How to Cure a Yeast Infection Fast and Naturally at Home

By JCielo

In How to Get Rid of a Yeast Infection Fast and Naturally at Home you're going to discover 10 simple, but very effective, yeast infection home remedies that very many folks have used successfully to eliminate their horrible infections.

But, in order to fully appreciate how these simple home remedies can help to eliminate yeast infection naturally, you first need to understand a bit more about this nasty infection.

So, before getting into the details of how to get rid of a yeast infection fast and naturally at home, let's briefly go through:- the symptoms to look out for, why it's so important to get a proper diagnosis, the cause of the actual yeast infection, underlying issues that trigger infections (very important) and mainstream treatment and its shortcomings.

What Are Yeast Infection Symptoms?

Infections most often naturally occur in females and the most common place by far where the infection manifests itself is in and around the vaginal area.

The most common symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection are:-

• redness
• inflammation
• swelling
• itching
• thick white discharge
• pain when urinating
• pain during intercourse

As you can see these types of symptoms could very well be signs of some other issue perhaps even more problematic than a yeast infection.

This is why it is vital that you get yourself to your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

For the purposes of this article we shall continue on the assumption that you have been diagnosed with yeast infection...

What Causes Yeast Infections?

- The Cause -

The thing that actually causes yeast infections is a yeast-like fungus called 'candida albicans.' This is a naturally occurring fungus found in the human body, mainly in the gut, but also in warm, moist locations such as the vagina, anus, mouth, under skin folds, and so on.

You normally don't have to worry about the candida fungi because they are usually kept from overgrowing into an actual infection by the millions of friendly bacteria in your body.

But, if this environmental 'balance' of good bacteria v bad bacteria is upset in any way then the candida can overgrow and proliferate throughout your body causing yeast infection, sometimes called 'candida', 'candidiasis' or 'thrush.'

- Root Cause of Yeast Infection -

Anything that helps to upset this 'environmental balance' and / or feed the actual candida albicans can be recognised as an underlying cause of yeast infection. Here are just some of the most important...

• too high blood sugar levels (the yeast feeds on sugar)
• beneficial bacteria depletion (e.g. antibiotics kill the good guys as well as the bad guys)
• immune system breakdown (e.g. through illness, stress, etc.)
• hormonal imbalance (e.g. pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, etc.)
• drug therapy affecting the above (e.g. antibiotics, steroids, the Pill, HRT, immuno-suppressive drugs)

You can see then how important it is to address these root causes if you are to have any chance of banishing your infection for good.

Story at a Glance

• Women typically get yeast infections more than men and the most common is vaginal yeast infection.
• Typical symptoms are; itching, redness, swelling, inflammation, thick whitish discharge, pain when urinating and painful / uncomfortable intercourse.
• Yeast infections are caused by the overgrowth of the candida albicans yeast fungus naturally found in our bodies. This occurs when the body's friendly v bad bacteria environment is out of balance.
• The underlying issues that can trigger this imbalance are things such as; good bacteria depletion, high blood sugar, lowered immune system, certain drugs, and hormonal imbalances.
• Mainstream drugs generally address the symptoms and not the root causes so that unless these underlying issues are addressed the infection can return.
• More women are turning to natural ways to get rid of their yeast infections. These include things like diet, lifestyle, probiotics, and other home remedies described here.

Mainstream Treatment for Yeast Infection

Naturally enough, the first port of call for most women with yeast infection is the pharmacy for over-the-counter anti-fungal medicines. These are usually in the form of things like creams, sprays, pessaries, tablets, and so on, depending on where the infection is. Typical of these are:-

• Monistat
• Mycelex
• Lotrimin
• Terazol
• Micatin

These are normally taken as 1 day, 3 day or 7 day courses depending on the severity of the candida infection. The course is usually printed on the pack after the name, e.g. Monistat 7. A 1 day course is the highest potency drug with a 7 day drug being the least potent. It's very important to ensure that you finish the course even if the symptoms abate.

These medicines can clear the symptoms for many women in the quoted timeframes but there are one or two drawbacks... They do have some negative side effects, they tend to focus on the infection symptoms rather than the underlying cause(s), and the candida fungus can build up a resistance to the drugs over time. This means that many women can suffer from recurring infections. And there's the ongoing cost of course.

This is why there is an increasing interest in getting rid of yeast infections naturally using home remedies...

How to Get Rid of a Yeast Infection Fast and Naturally at Home

More and more women (and men) are utilizing natural home remedies to get rid of yeast infections. Not only are there home remedies to eliminate the nasty symptoms of candida there are also natural ways to address the underlying issues that trigger the fungal overgrowth.

