NO ONE LIKES THESE. I will attest to this.
A yeast infection or vaginal candidiasis is a yeast overgrowth in the vaginal canal. It can be itchy, uncomfortable and produce significant amounts of clumpy white discharge.
What is recurrent defined as?
More than four yeast infections in a one-year period.
What can you do?
Traditionally anti-fungal are used to treat yeast infections. This can be dosed either orally or vaginally, but due to the recurrent nature of the infection, the initial treatment is usually followed by at least 6 months of maintenance therapy. Aside from being on antibiotics for an extended period of time, these treatments are not guaranteed to work if the root cause of the yeast infection is not being addressed.
What a Naturopath will do
Your naturopath will take a deep look into WHY you are continually getting yeast infections and what is happening in your body specifically that is allowing this yeast overgrowth which is part of your normal vaginal culture (it should be there, just not in this quantity). You will be assessed on:
- Your vaginal flora & vaginal pH
- Your medication use
- Overall immune system health (this is VERY important to determine why your body isn’t fighting this)
- Your hormone levels (high levels of estrogen have been linked to yeast infections)
- Blood sugar regulation (the primary food source for these guys)
- Your gut microbiome
- And many other factors
From this, a comprehensive plan will be made just for YOU and your needs. The aim is to stop you from getting a yeast infection in the future, avoiding those antibiotics and helping you understand what to do if one pops back up.