The fungus Candida albicans is the leading cause of most cases of vaginal yeast infections. When the breeding is out of control, the presence of fungus can cause big problems.
Overgrowth of Candida that enters the vaginal cells can trigger the appearance of symptoms that are very disturbing. Yeast infections caused by other types of Candida fungus can be more difficult to treat and generally require more intensive therapy.
Risk factors
What increases my risk for vaginal yeast infections?
The following are things that can increase a woman’s risk of vaginal yeast infections:
Take antibiotics
Antibiotics such as penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin, are used to treat and prevent infections by killing and inhibiting bacterial growth.
As a side effect, the antibiotic content can interfere with the natural pH of the vagina which is usually slightly acidic, by killing healthy bacteria. As a result, yeast growth increases and can cause yeast infections in the vagina.
Is pregnant
Higher estrogen levels during pregnancy make your vagina produce more glycogen. This makes it easier for mushrooms to flourish there. Apart from pregnant women, nursing mothers are also susceptible to Candida infections for the same reason.
Use contraception
Taking birth control pills or using an IUD to prevent pregnancy can increase your risk of vaginal yeast infections. Because the two methods of prevention of pregnancy contain additional hormones estrogen and progesterone which can fertilize the mushroom population in the vagina.
Even so, the latest version of several hormonal contraceptives that exist today no longer have the same effect. You can consult with your obstetrician to determine what hormonal contraception is most suitable for you.
Have uncontrolled diabetes
If your diabetes is out of control, your body’s blood sugar levels can rise. This increase in sugar can cause excess mold growth in the vaginal area. Because the soft tissue in the vagina and your vaginal fluid contains a lot of glucose.
The fungus that lives in the vagina lives from this excess sugar, which causes them to grow more fertile and become infected. In addition, hyperglycemia interferes with immune function which can help fight infection.
Therefore, it is very important to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits. This also applies to women who do not have diabetes though.
Weak immune system
The function of the immune system is weakened or disrupted due to a certain condition can make the body exhausted to fight infection. Some conditions that can cause a weakened immune system, for example:
- HIV / AIDS
- Diabetes
- Currently undergoing chemotherapy
- Just recovered from receiving an organ transplant
- I was hospitalized because of certain diseases
- The use of steroid drugs to treat inflammation because steroids work by suppressing the immune system
Wearing underwear is too tight
Wearing tight underwear made from synthetic fabrics that do not absorb sweat can increase the temperature and humidity down there. A moist vagina is an ideal environment for fungi to multiply.
It’s best to choose a cotton underwear that absorbs sweat, and try not to linger in a wet swimsuit. Change your moist clothes as soon as possible after the move.
Reporting from Prevention, Taraneh Shirazian, MD from the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at NYU Langone Medical Center, recommends that women sleep at least twice a week without underwear to allow skin to breathe more freely.
Unsafe sex
Fungal infections in the vagina can occur after certain sexual activity. Especially oral sex contact with men who have oral thrush (thrush in the mouth due to fungus) or vaginal sex with men who have fungal infections in their penis. Fungal infections in the penis are more common in men who have not / are not circumcised.
Having sex with healthy men who don’t have any infections can still increase the risk of women getting vaginal yeast infections. Because the vaginal penetration can change the pH level of the vagina so that the fungus can grow more fertile there. That is why women are emphasized to always pee after having sex.
If there are no risk factors, it does not mean you are not likely to experience this disease. These factors are for reference only. You should consult a specialist doctor for more details.
