A yeast infection is an infection caused by yeast of the species
Candida. It is also referred to as candidiasis, which mostly
infects women. It causes vaginal infections and some common
mouth infections especially to people who have poor immune
system and those who have been taking antibiotics.
A person becomes increasingly susceptible to yeast infection if
they take large amount of antibiotics, have undergone organ
transplants, has AIDS infection or artificial joints.
Candida albicans, along with the other forms of yeast, commonly
grow in the vagina, mouth and rectum. A yeast infection occurs
if a person's immune system is unbalanced. This invites yeast
like organisms to grow.
If you want to find out if you are affected with candidiasis, it
is strongly advised that you see a doctor. Usually, a doctor or
a clinician will take a sample of your oral plaque or vaginal
discharge and examine the material under a microscope. Once
examined, the doctor will be able to identify whether signs of
infection are present and the current stage in the life cycle of
the yeast infection.
It has been found yeast infections affects three out of four
women. In the United States, nearly 50% of college women have
been diagnosed with yeast infection at the early age of 25 and
almost 5% of those diagnosed go on to develop chronic yeast
infections. Candidiasis can be easily treated but you should
know and understand how it can be prevented so it will not lead
to serious infections.
During pregnancy, a woman has increased levels of estrogen which
causes the increased production of glycogen in the vagina. At
this time, increased yeast growth is often observed. If a
pregnant woman is observed to have signs of candidiasis, she may
pass the infection to her newborn baby in the form of thrush.
This can be seen as white patches present in the baby's mouth at
birth.
So if you are pregnant and you have signs of yeast infection,
you should see your doctor for the appropriate treatment.
About the author:
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