Women's he alth is a fragile thing. Stress, bad habits, the abuse of unhe althy food not only affect the appearance, but also lead to a weakening of the body. In such a situation, the risk of many diseases increases significantly. And if you remember about the dislike of girls and women for regular visits to the gynecologist, it becomes clear why many of the fair sex suffer from such an ailment as thrush. Consider why thrush occurs in women, symptoms and treatment of the disease.
Description of the disease
Thrush (candidiasis colpitis, vaginal candidiasis) is a gynecological disease caused by an increase in the number of yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida. A certain number of microorganisms is necessary to maintain a normal pH level of the mucous membranes. When the number of bacteria becomes excessive, this indicates the presence of the disease candidiasis. In the common people, the name "thrush" is used, because white curdled discharge from the vaginaassociated with milk.
If a future mother has candidiasis, this is a serious cause for concern, because the disease can pass to the child in the womb. There is a 70% chance that the baby will get sick. According to the Ministry of He alth, candidiasis accounts for 30% of all cases of sexually transmitted diseases that are referred to specialists. And if you consider that many people are treated on their own at home, then this figure will be much higher. We found out what thrush is in women, we will talk about the symptoms and treatment further.
Thrush Symptoms
As they say, you need to know the enemy in person, so let's analyze the signs of thrush in women. Symptoms of the disease can be pronounced or barely noticeable. The first symptom is discomfort in the genital area. There is a burning sensation and itching. If you ask women who have had this disease what thrush is, the most popular answer is white discharge.
Indeed, with candidiasis, they are plentiful, thick, lumpy, with an unpleasant sour smell. The mucous membrane of the vagina and external genital organs is strongly irritated, redness is observed. At the same time, it is important to overcome the desire to scratch the inflamed places, otherwise the bacteria will penetrate deeper into the tissues of the genital organs.
During the disease, the acidity of the mucous membrane increases, which increases the risk of injury. Small cracks appear, which cause severe pain, especially during urination and sexual intercourse. It's another signthrush in women. Possible swelling of the genital organs, and in advanced cases, bleeding.
If no action is taken for a long time, this will lead to an increase in the symptoms of thrush in a woman. Treatment should be started in a timely manner and a visit to the gynecologist should not be postponed if the above symptoms are present.
Causes of disease
In oriental medicine, any disease is associated with an imbalance in the body. Traditional medicine gives a list of specific causes of thrush in women. Here are the main ones:
- Long-term use of antibiotics tops the list of causes of vaginal candidiasis. Powerful drugs are prescribed for the treatment of serious diseases. Antibiotics, by inhibiting the spread of some microorganisms, promote the growth of others, in this case, Candida fungi.
- Thrush develops against a background of weakened immunity. Regulatory functions of the body constantly maintain a balance of "good" and "bad" microflora, but when the defenses weaken, disease appears.
- Disturbance of metabolism provokes the development of candidiasis. If a woman is ill with diabetes, protein and fat metabolism is disturbed in the body, and the environment becomes favorable for pathogens.
- If there are hormonal disorders, a woman can most likely find out what thrush is. Among the factors affecting the hormonal background, there are: taking oral contraceptives, pregnancy, the menstrual cycle.
- In order for Candida mushrooms to grow actively,a certain environment is required. Eating high amounts of refined foods (white flour, sugar, refined rice), as well as dairy and yeast products, increase the risk of developing thrush.
- To never know what a thrush is, a woman should follow the basic rules of intimate hygiene. Wearing tight underwear made of synthetic materials, not changing a sanitary napkin or a tampon on time create favorable conditions for yeast-like fungi.
Types of thrush
There are several classifications of female candidiasis. According to the nature of the disease, the following groups are distinguished:
- True candidiasis is characterized by a vivid clinical picture. At the same time, a large number of Candida fungi and lactic bacteria are present.
- With candida, a woman is a carrier of bacteria, but the body copes well with their activity. The number of fungi does not exceed the norm, the symptoms of the disease are also absent. In this case, treatment is not required.
Depending on which part of the female reproductive system is affected, there are three types of thrush:
- candidiasis colpitis if the vagina is affected;
- vulvitis, with damage to the external genitalia;
- vulvovaginitis, with a combination of candidal colpitis and vulvitis.
