- By Maria Bantellis
- Published 12/21/2011
Thrush commonly appears in warm, moist areas of the body, typically on the skin, inside the mouth and around the genitals.
With a range of treatments and advice available, finding the right vaginal thrush treatment for you should be straightforward.
What is thrush?
The term thrush is widely used to describe a yeast infection caused by a form of fungi called Candida albicans that occur on and inside the body – as mentioned above, most dominantly on the skin.
The body naturally produces Candida and is most commonly found in warm, moist areas.
It remains unnoticed as it is kept under control by the body’s natural bacteria’s and immune system, which works to defend the body against illness and infection.
However, the Candida can multiply in some circumstances and result in an infection, which is when it becomes thrush.
Vaginal Thrush
Most women are likely to experience a single bout of vaginal thrush at least once in a lifetime.
Whilst some women will suffer on more than one occasion, it can often develop ‘out of the blue’. Certain factors can cause the Candida albicans fungi to multiply, resulting in a yeast infection, i.e. thrush.
These can include changes in diet, general health, use of antibiotics and so on.
Treatment
Over the counter treatments are suitable for those who have experienced thrush before. These are available from the pharmacy counter or straight from the supermarket shelf.
However, if this is your first experience of having thrush you will need to speak with your GP – this is just to confirm that you are dealing with thrush and nothing more sinister.
You are also advised to speak with your GP if you have experienced thrush more than twice, as well as if you are or could be pregnant, if you are breastfeeding, if you are under 16 or over 60 and finally, if you or your partner has or has recently had an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease).
About the Author: Maria Bantellis is a health writer on fungal conditions covering topics such as Vaginal Thrush Treatment
