What works for vaginal yeast infections? Here’s what the research says. - Feature Article

Have you ever put yogurt on a tampon as a douche into your vagina? Or dipped a garlic clove in coconut oil before insertion thinking you finally found something to provide you with relief from the painful symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection?

Finding true research on women’s health issues in Google can be daunting. While searching for treatment options for vaginal yeast infections, it’s easy to get lost in unsubstantiated claims and non-research-based treatment options, even on trustworthy websites. Here we discuss the what works for vaginal yeast infections according to the most recent research.

Understanding Yeast Infections

First, let’s talk about what you experience when you have a yeast infection. A yeast infection is caused by a type of fungus called Candida. Everyone has Candida living on our skin and inside our bodies. Yeast overgrowth can happen if conditions change inside your body, specifically inside your vagina. Hormones, medicines (like antibiotics), or changes in the immune system can create opportunities for yeast overgrowth to occur. 

Symptoms of vaginal yeast infections include:

• Itching or soreness

• Pain during sex

• Pain or discomfort when peeing

• Vaginal discharge (abnormal like cottage cheese)

Severe vaginal yeast infections can present with symptoms like redness, swelling, and cracks in the walls of the vagina. You must get diagnosed and get proper treatment as untreated yeast infections can continue for months. It’s even possible for a yeast infection to escape into your bloodstream and produce an infection like sepsis in rare cases. 

Risk Factors

Several factors increase your risk of developing a yeast infection:

• Pregnancy

• Period products left unchanged for too long

• Hormone replacement therapy

• Diabetes with uncontrolled blood sugar

• Weak immunity

• Glucocorticoids use

• Genetic predispositions

• HIV infection 

• Smoking and drinking including cannabis

• Immersion in very hot water (hot tubs or bathtubs)

• Intrauterine device

• Spermicides

• Use of oral birth control with higher levels of estrogen

Medications – Prescription and OTC

Research tells us which prescription and over-the-counter medications work the best. There are a lot of new and exciting medications out there that doctors can prescribe. There are even some treatment options on this list that are recommended by gynecologists that you can get from a non-medical provider like Love Wellness as a monthly subscription. 

Prescription medications for vaginal yeast infections

 In general, medical providers will likely prescribe azole antifungals like Fluconazole to you for yeast infections that happen once in a while. Antifungals are a type of medication that destroys

In general, medical providers will likely prescribe azole antifungals like Fluconazole to you for yeast infections that happen once in a while. Antifungals are a type of medication that destroys fungus or stops fungal cell growth by disrupting the cell membrane. Yeast infections are a type of fungal infection. If you have yeast infections that keep happening, providers have a few different choices to recommend including Ibrexafungerp, Vivjoa, and Otesconazole.

Some antifungal medications only treat specific types of fungal infections, like one antibiotic may only work on certain bacterial infections. It’s important to have your provider complete a fungal culture test for the type of Candida infection as boric acid suppositories and TOL-463 are specifically recommended if you have a different strain of yeast than the typical (non-albicans).

Additionally, there is research underway on developing an anti-candidiasis vaccine.  Candida is one type of yeast strain present in the human body and one of the most prevalent. Progress is slow due to yeast being present in the human GI tract since birth, the adaptability of the fungi, and the impaired immune response in patients. Yeast infections are very adaptable infections. Fruitful development of an anti-Candida vaccine is likely years away but it’s still encouraging research.

Helpful Home Remedies

Probiotics are a useful remedy you can use at home. Taking oral and vaginal probiotics at home is a way for you to treat and reduce yeast infection symptoms. Make sure you look for a probiotic that contains lactobacillus according to research on oral and vaginal probiotics. There is potential for probiotics to have a preventive effect on yeast infections, however, additional studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

According to research, healthy vaginal bacterial populations are ruled by lactobacilli which plays an important role in keeping the pH level ideal and preventing diseases while safeguarding reproduction. Research demonstrates probiotics are an effective treatment for yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. 

