Health & Medical Women's Health

The Causes of Yeast Infections

Just as there are several varieties of yeast infections, so are there several causes of yeast infection.
Some causes are obvious and some harder to understand.
However, most anyone who has had a yeast infection will want to know why.
When men have a penile yeast infection, there is usually only one cause.
They have had unprotected sex with a partner who has a vaginal infection.
Long-term partners may sometimes pass yeast infections back and forth almost indefinitely unless both are treated at the same time.
For women with vaginal infections, there are a multitude of causes of yeast infections.
Some have to do with the acidity of the vagina and vaginal area.
If the acidity in the vagina is too low, yeast will take hold and grow beyond a healthy level and cause an infection.
Many things effect vaginal acidity.
Some of these things are naturally thought of as part of the function of the vagina itself.
They include menstruation and pregnancy.
Some have to do with unusual strains on the body such as stress, sickness, or lack of sleep.
Medications like birth control pills, steroids, and especially antibiotics can have an effect.
If a person has an HIV infection, yeast infection is just another they will have trouble fighting off.
Uncontrolled diabetes can also change the acidity of the vagina.
Any of these problems can be some of the causes of yeast infection.
Babies often acquire yeast infections during birth.
As they go through the birth canal they may pick up yeast bacteria from their mother.
If this does not happen, they may soon end up with a yeast infection from contact with family members.
Babies' immune systems are not fully developed, so this becomes a more serious problem for them than it would for others.
The causes of vaginal infection in older babies and toddlers often have to do with the warm, moist environment that is favored by yeast infections.
Diapers give these infections an ideal setting in which to thrive.
These children can also get thrush, a yeast infection of the mouth, and it can travel through the digestive system to the diaper area.
Thrush is often caused by the use of antibiotics and may be further fostered by practices such as thumb sucking.
The only thing that can be done in any of these instances besides treatment after the fact is to use good diaper-changing habits and try to discourage thumb sucking.
So, what are the causes of vaginal infection? They are different depending on who has the yeast infection and on what environmental factors he or she was exposed to.
The important thing is to identify the source to try to prevent future occurrences


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