How Can I Prevent Yeast Infections?

For middle-aged and young women, yeast infections are an irritable condition. Poor diet and antibiotics can destroy friendly bacteria in your body, causing an overgrowth of bad or infection-causing bacteria, often resulting in yeast infections.

Often a yeast infection is the result of an imbalance of the vaginal flora caused by underlying health conditions, environmental changes, or antibiotics, which cause proliferation of the yeast candida albicans. Yeast infection affects 5 percent of women, with 75% experiencing the condition at least once in a lifetime.

 

Yeast Infections Prevention

• Wear cotton undergarments. Yeast tends to proliferate in damp and moist conditions. Keeping your body dry, cool, and airy can help prevent or reduce the risk of recurrent vaginal yeast infections. Change clothes immediately after a workout or swimming session, as a damp place is conducive to yeast growth. Wear cotton instead of nylon and polyester underwear that tend to hold moisture close to your skin, resulting in yeast infection.

• Avoid or limit the use of scented tampons or powders and deodorant sprays that contain chemicals and upset the natural balance of friendly bacteria and micro-organisms in the body, especially vagina.

• Control blood sugar levels if you have diabetes to reduce the risk of yeast infection. Yeast tends to feed on excessive sugar. Cutting down on your sugar intake can help cut off the food supply of the yeast.

• Increase intake of probiotics and food containing live cultures of “friendly” bacteria to prevent yeast infections.

• Avoid using an antibacterial deodorant soap to upset the balance of yeast and bacteria inside the vagina.

• Take preventive antifungal therapy if you are vulnerable to yeast infections after taking antibiotics.

• Eat nutritious and healthy food and stay active to manage stress and enjoy good health. Women that consume too much sugar and alcohol can trigger their yeast infections.

• Play it safe in the bed. Choose condoms without spermicide if you are sensitive to spermicides that cause frequent irritation. For such women, frequent use of spermicidal condoms results in yeast infections.

• Choose milk products that contain acidophilus lactobacillus bacteria, including yogurt, acidophilus milk, and kefir, which help restore the vaginal flora balance and reduce the risk of yeast infections.

• Do not douch or wash out the inside of your vagina. Doing so can wash away good bacteria that otherwise keep a check on harmful bacteria.

• See your doctor if you experience frequent episodes of yeast infections.