Vaginal thrush is a common fungal infection in the genital area of women. Up to 75 percent of all women experience such a fungal infection in the course of their lives. Typical symptoms are itching and burning in the genital area. If you notice such symptoms, do not hesitate to visit your gynecologist. In most cases, vaginal fungus can be treated quickly and effectively with antifungal medication.
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Vaginal thrush is a fungal disease in the genital area of women. It causes inflammation of the vaginal mucosa and the vulva. The fungal disease is also known as vaginal fungus or vaginal mycosis.
It is estimated that more than 75 percent of women suffer from a vaginal fungal infection at least once in their lives. This makes vaginal mycosis one of the most common infections in the genital area of women.
A yeast fungus is usually the cause of vaginal yeast infections, in particular the yeast Candida albicans. This causes 80 to 90 percent of all vaginal mycosis cases. A further 5 to 10 percent of vaginal mycosis cases are caused by an infection with the yeast Candida galbrata.
Yeast fungi thrive best in a moist environment at a temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius. This is why they can multiply particularly well in the vagina.
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Normal, healthy vaginal flora includes various fungi and other microorganisms, such as lactic acid bacteria. The acidic vaginal environment with a pH value of less than 4.5 suppresses their growth. This results in a natural balance and normally no infections occur.
This can only happen if the vaginal flora gets out of balance. The pathogens can then multiply and cause an infection.
Factors that favor the proliferation of fungi and thus a vaginal fungal infection include
The typical symptoms of vaginal yeast infections can be divided into three main symptoms:
Severe itching and painful burning in the vaginal area: Both the outer genital area of the labia (vulva) and the vaginal entrance are usually affected. The burning sensation can intensify during urination. For the women affected, the itching and burning are usually the most unpleasant symptoms.
Increased discharge: Every woman starts to experience so-called white discharge during puberty. This milky white discharge serves to keep the vaginal mucous membranes moist and flush out bacteria. If the discharge changes
this is an important symptom of a vaginal fungal infection. The discharge remains almost odorless. If the discharge smells strongly fishy, this indicates a bacterial infection rather than a vaginal fungus.
Redness and swelling: The skin affected by the fungal infection reddens and swells. The redness and swelling are a natural defense reaction of the affected tissue to the pathogen.
The symptoms can vary in severity and not all symptoms necessarily occur. Sometimes the symptoms are so minimal that the affected person is not even aware of the infection.
The severity of the infection usually reaches its maximum three days after the outbreak.
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Some women may also experience pain during sexual intercourse. Women with prolonged infections or who suffer from vaginal fungus frequently are particularly affected.
There are not always clear vaginal fungus symptoms with typical complaints. The affected woman then usually only finds out by chance that she has a vaginal fungus. Vaginal thrush is often detected during a routine check-up at the gynaecologist. The vaginal fungus can also be discovered during a microscopic examination of the vaginal smear after the examination.
Such an asymptomatic vaginal fungal infection does not usually require treatment. Only during pregnancy should the vaginal fungus be treated: Then vaginal fungus brings with it certain risks.
Fungal pathogens multiply in the vagina and cause an infection © Kateryna_Kon | AdobeStock
Women who have already been affected by vaginal yeast infections can often recognize the typical symptoms themselves. Self-treatment with an antifungal agent is then a good option. Such preparations are available over the counter in pharmacies. They eliminate the infection and quickly alleviate the unpleasant symptoms.
However, a visit to the doctor is necessary if
The gynecologist will usually start by taking a medical history and asking the patient in detail about the symptoms and accompanying symptoms.
This is followed by a gynecological examination of the genital area. The doctor takes a swab from the vaginal mucosa for a microscopic examination.
In most cases, vaginal fungus can be recognized with the naked eye by the characteristic changes to the mucous membrane in the vagina and vulva.
The swab is used to confirm the diagnosis. The tissue sample is examined under a microscope. Fungal pathogens can be detected. However, in order to identify the exact pathogen, a fungal culture must be grown. In the laboratory, the fungus from the tissue sample is placed on a culture medium. After a few days or weeks, the culture has grown enough to identify the pathogen.
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Vaginal mycosis is treated with antifungal medication, so-called antifungals. They inhibit the growth of the vaginal fungus and kill it. The active ingredients in these medications include
They are usually
This treatment lasts one to six days, depending on the dosage and severity of the vaginal fungal infection.
Antifungals can also be administered as tablets. They then have a systemic effect, i.e. throughout the entire body. Local treatment using suppositories, creams etc. is usually sufficient to kill the fungus. If the treatment has no effect or the fungus returns quickly, the doctor will prescribe systemic therapy.
There are many rumors circulating about vaginal fungus home remedies, but these should be treated with great caution. Many of the suggested remedies do more harm than good.
