In the article brought to your attention, today we will talk about what causes thrush in women. This problem is very common. If you believe the statistics, then every second woman on our planet has candidiasis (as thrush is called in medical circles). The disease has quite pronounced symptoms and recurrent nature. That is, despite timely treatment, a woman can get thrush several times a year.
Vaginal candidiasis is fungal in nature. The disease can occur for a number of reasons (why thrush appears, we will analyze a little later). The main thing in this problem is to find out the source of the failure in the body. Until it is eliminated, candidiasis will constantly bother. The most common question among women is what causes the disease. There is no definite answer. The thing is that each individual organism is individual, and the problem may be of a different nature.
This difficult question can be answered in a somewhat general way. All reasons can be divided into two groups:
- external factors;
- internal factors.
We will talk about them after we deal with the disease itself and its types.
Candidiasis
Before we move on tothe question of where the thrush comes from, let's talk a little more about this disease. It is important to note that fungi of the genus Candida, which are the initiators of candidiasis, are always present in the vaginal microflora. More than a hundred different fungi are now known to cause the disease. Fungi develop very quickly, but if there is no failure in the body, then the immune system monitors the rate of reproduction. That is, when the body fails, fungi begin to develop at a tremendous speed, which leads to candidiasis.
It is also very important to know that candidiasis (urogenital) occurs not only in women, men are also susceptible to this disease, and less often even children. Consider now its varieties.
Views
There are two types in total:
- Injury to the skin or mucous membranes.
- Visceral forms (if you are faced with the second type, then the infection has affected the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract).
In total, you can count more than a dozen representatives of fungi that provoke candidiasis. As mentioned earlier, they are an integral part of the microflora of the oral cavity, colon and vagina. In the event of a malfunction in the body, they begin to multiply intensively, which leads to the fact that they displace representatives of he althy microflora.
The provocateur of the development of the disease is always a decrease in the body's defenses, more simply - a decrease in immunity. Do not worry too much, thrush is a non-terrible disease that is quite treatable. No danger to lifecandidiasis does not carry, however, there are a number of unpleasant symptoms that can affect the quality of life. This also applies to her intimate side.
Candidiasis can be a sign of a serious illness (like HIV or diabetes). However, in most cases, thrush also appears for less dangerous reasons. More often, speaking of thrush, they mean damage to the mucous membrane of the genital organs:
- women have vulvae;
- for men, the glans penis.
Infection occurs through sexual contact, which is why it is so important to protect yourself and have a stable partner.
External factors
Earlier in the article it was said that internal and external factors contributing to the development of candidiasis disease are distinguished. Now let's talk in more detail about the external. These include:
- wrong diet;
- long-term use of antibiotics;
- wrong treatment;
- lack of personal hygiene.
So, what causes thrush? A gynecologist will help you find the answer to this question. Nothing terrible will be done, only a standard medical examination. If you are tormented by unpleasant symptoms (itching, unpleasant odor, curdled discharge), then feel free to consult a doctor. Self-medication is highly discouraged, because the remedies for thrush, which are so many on the windows of pharmacies, help eliminate the symptoms, but have no effect on the cause. Only an experienced specialist can identify the focus and prescribe the correct treatment.
If the problem is malnutrition, then you should just bring your diet back to normal. It's not that hard, eliminate the reception:
- sweet;
- spicy;
- flour.
These products help change the acidic environment of the vagina. In addition, the abuse of sweet, spicy and starchy foods leads to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and dysbacteriosis.
As you know, beneficial bacteria control the reproduction of fungi of the genus Candida. And taking antibiotics, especially for a long time, leads to the fact that the intestinal and vaginal microflora changes. Lactobacilli are forced out, which leads to intensive reproduction of harmful fungi.
Once again, pay attention to the fact that you should not self-medicate, since there are many causes of the disease, and the method of treatment depends on them. If you find symptoms of candidiasis, go to the gynecologist. One of the most common causes of thrush is unprotected intercourse. Claims against a man in this case are inappropriate. The thing is that a man may not even know that he is a carrier of the infection, since the disease is asymptomatic.
Internal Causes
What causes thrush in women? In this section, we will continue to answer this question for you. Now we will look at internal factors, which include:
- hormonal disruptions;
- herpes;
- poor immunity;
- prolonged illnesses.
If all that was said inthe previous section does not fit, then the reason should be looked for deeper.
So, what causes thrush? One of the most common causes is hormonal imbalance. This may be the second half of the menstrual cycle, which is characterized by a large production of progesterone, pregnancy.
Chronic diseases or even genital herpes can cause frequent thrush.
The last two points are even easier to explain. With weak immunity, the reproduction of fungi is practically not controlled.
Be attentive to your body's signals. If symptoms appear, go to the gynecologist and take a vaginal swab. The thing is that the symptoms of candidiasis are similar to other diseases of the genitourinary system. Thrush is not dangerous, but treatment should begin immediately. When you manage to get rid of the problem, it is worth taking a number of preventive measures (boosting immunity and maintaining personal hygiene).
Food
Now let's highlight the five most common causes of candidiasis. Why does thrush appear in women? The first and most popular reason is malnutrition. The problem doesn't show up right away. At the beginning, you will feel problems with the gastrointestinal tract, soon there will be dysbacteriosis (due to changes in the intestinal microflora). Only after that candidiasis will be added. Of course, the doctor will prescribe you a treatment that will help get rid of unpleasant symptoms, but you need to adjust your diet.
Hormones
Here is another fairly common reason why girls get thrush. As you know, after ovulation, there is an increased production of progesterone, that is, in the second half of the menstrual cycle, thrush may appear. The same applies to pregnancy, when global hormonal changes occur in a woman's body. Another option is to take OK (that is, oral contraceptives). If a woman is completely he althy, then you don’t have to worry about it, another thing is the presence of some kind of chronic disease.
Antibiotics
Thrush appeared after antibiotics? This is quite a common case. The thing is that these, in some cases, necessary medicines can kill not only pathogenic bacteria, but also representatives of beneficial microflora. As mentioned earlier, the reproduction of fungi is strictly controlled by lactobacilli. If there are not enough of the latter, then the fungi will begin to multiply without restrictions, which leads to thrush.
Incorrect treatment
Now we will answer one very interesting question: why does thrush appear again and again if treatment is carried out. Many women are treated for candidiasis on their own, but it is necessary to treat your partner as well. The representatives of the weaker sex can get rid of the problem, but another intimacy with an infected partner will quickly resume it. For men, there are many different creams. If this is not done, then the thrush will return again and again.
Herpes
And one last reason for the frequent occurrence of thrush. What is herpes? This is an infection, the causative agent of which is HSV (decoding - herpes simplex virus). This is a fairly common disease, as well as candidiasis. Candida fungi, which are the causative agents of thrush, are present in the body of every person, as they are involved in metabolic processes along with other microorganisms.
It would seem, what is the relationship between herpes and candidiasis can be? But everything is not so simple, HSV lives in our body, being in a passive state. But with a weakened immune system, it makes itself felt. It is followed by candidiasis. The way to get rid of it is the treatment of herpes, thrush and strengthening the immune system.
