In healthy women, a vaginal Candida infection usually doesn’t pose a risk for other conditions.
A vaginal Candida infection has no consequences for pregnancy. However, the baby can become infected during birth and develop thrush. Thrush is very bothersome for the child and manifests as white patches and blisters in the mouth.
It’s therefore important to consult your doctor for treatment.
Especially with recurring infections, sexual intercourse can be painful and lead to loss of libido. Like bacterial vaginosis, a recurring candida infection can have a significant impact on women’s quality of life and sexual well-being.
Vaginal Candida infections can sometimes lead to the development of long-term pain in the vulva (vulvodynia)
How do I know if I have a vaginal candida infection?
In Candida infections, the acidity (pH) is usually normal. A vaginal pH test can determine if the vaginal pH is normal. Use this to rule out Bacterial Vaginosis.
If you have, in combination with a normal acidity, somewhat crumbly, white discharge resembling curd, and the skin around the vagina is red and you have itchy labia and/or a burning sensation when urinating, then it’s likely that you have a Candida infection.
What can I do about it?
If you have symptoms contact your doctor. They will perform additional microscopic examination or take a culture for laboratory testing.
In most cases, if positively identified, an anti-mycotic (anti-fungal) treatment will be prescribed. This can consist of an oral treatment (for example, a short 1-day course with Fluconazole or Itraconazole) or with 1 to 7 day courses with a vaginal antimycotic, such as Butoconazole, Clotrimazole or Miconazole. In some cases, even though Candida is NOT a sexually transmitted condition, it may be beneficial to treat the partner with a cream.
How can I prevent it from recurring?
Look at the top of this page at the causes to see if you can prevent it with lifestyle adjustments. Don’t wear pantyliners containing plastic and wear as much cotton and non-tight-fitting underwear as possible. If you consume a lot of sugar, reduce this to a minimum.
After the, especially short, courses with the anti-mycotic, the inflamed and red skin of the vaginal tissue is often not sufficiently healed. As a result, the Candida, which naturally occurs in the vagina, can re-establish itself in the vaginal tissue. It is therefore important that the inflamed tissue heals as quickly as possible.
You can use Premeno vaginal ovules or Hyalofemme vaginal gel for this. Premeno and Hyalofemme have wound-healing properties.
Take the test
Do you have abnormal or foul-smelling discharge? Experiencing itching and pain during sex? Then there’s a high chance you have bacterial vaginosis or a vaginal fungal infection.