Many women hope that alternative medicine and natural remedies will provide a gentler and more gentle treatment. For this reason, they often resort to home remedies to treat vaginal yeast infections. They are based on traditional advice from friends or rumors on the internet.
In the following, we briefly present the most common rumors circulating on the subject of vaginal fungus home remedies. We will also tell you how useful or harmful these home remedies actually are.
A frequently propagated alternative home remedy for vaginal fungus is yogurt. It should be inserted into the vagina using a vaginal sponge or a tampon. Yoghurt contains lactic acid bacteria. They are supposed to stabilize the vaginal environment, which has been damaged by the vaginal fungal infection, and to displace the fungus.
Lactic acid bacteria are indeed necessary for maintaining the vaginal flora. However, the lactic acid bacteria contained in yogurt are not sufficient to combat vaginal fungus. Once the fungal pathogens have multiplied to such an extent that a vaginal fungal infection develops, lactic acid bacteria cannot do anything about it.
Only antimycotics can help to kill the fungal pathogens.
Yoghurt also contains other bacterial cultures that have no place in the natural vaginal environment. Also
may also be present. Yoghurt treatment can therefore cause irritation of the vaginal mucosa and inflammation and even make the vaginal fungal infection worse.
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Vinegar rinses are intended to lower the pH value of the vagina and thus restore the acidic environment of the vagina. Tea tree oil should either be heavily diluted with water and used as a vaginal douche or as an additive in a sitz bath. This is said to have a disinfectant and germ-killing effect.
In fact, the effectiveness of these vaginal fungus home remedies has not been proven. On the contrary: both vinegar and tea tree oil are far too harsh for the sensitive vaginal mucosa and irritate it even more. This can lead to a worsening of the vaginal fungus symptoms.
The fungal pathogens cannot simply be rinsed out with a vaginal douche.
Vaginal douches damage the vaginal flora and further unbalance it.
Another myth is that inserting garlic cloves helps with vaginal fungus. Garlic cloves, like tea tree oil, are said to have a disinfecting and germ-killing effect. It is therefore often recommended to insert garlic cloves - together with a yoghurt tampon if necessary - into the vagina.
However, it is better to refrain from using this vaginal fungus home remedy. Pungent garlic is far too aggressive for the sensitive vaginal flora. It can dry out the mucous membrane of the vagina and therefore make the vaginal fungal infection worse rather than better.
Sitz baths with herbal additives such as
are another popular home remedy for vaginal fungus. The rumor behind this is that herbal baths can virtually flush away vaginal fungus.
Sitz baths with herbal supplements can have a relaxing effect. Sometimes they also provide short-term relief from symptoms. However, they do not have any real therapeutic benefit.
Sitz baths with herbal additives can neither cure vaginal fungal infections nor eliminate their causes. You should even be careful when using essential oils in herbal baths. These can irritate the vaginal mucosa under certain circumstances.
The effectiveness of homeopathic medication has not yet been proven in scientific tests. Nevertheless, many people rely on them.
There are also a number of homeopathic remedies available for the treatment of vaginal thrush. However, these are not suitable for the sole treatment of a vaginal fungal infection.
At most, they should be seen as a complementary treatment method.
It is better to rely on conventional medicine for vaginal yeast infections. Most home remedies for vaginal fungus have no benefit or even make it worse .
It is therefore better to treat vaginal fungus according to the latest, proven findings and with antimycotics.
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As a rule, a consistently treated vaginal fungus takes a quick and uncomplicated course.
In the case of chronic vaginal mycosis - technically known as chronic recurrent vaginal mycosis - renewed, longer-term antifungal therapy is usually necessary.
Various behaviors and precautionary measures can help to prevent a vaginal fungal infection. These include in particular
Too much intimate hygiene is harmful to the vaginal flora. You should therefore avoid
They damage the natural balance of the vaginal flora and thus promote the proliferation of vaginal fungal pathogens. Instead, you should rinse your external genital area at regular intervals exclusively with
wash.
When cleaning the toilet, make sure you wipe from front to back, never the other way around.
Airtight or plastic-coated panty liners or sanitary towels can lead to a build-up of heat and moisture. This favors the multiplication of vaginal fungal pathogens. Therefore, only wear panty liners that are permeable to air.
Use small or very small tampons during the last few days of your period. Tampons can also promote a vaginal fungal infection in sensitive women.
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Do not wear tight-fitting, synthetic clothing and underwear. Instead, wear light cotton underwear, which should ideally be changed daily. After bathing, wet swimwear should not be left to dry on your body, but should be taken off immediately.
If you already suffer from vaginal thrush, change your towels and underwear daily. Do not share them with your partner. Otherwise infection is possible.
Special detergents are available from pharmacies to kill the pathogens in clothing, underwear and towels.
