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All About Male and Female Yeast Infections

Common Symptoms of Vaginal Yeast Infections

The symptoms of vaginal yeast infections are “nonspecific.”

This means that it is not possible to use the symptoms alone to make a diagnosis, because all these symptoms can also be caused by other organisms.

The most common symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection (yeast vaginitis) are:

• Itching and burning in the vagina and vulva.
• Soreness, swelling and pain around the vulva.
• Pain during intercourse or urination.
• Vaginal discharge. This discharge is not always present, but if there is a discharge it will be odorless or smell like baker’s yeast, and usually has a whitish, thick appearance.

It seems as though these symptoms are pretty obvious, so many women self-diagnose their own infections and purchase antifungal medication at their drugstore. Unfortunately, studies have shown that as much as two-thirds of the non-prescription medications for yeast infections are being used by women who don’t have yeast infections.

Treating yourself with antifungal medication when you don’t have a yeast infection can be harmful for two important reasons:

1. The most obvious reason is that the microbe or parasite that you really have won’t be cured by an antifungal medication, and it could get worse if it isn’t treated. The symptoms of microbial infections can disappear after a short time, so you may think your antifungal treatment worked – but the underlying infection is still there and could cause permanent damage to your reproductive organs. It’s always best to know for sure.
2. The second reason has long-term health benefits, and it’s so important that I tend to repeat it fairly often in this report. When you use an antifungal medication when you don’t need to, your resident yeast population evolves (mutates) to deal with the threat. Your yeast can then become drug-resistant. Your next real yeast infection can then be much more difficult to treat.

To learn more about symptoms of yeast infections, please see the following articles:

• Bacterial Infections - When It Looks Like a Yeast Infection, But It's Really Something Else
• Common Male Yeast Infection Symptoms
• Common Symptoms of Oral Yeast Infections - Thrush
• Symptoms of Less Common Types of Yeast Infections
• Systemic Yeast Infections
• Yeast Infections on the Skin - Common Symptoms

Important: The information presented on this page and other pages on this site is based upon the opinions of the author, and on the author's interpretation of published reports and articles. It is not intended to replace your relationship with a qualified health care professional, and is not intended as medical advice. 

The author encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon knowledge of the issues of nutrition and health, and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

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