Yeast Infections Symptoms & Causes — Everything You Need to Know!

Are you experiencing yeast infection symptoms? Confused or curious about what causes yeast infections? Yeast infections are THE WORST and unfortunately, they are pretty common — especially for women! In this video, I’m going to be talking about the symptoms of yeast infections and what causes yeast infections so you can best understand how to avoid them! Alright, let’s go —

Okay — so first, a brief overview about yeast infections: Did you know that yeast plays a beneficial role in the way your body functions? Your body makes yeast, called Candida, at a rate you can handle. When you’re healthy and have a ‘normal’ bacterial balance, candida lives peacefully in your body and on your skin. No muss, no fuss, no problems!

Sometimes, though, certain factors can cause Candida to multiply too rapidly and this is what leads to infection. There are many different types of yeast infections. Oral thrush, for example, is a yeast infection in your mouth. Cutaneous candidiasis is a yeast infection on your skin or on your nails. Most often, this type of yeast infection is found in between your fingers or toes, in your armpits, in your groin area, under the breasts, and anywhere else that has skin folds. Definitely no fun!

The wetter and warmer the climate, the quicker the fungi multiply and spiral into an infection. Unfortunately for kids, certain diaper rashes are also caused by a yeast infection.

Then, there’s penile yeast infections… and the most common and therefore the most widely discussed yeast infection: the vaginal yeast infection.

A yeast infection comes with some incredibly uncomfortable symptoms. But before we discuss those, let’s first learn what causes yeast infections…

For women, yeast infections most easily in the vagina, and symptoms can worsen quickly. That’s because it doesn’t take much to throw off the chemical balance in your vagina. Even a small imbalance can lead to an overgrowth of yeast and, in turn, an infection. Some vaginal yeast infection causes in women include:

#1 Changes to hormone levels. During PMS, menopause, pregnancy, and while breastfeeding, hormone levels vary from the norm and can affect your vagina’s health. If you’re struggling with hormonal imbalance, you should totally check out our video about balancing hormones here or in the description below.

#2 Taking antibiotics. Antibiotic use is a guaranteed way to throw off the microbiome in your gut and your vagina! Antibiotics kill both good bacteria and bad bacteria. This means that after taking antibiotics you’re susceptible to a bacterial imbalance — and a yeast infection. The longer you’re on them, the more likely you are to develop an imbalance.
#3 Diabetes — especially uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes — can cause yeast overgrowth. High levels of sugar in the body feeds the yeast in your vagina.

#4 A weakened immune system, or immune system disorder. If your immune system is out of whack, it can allow yeast to multiply too rapidly.
#5 Products — like douches or vaginal sprays — can strip your vagina of healthy bacteria and cause an overgrowth that can lead to infection. Avoid these products unless your doctor has specifically advised you to use them.
And #6 Your Diet plays a huge role in your vaginal health. Diets high in sugar, or fermented food and beverages can cause a yeast infection. Eliminating sugar is always helpful to avoid yeast infections because yeast feeds off sugars!

For a list of Natural Supplements that help prevent a yeast infection, check the description box below!

Next, we’re going to talk about symptoms a bit, but first, let’s talk about causes of yeast infections in men — because women aren’t the only ones who experience yeast infections! Men, kids, and even our pets can get them!

Yeast infections in men have different causes than yeast infections in women. In fact, one way a man can get a yeast infection is from a woman who has one! Besides sexual intercourse, causes for yeast infections in men include:

Poor hygiene: Not keeping up on your hygiene can make you vulnerable to infection as you’re not properly caring for your private parts. Take showers or baths frequently.
Next, being uncircumcised can increase the likelihood of developing a yeast infection. The foreskin is a happy home for harmful bacteria and fungi that can lead to infection. If you practice good hygiene, however, this won’t be an issue!
#3 Taking antibiotics has the same effect on men, as they do on women. Antibiotics kill good and bad bacteria and can leave your body out of balance.
The same goes for diabetes and poor diet. Both of these things can also trigger a yeast infection for men.

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Alright — now that we’ve covered the causes of yeast infections and some ideas for how to prevent them, let’s go over the symptoms.

Here’s what both men and women may experience with a yeast infection:

#1 Discharge. For both men and women, it’s typically thick, white, and looks kind of like cottage cheese. For men, that discharge also usually have a bad odor. Definitely no fun.
A second common symptom is itching, burning, and irritation. In men, this occurs on the tip of the penis, foreskin, or scrotum. In women, it often occurs in the vulva, but any area of the vagina and surrounding tissue is subject to that burning itch too.
Lastly, #3: painful intercourse or a burning sensation during sex. This is a big red flag that you may have a yeast infection.

For women, we have a few more things we often deal with, such as…..

A burning sensation especially when peeing.
Vaginal pain and soreness which ranges from mildly uncomfortable to excruciating
Sores or fissures on the skin
Swelling
And bleeding or a raw rash

Of course, there are those lucky souls who only ever experience mild discomfort. But for others, a vaginal yeast infection is a nightmare.

You can learn more about yeast infections, including how to treat yeast infections, in this video here — or, linked below. We’ve also got an article linked below that goes into even more detail.

Okay, so you’ve reached the end of the video with me — congrats, you’re your own hero! Seriously, knowing all of these quick facts could be the difference between you shrugging off the beginning signs of a yeast infection versus being able to notice those signs and prevent the yeast infection from getting the better of you. If you’ve been struggling with yeast infections, knowing the causes and the early symptoms will go a long way to helping you avoid the discomfort of a bad yeast infection entirely.

Before we hop off, I want to encourage you to drop a comment below with your biggest “A-ha” from this video. What’s one thing you learned, were reminded of, or grossed out by? Is there anything you’d like to know more about? We’re all in this together!

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Watch the original video on YouTube here, “Yeast Infections Symptoms & Causes — Everything You Need to Know!”