Millions of women suffer vaginal yeast infections

Estimates show that around 75 percent of all women will have a vaginal yeast infection at some point in their lives!

What causes a vaginal yeast infection?
You guessed it: yeast! But did you know that the same type of fungal yeast that grows outdoors on trees and plants is actually very similar to the type that can develop inside the body and lead to an infection? It’s true!
While the type of yeast that causes vaginal yeast infections as well as candida symptoms can be completely harmless, at some point its levels can reach high enough to take over our body’s “good bacteria” and cause a vaginal infection or worse.
The good news is that there are several natural steps you can take to get rid of a vaginal yeast infection for good. Vaginal yeast infections can be treated naturally at home with supplements, essential oils, a nutrient-rich diet and probiotics. Take a look at six home remedies I recommend to prevent and/or treat this issue that too many women just can’t seem to shake.

What Is a Vaginal Yeast Infection?
The human body is home to millions of yeast organisms, many of which are considered “good” as far as our health is concerned. Think about it this way: Mushrooms and the type of yeast used to make beer and bread both have beneficial roles, improving our immune systems and helping produce food, respectively.

The species of yeast responsible for causing yeast infections is a strain called Candida albicans (candidiasis). All strains of yeast are types of fungi, which technically aren’t plants at all because they don’t use chlorophyll (a type of energy that plants use from the sun in order to grow). Yeast and fungi are also unique and different from plants because they can actually make their own food, which is precisely how they multiply and spread within the body.

Vaginal yeast infections are a type of vaginitis, which means inflammation or infection of the vagina. While there are a number of different health conditions that are categorized together under the broad term of vaginitis (including bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and non-infectious vaginitis), vaginal yeast infections are the most common type.

Vaginal Yeast Infection Symptoms
Yeast infections of all kinds tend to develop in areas of the body where conditions are most favorable for yeast and mold to reproduce easily. Yeast and fungus thrive in moist conditions, so damp “folds” of the body (think areas where you sweat a lot) are usually more prone to infections and outbreaks, including:
the mouth and throat
genitals
armpits
anal area
navel (belly button)
nasal cavity and around the nose
within the ears
fingernails and toenails
in between fingers and toes
digestive tract

When yeast overgrows in the vagina, symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection can develop, including:
vaginal itching (sometimes very uncomfortable and severe)
vaginal discharge that’s white, thick, clumpy and odorless (while not pleasant to visualize, some people describe it as looking like cottage or ricotta cheese)
irritated skin around the opening to the vagina (vulva and labia), redness and swelling
slight bleeding
pain when going to the bathroom, during intercourse, when urinating or during menstruation
sometimes a slight smell that’s unusual
Usually, yeast infections are obvious and somewhat uncomfortable, especially if left untreated, and the symptoms continue to worsen. However, some people don’t realize they have a vaginal yeast infection or mistake it for another problem, like a urinary tract infection, side effects from birth control pills or irregular periods, or sexually transmitted disease, for example.
When candida yeast multiplies, it’s capable of spreading to different parts of the body and causing all types of problems.