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Thrush in women: symptoms and treatment

The appearance of symptoms of thrush in a woman and the treatment of the disease is a problem that is often encountered by women of reproductive age. The pathology is characterized by inflammation of the vaginal mucosa due to the irritating effect of yeast on it, which belong to the genus Candida (Candida). In medical terminology, thrush is called candidiasis, which is associated with the name of the pathogen. The disease causes severe discomfort, is not very treatable and often recurs. To get rid of thrush, you need to identify the cause of the activation of fungi and undergo treatment, clearly following the doctor's instructions.

Material Content:

1 Thrush in women - causes
2 Is thrush transmitted from woman to man?
3 First signs
4 Symptoms of thrush in women
5 What is the danger of thrush in women?
6 Diagnostics
7 Treatment of thrush in women
8 Prevention

Thrush in women - causes

Various organisms are present in the vaginal microflora, including candida fungi. The growth of their population is restrained by bacteria and local vaginal immunity.

Factors that reduce the body's resistance to infections adversely affect the internal flora, provoke the rapid multiplication of yeast and the appearance of thrush.

Causes of candidiasis can be:

antibiotic use, especially in the case of long-term therapy;

This is the main reason for the pathological multiplication of candidiasis. Antibacterial drugs cannot act selectively, so they destroy both pathogenic flora and beneficial microorganisms, including vaginal bacteria, which feed on candida. As a result, the yeast population increases dramatically and thrush symptoms appear.

decreased body resistance (poor immunity);

The human immune system inhibits the development of bad microorganisms, which are always present in the body and are considered conditionally pathogenic. When resistance decreases, fungi become active, and their numbers begin to prevail in the microflora of the vagina.

hormonal changes;

The concentration of sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone) in the bloodstream affects the condition of the mucous membrane and the microflora of the vagina. Instability of the hormonal background, for example, due to pregnancy, pathologies of the endocrine system or the administration of oral contraceptives, creates favorable conditions for the development of candidiasis.

neglect of hygiene;

Poor hygiene, wearing synthetic underwear, improper use of tampons or pads - all this adjusts the situation in the vagina to the benefit of fungi.

metabolic pathology;

Thrush often occurs in people with diabetes. In their blood, the concentration of glucose is constantly increased, respectively, the amount of carbohydrates in the vaginal mucus increases. A sweet environment is formed in which fungi grow much faster.

Is thrush transmitted from woman to man?

If a girl suffers from thrush, then during intercourse she can pass the disease to her partner. Candida spores will move from the vagina to the delicate skin of the head of the penis, and after a short period of time, the man will show the first symptoms of the disease. Infection can also occur when the girl still has no signs of thrush, but the population of fungi is already pathologically increased.

After oral sex with a sick partner, thrush in the mouth may occur. This is an unpleasant form of pathology, which is manifested by a white coating on the tongue and inner surface of the cheeks, pain during eating, a sharp, often acidic, smell and swelling of the mucous membrane.

First signs

The first signs of thrush in women, which can be caught before the height of the disease, usually begin to appear 5-7 days before the expected date of menstruation. There is a feeling of discomfort, itching, burning at the entrance to the vagina and in the urethra. Girls have unpleasant sensations during and after sex, since the mucous membrane becomes sensitive, upon examination, you can see its redness. The primary symptoms are mild, so most patients do not pay attention to it, and consult a specialist only after the appearance of obvious symptoms of thrush.

Symptoms of thrush in women

The disease has a specific clinical picture, so it is difficult to confuse it with any other infection of the female reproductive system.

Signs that indicate the development of vaginal candidiasis:

discharge - have a curdled character (white mucus with lumps), have a mild, sour smell, leave white-yellow spots on underwear;
discomfort during the act of urination - itching, burning in the urinary canal, which spread to the genitals and, sometimes, to the lower abdomen;
the impossibility of sexual activity - during penetration, the penis comes into contact with the walls of the vagina, causing irritation and provoking the appearance of painful sensations in the girl;
a feeling of itching and pain in the vagina and in the area of entry into it.

Symptoms develop gradually, but quickly reach their peak. Timeless untreated acute thrush develops into a chronic form and leads to the development of complications. Therefore, it is important to quickly contact a gynecologist and begin treatment.

What is the danger of thrush in women?

If you catch the disease in the acute period and do not let it go into a chronic course, then there will be no unpleasant consequences.

But a long-term disease with periodic attenuation and relapse leads to complications:

the formation of adhesions between organs that are in the pelvis;
impaired patency of the fallopian tubes that connect the uterus and ovaries;
the occurrence of infertility;
a decrease in the body's ability to resist disease;
spread of infection to neighboring structures;
the development of sepsis.

In addition, if thrush occurs during pregnancy, the infection can penetrate the baby, in utero infecting it.

Diagnostics

To diagnose candidiasis, the doctor usually needs the patient's complaints and examination data (external and in the mirrors). But since in most cases the disease occurs in conjunction with other infections of the genital tract, a bacteriological study is carried out - sowing secretions.

If candidiasis appears in the oral cavity, then plaque scraping is necessary. Excretion of a fungal culture helps to differentiate thrush from other pathologies, for example, leukoplakia or lichen.

Treatment of thrush in women

Treatment of thrush is carried out with the help of drug therapy, a special diet and local medical procedures. Also, along with the appointments of the attending physician, you can use alternative recipes, but only after approval by the gynecologist.

It is important not to have sex during the entire treatment, since during the sexual intercourse the partner becomes infected and there is an even greater imbalance in the vaginal flora.

Drug treatment

At the beginning of the disease, doctors prescribe drugs with a narrow focus only with local effects on the body, that is, suppositories or creams with an antifungal effect. The appointment of funds with a wide spectrum of action is impractical, since they destroy the entire microflora of the vagina, which can only aggravate the situation.

The most commonly used antifungal drugs are:

Clotrimazole- released in the form of a solution, cream or suppository. They lubricate the labia and the entrance to the vagina, bury it in the urethra and rinse the mucous membrane. Procedures are carried out 1-2 times a day;
Pimafucin - tablets, suppositories and cream. The difference between this medication is that it can be used not only for the local effect, but also for general treatment;
Livarol - Available only in the form of suppositories, which are inserted deep into the vagina at night. The course of treatment takes from 5 to 10 days, depending on the susceptibility of the body and the severity of the disease.

Recovery accelerates the increased intake of minerals and vitamin elements in the body, which improve immunity and stabilize the microflora. It is recommended to drink vitamin and mineral complexes at the same time as antifungal agents.

Folk remedies against thrush

For the treatment of thrush at home, both external and internal use of oils, solutions and decoctions from various collections are widely used.

Oregano Oil

In 50 ml of olive oil add 3 drops of oregano ether and mix thoroughly. In the resulting mixture, moisten a swab or rolled gauze and insert into the vagina. The procedure must be performed at night, and in the morning take out a tampon. The course of treatment should not exceed two weeks. It is important to cook a fresh mixture every day, and not to use yesterday’s composition. Also, the means can lubricate the external genitalia.

Chamomile, calendula and sage

Mix the ingredients in equal proportions, pour 500 ml of boiling water over 30 g of the collection and let cool to room temperature. Then strain thoroughly. Received infusion to conduct douching.

Water, soda, iodine

Make a sedentary bath out of a liter of water, with the addition of one tablespoon of salt and a few drops of iodine.

None of the methods should cause discomfort or burning, if this happens, then the concentration of solutions is too high. In addition, allergic reactions may occur. In this case, the procedure should be stopped and no longer repeated.