Vaginal Yeast Infection Causes
Vaginal yeast infections can be caused by any number of things. One of the most common causes of a yeast infection though, is the use of broad spectrum prescription antibiotics, because these are known to kill the friendly flora in our bodies which usually helps keep the candida yeast growth in check. Other things which can cause yeast infections though, include tight clothing, poor hygeine habits, sexual transmission, latex condoms, and certain spermicides. Let's look at each a little closer.
Antibiotics tend to kill all of the bacteria in our bodies. And since the human body has both problem causing bacteria, and "good" bacteria living in it, killing all of it generally causes problems by upsetting the balance. In fact, the candida yeast bacteria has gotten adept at ignoring antibiotics these days, because they've been used so much over the past decade or two. The yeast simply waits quietly for the antibiotics to be finished, then it's free to flourish and grow in various parts of the body because there is little to none of the good bacteria to keep it in check.
Poor nutrition and low immune system functionality can also contribute to yeast infections though. When our body's immune system isn't functioning well, it's not able to fight off infections and fungus growth as easily as when it's healthy. The same problems apply when nutrition is low or poor too. So sometimes simply changing your dietary habits can go a long way towards helping to reduce the number of yeast infections a woman gets.
Wearing tight clothing is another common cause of yeast infections. Tight pantyhose or underwear doesn't let the air circulate in the crotch area well, and this creates an ideal environment for yeast to grow and thrive. Yeast love warm, dark, moist areas.
Sometimes though, yeast infections can actually be caused by certain chemicals in our clothing or grooming supplies. Some clothing die for instance, and certain soaps or perfumes can cause yeast infections in many women.
Some women are also allergic to latex. So using a latex condom can sometimes trigger a yeast infection. Condoms which are treated with a spermicide known as nonoxynol-9 can also cause yeast infections in some women though, even when they're not allergic to latex.
Women who have never had a yeast infection before should not automatically try using antifungal creams or ointments when they think they have one. Because if they treat for a yeast infection when they don't have it - particularly using prescriptio or over the counter medications - they can help the yeast become immune to that antifungal medicine and leave themselves vulnerable to getting an actual yeast infection in the future.
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