3 Reasons to Stop Self-medicating Your Yeast Infections

75% of people with vulvas have had a vaginal yeast infection at least once in their life with between 6-10% having recurrent infections. With this comes an increase in self-medication. It’s pretty easy to run to your local pharmacy or Walmart at the first sign of itching or redness and grab some over-the-counter meds. Sometimes it eases the symptoms completely, and for others it comes right back. BUT WHY? 

Yeast infections are caused by a fungus called Candida. The only way to confirm if you do indeed have a yeast infection is through testing. If you are treating yourself with over-the-counter meds that are intended to treat candida, you might be treating your symptoms entirely wrong.

So, here are 3 reasons to stop the self-medicating and get the proper tests and treatments necessary: 

1. You might be wasting your time and money. And no one wants to do that

According to some resources, Americans spend millions of dollars per year on over-the-counter medications for chronic yeast infections. Imagine how frustrating it would be to find out a good chunk of those cases were likely not Candida. Let alone the amount of cases that could be prevented through a more well-rounded, root cause approach. 

2. There’s been an increase in Candida resistance to our standard treatments

Health organizations have been warning us about an increase in resistance to our standard treatments for yeast infections including ‘azoles’ which are the medications we are using primarily in the treatment of candida. This means these meds are becoming less effective. The reality is that using these antifungal drugs too often or incorrectly can disrupt our vaginal microbiome encouraging the growth of harmful yeast that may be more difficult to treat. Getting screened for the specific strain causing your yeast infection can be extremely helpful to ensure you are getting the appropriate medication and dose. 

3. You might be covering up symptoms which will delay proper diagnosis  

In one study, 95 women who had purchased over-the-counter yeast infection treatments were given free medical tests which revealed that only about one-third had yeast infections. The other women had a different type of infection with more than 13% having no infection at all. 

If you are treating a yeast infection when it is really BV, an STI, or nothing at all, this can lead to issues down the line.

So here are my suggestions: 

• If you have vaginal symptoms (i.e. burning, itching, changes in discharge/odour, etc.) get assessed by your doctor to get the appropriate tests and treatments 
• Ensure that you are taking the full course of treatment, even if your symptoms clear, to prevent resistance to the medications. 
• If you are experiencing recurrent yeast infections, it is a good time to seek a more integrative and individualized health care approach. 
• Here are 7 ways to support your vaginal health 

Ways to work with me

If you live in Ontario, you can book in a free discovery call to see how we can best work together to get rid of your symptoms once and for all. 

If you are outside of Ontario, you can book in a free discovery call to see other ways you can work with me and I can provide you with referrals to practitioners near you.

This summer I will be launching my first masterclass on the 3 most overlooked causes of vaginal infections and what to do about it. If you are interested, fill out this form for a chance to receive a coupon for my new vaginal health program launching this year. 

Photo by Pexel