Diagnosis of candidiasis
To know what to expect at a gynecologist's appointment, let's get acquainted with what tests are taken and what kind of examination is carried out to identify thrush in a woman. What is a smear, I think, is known to every girl who has reachedcertain age. To identify Candida fungus, a specialist takes a swab from different parts of the vagina. This bacteriological study helps to determine the causative agent of the disease, as well as to select drugs that are effective against a particular fungus. In addition, the gynecologist makes a visual examination of the genitals and asks the patient about the symptoms.
Before going to the hospital, you should not wash so that a specialist can diagnose thrush in a woman. It is also important for a gynecologist to know what the discharge looks like and what smell it smells like. This is not the case when you need to be shy, because we are talking about he alth. Answer all the questions of the gynecologist in detail. Tell us about when the first signs of the disease began, how the symptoms changed, whether you had thrush or other sexually transmitted diseases before.
It will be necessary to provide information about the menstrual cycle and protection against unwanted pregnancy if sexually active. The doctor may ask about the presence of diseases, including chronic and transferred in childhood. You need to tell about taking antibiotics in detail: what drugs were taken, when and for how long, for the treatment of which diseases. It is important to provide detailed and honest information so that the doctor selects the treatment. Symptoms of thrush in women can be different, and one case may not be similar to another.
Medicated treatment
Let's talk about how to treat thrush in women. Gynecologists tend to prefer antifungal drugs. It can beboth local agents (suppositories, ointments) and complex preparations (tablets, capsules). Treatment of thrush in women with topical preparations is possible with a mild form of the disease. If the disease is advanced or proceeds in a severe form, complex therapy is used.
Topical treatments
Such a remedy for thrush for women, like candles, is considered the most effective form of therapy. Candles have the shape of a torpedo, due to which they are easily inserted deep into the vagina, providing a therapeutic effect on the entire mucosa. For local treatment, the following vaginal tablets and suppositories are often used:
- "Clotrimazole" - vaginal tablets of 100 mg. Inside the vagina, 1 tablet is introduced in the evening before bedtime. The course is 6 days. Side effects include itching, burning, swelling and discharge from the vagina, as well as frequent urination and headache. The drug is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation. If there are signs of intolerance, stop taking it.
- "Zalain" - vaginal suppositories. The active substance is sertaconazole nitrate. The drug is administered intravaginally once. Re-application is possible after 7 days. Pregnancy and lactation are not contraindications to taking Zalain, but only a doctor determines this. Rarely, side effects in the form of itching and burning, as well as an allergic reaction, are possible.
- "Irunin" - vaginal tablets of 200 mg. The active substance is itraconazole. The tablet is administered in the evening before bedtime. The course is from oneup to two weeks. Use is contraindicated before 12 weeks of pregnancy, as well as with strong sensitivity to the components of the drug. Rare side effects include itching, burning and rash.
- "Livarol" - 400 mg vaginal suppositories. The active substance is ketoconazole. It is injected deep into the vagina 1 time per day. The course is 3-5 days. For the treatment of the chronic form, the period is increased to 10 days. Contraindicated in the first three months of pregnancy and in the presence of sensitivity to the drug. Side effects are expressed by itching, rash, irritation and swelling of the vaginal mucosa.
To treat inflammation of the vaginal mucosa and skin candidiasis, ointments and creams are used. As a rule, they are well tolerated, do not cause side effects in the form of itching and burning. The ointment treats the external affected areas, so there is no effect on the internal organs (liver, kidneys), as is the case with thrush tablets for women. Among ointments, such drugs are often prescribed:
- "Clotrimazole";
- "Pimafucin";
- "Ketoconazole";
- "Nystatin".
As a rule, the affected areas are treated with ointment 2-3 times a day, and the course of treatment is from 10 days to 2 weeks. Side effects include burning, itching, hives, and allergies. A contraindication to the use of ointments is hypersensitivity to the components. The possibility of using the drug during pregnancy and lactation is determined by the doctor.
Systemtherapy
The disadvantage of broad-spectrum antifungal drugs is that they affect all organs and systems of the body. But in advanced cases, they cannot be dispensed with. When taking antimycotics, the destruction of beneficial microflora is possible, which will lead to dysbacteriosis. Therefore, along with antifungal drugs, funds are prescribed to maintain a he althy intestinal flora.
