The vaginal itching that comes with yeast infections can make you miserable — after all, it's not an easily relieved itch. Women who get frequent yeast infections may be able to catch them and treat them on their own before they become too uncomfortable, but if it's your first one, you may not have realized what the discomfort was until it was too late.
Once your doctor has determined that your vaginal itching is caused by a yeast infection, she will likely prescribe a yeast infection medication. This could be a cream or ointment, a vaginal suppository, or a pill.
Yeast Infection Medication: Follow Directions
Human nature being what it is, many of us don't always follow directions exactly as we should. While not closing a cereal box correctly or skimping on laundry soap may not be serious issues, following instructions regarding medical treatment is really important. And that means using up all your medication when your doctor tells you to, even if you feel like you don't need it anymore.
Just as important as using medication as directed is not using it inappropriately. With the ease of buying over-the-counter yeast infection medications, researchers have found that up to two-thirds of the products are being used by women who have vaginal itching but don't actually have yeast infections.
Yeast Infection Medication: Making Sure It Works
If you know you have a yeast infection, you can increase the chances that your yeast infection medication will work effectively by following a few simple rules:
- Tell your doctor if you're menstruating because he or she may want to prescribe treatment with a pill rather than a cream.
- Don't use tampons if you're menstruating.
- Avoid bubble baths and hot tubs while being treated.
- Change out of wet bathing suits and exercise clothing as quickly as possible.
- Don't use feminine hygiene products, douches, or scented pads or toilet tissue.
- Use the medication as frequently as recommended and for the entire length of time recommended.
Yeast Infection Medication: Is the Infection Gone?
Now that you've completed your yeast infection treatment, how can you tell if the infection is really gone? The itching and discomfort may have stopped, but should you go for another doctor's appointment to check? Rosanna Gray-Swain, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist in St. Louis, Mo., says in most cases, that's not necessary. "The best indication that treatment was successful is [the disappearance] of symptoms. If the symptoms have resolved, rarely does a woman need to return to her doctor to ‘check' that the infection is gone."
Yeast Infection Medication: What About Home Tests?
Yeast lives naturally in your vagina and plays a role in helping to keep infections at bay. But the amount of yeast is kept in check by a healthy level of vaginal acidity, or pH balance. If there's not enough acid, the yeast begins to multiply and spread, causing the symptoms — such as vaginal itching — of a yeast infection.
Home tests have been developed for many health issues, from detecting signs of colon cancer to pregnancy. There are also tests that help determine the acid, or pH, balance in your vagina.
Some women may feel more comfortable knowing that their vaginal acidity level is back to normal after a yeast infection, but even if your pH level is off, that doesn't necessarily mean that you have a yeast infection. A number of issues could alter the vagina's acidic environment.
In the end, the best way to ensure that you stay yeast infection-free is to properly deal with the one you may have now: Make sure it's a yeast infection, treat it properly, precisely follow your medication instructions, and make lifestyle choices that help prevent yeast infections from developing.
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