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Candidiasis of the vulva and vagina

Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

What is a vulvovaginal yeast infection? — A vulvovaginal yeast infection is an infection that causes itching and irritation of the vulva, the outer lips of the vagina (figure 1). This type of infection is usually caused by a fungus called "candida." (Yeast are a type of fungus.)
What are the symptoms of a yeast infection? — Symptoms include:
Itching of the vulva (this is the most common symptom)
Pain, redness, or irritation of the vulva and vagina
Pain when you urinate
Pain during sex
Abnormal vaginal discharge, which might be thick and white or thin and watery
How do I know if my symptoms are caused by a yeast infection? — Most women cannot tell whether they have a yeast infection or something else. The symptoms of a yeast infection are a lot like the symptoms of many other conditions, so it is hard to tell.
The best way find out if you have a yeast infection is to see your doctor or nurse. He or she can run a swab (Q-tip) inside your vagina to collect vaginal fluids. Then, he or she can look at the vaginal fluids from the swab under a microscope and look for the fungus that causes yeast infections. Sometimes a test is done to find out which type of yeast you have.
Depending on your situation, your doctor or nurse might do other tests on your vaginal fluid, too. One common test checks for yeast infections as well as bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis. These are other infections that can also cause itching and irritation.
How did I get a yeast infection? — The fungus that causes yeast infections normally lives in the vagina and the gut. Even though the yeast are there, they do not usually cause symptoms. Certain medicines (especially antibiotics), stress, and other factors can cause the fungus to grow more than it should. When that happens, a yeast infection can start.
How are yeast infections treated? — Yeast infections can be treated with a pill that you swallow or with medicines that you put in the vagina and on the vulva. The medicines that you put in the vagina come in creams and tablets. All medicines for yeast infections work by killing the fungus that causes the infections.
When will I feel better? — You will probably feel better within a few days of starting treatment. If you do not get better after you finish treatment, you should see your doctor or nurse again. You might need to take more medicine or a different medicine.
What if I get yeast infections often? — Be sure to see or doctor or nurse about it. That way you can find out for sure whether your symptoms are caused by a yeast infection and, if so, which type of yeast. There are a few different types of yeast, and they respond to different treatments. Plus, the same symptoms that you get with a yeast infection can sometimes be caused by other types of infections, an allergy, or other problems. If you get frequent infections, you might need a different treatment than you have tried in the past.
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete.
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Mar 30, 2020.
Topic 15467 Version 8.0
Release: 28.2.2 - C28.105
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