Prevent Yeast Infections

Here’s how you can prevent yeast infections:

Wear breathable fabrics, especially cotton underwear

Research demonstrates women who wear non-cotton underwear are at a higher risk for developing yeast infections. Doctors also recommend showering after working out can help prevent yeast infections. It’s helpful to wear loose-fitting clothing to avoid holding moisture close to your body. Make sure you change out of wet clothes promptly as well and bring an extra dry swimsuit with you after swimming to avoid sitting in wet clothing.

No douching, perfumes, or wipes with scents

Douching can remove some of the normal vaginal bacteria that helps protect you from yeast infections. If you use wipes instead of toilet paper make sure the brand has no added scents and is compostable. A great brand to try is the Honest Company. If you go down the women’s health aisle you will see all sorts of perfumed products to try. Avoid them all to keep your vaginal pH balanced.

Limit sugar, carbs, and dairy products

Food items to avoid include excess sugar and carbohydrates. Often the same things you reach for when you don’t feel well. Yeast feeds on the sugar produced when you eat processed carbs, even gluten-free pasta. According to research, there are higher chances of developing yeast infections if you have diabetes compared to people with normal blood sugar levels. Another study found that increased sugar levels directly relate to increased frequency of yeast infections. 

Drink enough water

Drinking water is an important tool you can use to flush out irritants, toxins, and sugar which can encourage yeast overgrowth. 

Probiotics including foods like yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir

Not only can you take probiotics in pill or suppository form to prevent yeast infections but you can get them through the foods you eat. According to a research review, fermented foods have the potential to prevent yeast infections.

Take antibiotics only when your doctor prescribes them to you and only for the directed amount of time

Certain things put you at a higher risk of developing a yeast infection. Antibiotics especially can lead to yeast infections and you must lessen yeast infection risk while taking antibiotics by consuming probiotics in pill form or yogurt. Researchdemonstrates that antibiotics disrupt the gut microbiome which leads to Candida overgrowth. 

Practice safe sex

Using contraception or a barrier device such as a condom or dental dam can help prevent yeast infections if your partner has one. Men can have yeast infections and often they have different bacteria on their genitals which can lead to disrupting vaginal pH and possibly yeast overgrowth. Practicing safe sex can limit the spread of bacteria during sex. 

 Manage stress

Stress can impact your body's normal microbiome. When you are stressed, your body creates cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can disrupt the balance of bacteria and microbes in your gut. This can lead to yeast overgrowth and make you more prone to infections. Some research suggests that stress could result in an increased rate of vaginal yeast infections by changing the immune system response.

Home Remedy Myths

There are more than a few home remedies for vaginal yeast infections but many aren’t proven. Common home remedies include: 

• Apple cider vinegar – oral or in a bath

• Coconut oil suppositories

• Garlic suppositories

• Yogurt douche

• Douching with any liquid

• Tea tree oil

• Oil of oregano

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

No evidence supports alternative treatments like the ones listed above. For example, studies have shown that apple cider vinegar can lower levels of Candida albicans in test tubes but there is not enough human research to recommend it as a safe and effective treatment. Always talk to your physician about the best course of treatment for a yeast infection. 

Next steps

The next steps for research include tampons and sanitary napkins with color-changing threads to alert you to a yeast infection (specifically Candida albicans) so you can self-diagnose. An anti-Candida vaccine is also being developed to help women prevent yeast overgrowth. Additional research continues on non-traditional treatment options including zinc and tea tree oil studies to help fight the symptoms of yeast infections. 

Misinformation about how to treat yeast infections keeps women in the dark about best practices. It’s very important to go see your doctor or complete a telehealth visit to get diagnosed and treated for a yeast infection. With fungal resistance on the rise and patients reluctant to use medications with potential side effects, there is a growing need for additional treatment options.

Although boric acid suppositories can be a great subscription service “at home” option to keep in your medicine cupboard it’s not recommended for Candida albicans infections. Check out Love Wellness to order your boric acid suppositories today. Here is a link to a probiotic containing lactobacillus on Amazon. Talk with your doctor before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication.