive area, like the genitals and the diaper area for newborns and babies.

Most home remedies for yeast infection include yogurt and/or vinegar. The former is considered a healthy and natural cure or prevention as it contains good bacteria that can replace the harmful bacteria in a yeast infection. Vinegar (one to three spoonfuls in a bucket of water) works as a gentle cleanser which cleans out the area, rids it of infection while disinfecting it for a period of time. This helps keep the spot clean, thus unattractive to any breeding of harmful bacteria.

Other ways of getting rid of vaginal yeast infection include douching. While regular douching is not recommended for women, when experiencing a yeast infection, this helps clear out the vagina and urinary tract, much like blowing one's nose. For best results, use a mild vinegar douche. This helps to restore the vagina's normal pH value. Alternatively, a douche with live lactobacillus or acidophilus bacteria works just as well and is more appropriate for those who had to resort to antibiotics during treatment.

Using herbs or natural products can also help. One simple natural cure for yeast infection, albeit a slow one, is with garlic. Eating 2 fresh cloves a day, plain or minced will help clear up the thrush and ingesting garlic regularly will prevent the infection from recurring. Other equally natural approaches include using spices. Basil, for one, can be boiled and gargled with to get rid of oral thrush. Otherwise, it can be sweetened with maple syrup and drunk.
Rosemary tea, generally religiously drunk, can effectively cure itching. If you want, you can mix it with douche as well. Thyme, its foil, can also be used to cure yeast infection.

If these alternatives do not convince you much and you want to seek a medical advise, then you should consult your doctor. The physician would be able to prescribe you the best yeast infection medicine. Miconazole and clotrimazole are few of the best names for yeast infection cure. You need to follow the direction for use while you are into these medicines.

Next comes boric acid. Its low cost and safety makes it a good option. You can get it both in tablets as well as suppositories. The latter should be used under the supervision of a doctor. Pregnant woman should not use boric acid.

The last resort and the least recommended as well is the antibiotics. They are quite effective in curing the yeast infection, but in the course of curing the ailment, they also destroy the good bacteria. Our body has to depend upon good bacteria for some functions, and if the population of the good bacteria is lowered down, the situation might get worse.

Preventio is better than cure. So, instead of looking out for a cure for yeast infection, why not simply prevent it? This does not require much effort and is quite easy. The simplest of all is to prevent tight fitting clothes. Also, try to switch to cotton stuff rather than some synthetic cloth.

Staying dry as much as possible also helps to reduce the possibility of getting yeast infections. Changing out of swimwear as soon as possible and ensuring that the specific is always kept dry and in a breathable condition is an effective long-term solution to the problem.