Here are 10 top tips on how to get rid of yeast infection naturally:-

(1) Reduce Stress

This is very important in removing yeast infection. Stress can lower your immune system thus allowing the candida to overgrow. So do all that you can to reduce the stress in your life including exercising, rescheduling your activities, getting proper sleep, time out for relaxation, etc.

(2) Diet

Change to a diet that avoids foods and ingredients that can actually help the candida fungi to overgrow. This means avidly checking food labels and avoiding or seriously reducing the following...

• sugar in all its forms (incl. anything ending in '...ose' e.g., fructose)
• candies and chocolates
• foods containing sugar (incl. tinned food such as baked beans, etc.)
• artificial sweeteners
• refined carbohydrates because they breakdown into sugar
• products containing yeast
• dairy produce (often contains hormones and antibiotics)
• processed foods
• food containing preservatives, flavoring or colors
• mono-sodium glutamate (MSG)
• fizzy drinks
• stimulants like coffee, energy drinks, cigarettes, etc.

In terms of meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables you should make a real effort to eat only organic as modern farming methods tend to treat with antibiotics, hormones and pesticides.

(3) Take Probiotics

Probiotics are a way to help replenish the beneficial bacteria in your gut. They are available in the pharmacy or health food store and contain live friendly bacteria. You can normally get them in tablet, capsule, powder and liquid forms and it is always best to get the best quality ones.

(4) Yogurt as a Probiotic

Natural yogurt is a very well known source of live cultures. But it must be free from sugar, coloring, fruit and any other additives. Always check that the tub says that it contains live active cultures. The beneficial bacteria that is especially good for yeast is lactobacillus acidophilus found in true natural yogurt.

One of the best ways to ensure you get the very best is to make it yourself. A quick search on the Internet will reveal simple ways to do this. Or you can purchase natural yogurt making kits at very reasonable prices, here.

Interestingly, as well as rebalancing your gut flora, you can apply the yogurt directly over the site of the infection. For inside the vagina you can simply coat a regular tampon and insert overnight.

(5) Herbal Home Remedies

There are very many herbs that have excellent natural properties to help you get rid of the symptoms as well as prevent further infections. Here's a small sample:-

• turmeric
• cinnamon
• pau d'arco
• goldenseal
• camomile
• black walnut
• myrrh

Get them and more at your herbalist or health food store.

(6) Tea Tree Oil

This has very powerful anti-fungal properties. You should get tea tree oil at the pharmacy and some health stores. But don't use if you are pregnant and don't apply to areas where the skin is broken.

(7) Apple Cider Vinegar

This remedy discourages candida growth by helping to re-balance your body pH. It must be raw, apple cider vinegar that hasn't been distilled or pasteurizer. You should be able to get this at health food stores.

To take internally just add 2 to 3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a large glass of water and take 2 to 3 times per day. Externally, just put half a cup into a low, warm bath and bathe for around 20 minutes, lapping the water against the affected part.

(8) Cranberries

The flavonoids in cranberries help to strengthen your immune system and so to fight the bad bacteria more effectively. As well as fresh, frozen or dried cranberries you can get them in juice form.

(9) Garlic

Raw garlic has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It can be eaten to help kill the fungus in your gut as well as topically; peeled and crushed into a paste and applied over the area affected.

It can also be inserted overnight in the vagina to help kill-off the candida there. Just wrap some muslin around a peeled garlic clove and tie securely with dental floss. Leave a tail of dental floss for easy removal.

(10) Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil is high in caprylic and lauric acid giving it very powerful anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties, ideal for combating yeast infection. It can be used in your diet and in your cooking. Take care that you don't use the hydrogenated type, only use virgin coconut oil.

So, as promised, those are the 10 tips on how to get rid of yeast infection naturally and fast at home.

Additional Tips on How to Prevent Yeast Infections

Here are some more things to consider in preventing candida infections. These are founded on the principle that candida just loves warm, moist, humid conditions and an alkaline environment:-

• Avoid wearing tight jeans, pants, panties, etc.
• Wear loser-fitting jeans and pants.
• Wear cotton panties that let the area breathe.
• Maintain a clean and dry genital area.
• Change out of damp sweaty swimwear or gym-wear asap.
• Stop using scented feminine sprays, soaps, gels, douches, pads, tampons, etc., as these can both irritate the fragile membranes and upset the pH (alkaline / acidic) balance.

Don't ignore these things as they form an important part of your overall approach to get rid of your yeast infection at home and prevent future occurrences...

Note: It is estimated that as many as 66% of women who buy and use over-the-counter drugs to eliminate yeast infection actually don't have candida, rather they have some other problem that these medicines are not meant to treat.

This is why I said at the start that you need to get a professional diagnosis before you begin using OTC medications.