If the disease has an acute and chronic form, as well as visceral candidiasis, when skin and internal organs are affected by fungi, complex preparations will be used in the treatment. Among them: "Fluconazole", "Itraconazole" and their analogues. Tablets are taken strictly according to the instructions and prescribed by the doctor. List of side effects of complex antimycotics:
- nausea;
- diarrhea;
- convulsions;
- dizziness;
- flatulence;
- allergic reactions;
- headache;
- menstrual irregularities.
"Fluconazole" should not be taken by children under 6 years of age, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. The use of "Itraconazole" can not be combined with the reception of "Cisapride", "Astemizol", "Terfenadine", "Mizolastin", "Triazolam", "Lovastatin". If there are diseases of the liver and kidneys, drugs are prescribed with caution.
Folk remedies for candidiasis
Home treatment of thrush in women is not recommended by experts. Facilitiestraditional medicine may be prescribed by a doctor as an addition to the main therapy. Dieting will help a lot in the treatment of the disease. Sweet and flour products, as well as sweet fruits and drinks, should be excluded or significantly limited from the diet. Pasta and white yeast bread are banned. All these products create a favorable environment for the growth of Candida fungi.
If you turn to traditional medicine, then, according to women, thrush is most often treated with soda, chamomile and kefir in the form of douching, washing and baths. The procedures must be carried out very carefully, avoiding pressure, so as not to damage the cervix and vagina. Consider popular recipes for thrush in women at home:
- A solution for douching is prepared from baking soda. One teaspoon of soda is diluted in one liter of water. The water should be comfortably warm. A water-soda solution washes out yeast-like fungi and creates an alkaline environment in the vagina. The remedy is effective when used regularly at least twice a day. Washing with the same solution can be carried out between douches.
- Chamomile decoction is also douched. To do this, two tablespoons of chamomile flowers are poured with one liter of boiling water. The mixture is put on a slow fire and brought to a boil. The broth is allowed to cool to 37 ° C. It is better to douche in the evening, giving the procedure 10 minutes.
- Chamomile baths can help relieve the symptoms of thrush. First, an infusion is prepared from two tablespoons of chamomile and 1 liter of boiling water. After 30 minutes, the infusion is filtered and added to a basin, with pre-prepared warm water inamount of 10 liters. It is necessary to take such a bath for 10-15 minutes.
- Kefir is recommended for use in thrush both inside and in the form of douching. In the second case, take 200 ml of kefir heated to 37 ° C and irrigate the vagina. The procedure is carried out in the morning and evening for 7 days.
Complications of thrush
Thrush, especially chronic, can lead to such problems of the genitourinary system as: inflammation of the bladder (cystitis), inflammation of the urethra (urethritis), inflammation of the cervical mucosa (cervicitis). Recurring thrush may indicate a weakened immune system, the presence of diabetes or HIV.
Difficulties arise in the development of thrush in pregnant women. In this case, not only the woman suffers, but also the unborn child. During pregnancy, the fetus is safe, but during childbirth, Candida easily enters the baby's mucous membranes. Candidiasis disrupts the elasticity of tissues, so during childbirth, the number of ruptures increases and, in general, the process is more difficult. It is important not to leave the disease to chance, but to start treatment in time.
Candidiasis prevention
Disease is always easier to prevent than to cure. To minimize the risk of disease, follow these simple rules:
- Keep personal hygiene. Pads and tampons should be changed every 4-5 hours.
- Reduce the amount of sugar and fast carbohydrates in your diet. As sweets, use honey and dried fruits, and then in a smallquantity.
- Take antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor along with probiotics to maintain normal microflora.
- Replace synthetic underwear with natural fabrics that allow the skin to "breathe".
- Strengthen your immune system and treat other diseases in a timely manner.
Men also suffer from thrush or may be carriers of it. So ask your partner to get tested for Candida.
Reviews from women
There are a huge number of thematic forums on the Internet on the topic “thrush in women”. Judging by the reviews, there is no single treatment regimen for this disease. But if you choose between candles and tablets, preference is given to candles. From folk remedies, washing with soda solution and tampons with kefir, which are inserted into the vagina at night, are praised.
To prevent the disease, it is important to know why thrush occurs in women. Symptoms and treatment will vary depending on the form and nature of candidiasis. Use the recommendations described above and do not experiment with he alth. At the first sign of illness, consult a gynecologist.
