Natural Yeast Infection Cures

Yeastlike fungi of the genus Candida are normally found in small amounts in the vagina. When there is an overgrowth of the fungi, it is considered a yeast infection (a.k.a. candidiasis or moniliasis). Since most women are likely to have one yeast infection in their lifetime, they would find it helpful to know about natural yeast infection cures.

One of the qualities of yeast is that it when you add it to dough, it makes the dough rise or increase. This phenomenon is somewhat similar to what can happen with yeast in the body because when the yeast (e.g., Candida albicans) increases until it’s out of control, you get a yeast infection.

Certain substances can be used as natural yeast infection cures. One of these is boric acid, which has excelled among the natural yeast infection cures for patients with recurring yeast infection. Its effectiveness in topical form was shown to be equal to that of oral treatment with itraconazole. As a vaginal suppository (600 mg a day for 2 weeks), its effectiveness is greater than that of oral treatment with fluconazole.

A compounding pharmacy could be your source for boric acid suppositories. You may also be able to find boric acid suppository products like Yeast Arrest or Gy-na-tren from a few manufacturers. Always remember to be careful with boric acid, which is, after all, a toxic chemical. It is inadvisable to use this treatment for pregnant women, children, and infants.

Tea tree oil is another of the natural yeast infection cures out there. It is an essential oil from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant. When the oil is diluted and applied topically, it can serve as one of the most natural yeast infection cures. This is evidently because it has a compound called terpinen-4-ol.

Even though tea tree oil can definitely be counted among the more natural yeast infection cures, it needs additional clinical studies to fully confirm its efficacy. Make sure you use it safely by diluting it in some water then applying the diluted oil with a washcloth.

Probiotics are also useful as natural yeast infection cures. These are a sort of friendly bacteria that are naturally present in the vagina, not to mention the digestive tract. With enough probiotics, Candida can be overwhelmed and suppressed from harmful overgrowth.

A number of species of probiotics are studied as natural yeast infection cures, among them Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum RC-14, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1. Probiotics are usually ingested as dietary supplements since probiotic vaginal suppositories tend to be more difficult to find.