When one talks about yeast infection in men, they are usually referring to penile yeast infection.


Often the male yeast infection is misunderstood and also overlooked. This is because it can often go undetected and symptoms do not arise (although this isn’t always the case). A male yeast infection is called Balanitis.

Causes of Yeast Infection in Men

Like women, stress, antibiotics, a weak immunse system and other health issues such as diabetes can cause male Candida problems. Many sources claim that a thrush can be transmitted during sex. If you do not show signs though, it is highly unlikely you have “caught” one in this way. The idea that a woman infects her lover, treats herself and then gets re-infected by her lover is unfounded. There is no evidence to suggest this type of thing occurs. If someone is getting recurring issues it is usually as a result of a complex underlying issue.

Symptoms of Yeast Infection in Men

As mentioned, a lot of men may not have any symptoms at all. Those who do have symptoms will have:

• Irritation and soreness of the head of the penis.
• Lumpy white discharge from under the foreskin
• Swelling around the head of the penis
• Pain when peeing

Treatment of Yeast Infection in Men

Natural Cures
There are many natural cures that one can use to help get relief from yeast infection. Putting natural yoghurt onto the affected area will help soothe symptoms although is not to be relied on to cure you. Garlic and tea tree oil, although often recommended as natural remedies, can irritate the skin and if your skin is irritated and sore already they can make it much worse. Both garlic and tea tree oil have been shown not to “cure” yeast problems.

Dietary & Lifestyle
Generally, a high fat diet can contribute to yeast problems. It is worth upping your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and reducing the fat you eat. Fat is important in the diet but not in the quantities will in the Western world currently eat it in. This is especially important if you keep getting a recurrent problem.

Reducing the amount of stress in you life or learning to deal with stress more effectively will also help your overall help.

Medication
Yeast infection in men is usually treated in a similar way to a vaginal issue. Anti-fungal cream is given to apply to the area. The over the counter medication that is directed at women can also be used to help. Oral medication is also available but this is something you need to talk to with your doctor.

Because male yeast infections are difficult to diagnose, it is important that you see your Doctor.

If you need to know how to get rid of a yeast infection, then this article can help you.


A yeast infection isn’t a nice thing to have to deal with. It is uncomfortable at the very least and can feeling disgusting. So when one gets one, they want to be able to get rid of it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Before attempting to get rid of a yeast infection, it is important to know that you have one. Symptoms of vaginal yeast thrush include irritation and soreness in and around the vagina and thick white discharge that is usually odourless. These are the main symptoms one experiences.

If you do have a yeast problem, the first thing you can do is go to the Doctor to have oral medication or pessaries/creams prescribed to you. This will help clear up the symptoms of your problem but may not necessarily cure you and you may end up with another one down the line. A recurring problem is fairly common. Creams and pessaries are also available over the counter without a prescription.

Besides Doctor treatment, there are also herbal remedies that can help you soothe the symptoms. One such remedy is the use of live yoghurt. Live yoghurt is great at soothing the symptoms, but contrary to popular belief, it is not a good treatment overall. If you want to use yoghurt to soothe you can dip a tampon in the yoghurt and then insert or use a plastic syringe and squirt some in high up in the vagina.

Generally though prescription medication can be enough to clear up the symptoms and not bring the problem back. A yeast infection can be caused by a weakened immune system and stress can factor into this. So if you suddenly out of the blue get one, it may just be a case of one trip to the Doctor.

With recurring yeast infections things get a little more difficult. A recurring issue means that there is an underlying cause that hasn’t been sorted out and until it does a yeast outbreak will continue to occur.

Diet can play a huge role in yeast outbreaks. A lot of information lays the blame with sugar as the culprit to yeast problems but really the true culprit is fat. A consistently high fat diet can lead to Candida problems. How it does so is that when one has a high fat diet, fat levels into the blood stay chronically high because fat is hard to digest and can up to 24 hours or more to be processed. As fat remains high it blocks the uptake of easier to digest foods such as sugar. Sugar digests quickly but if fat is in the blood it gets blocked and remains in the blood also. This means your blood sugar level becomes high and this is dangerous. In order for it to come down, the Candida organism feeds on which causes it to overgrow. If you continue on a high fat diet, this continues to happen and results in yeast symptoms including leaving you feeling run down and tired.

So if you continue to have problems it is well worth addressing lifestyle issues such as diet, exercise and stress levels. This can have a huge impact on your health and yeast infection issues.

Vaginal thrush is an irritation of the vagina that affects more than half of women at some point in their life.


It causes itching, soreness, irritation and a white thick discharge. It can be very unpleasant and uncomfortable. The causes of thrush are not very well understood and often the culprit is an underlying problem, which needs to be rectified in order to achieve freedom from it. This is certainly the case if one experiences recurring problems and only through changing their lifestyle and eating habits will they be able to achieve total freedom.

If you have a yeast infection then the best point of call is to go to the Doctors. Treatment will usually consist of a pessary or cream. A pessary is a pill that you insert into the vagina. The cream is used in a similar way. This type of treatment can also be purchased over the counter without a prescription but if you have never had vaginal thrush it is worth being checked by a Doctor to make sure it is what you have and not something else. Creams and pessaries are not advised for women under 16 years of age and in this instance they will be offered oral medication.

Oral medication is another option available. Whether this is prescribed will depend on your circumstances, as it can affect the contraceptive pill among other things. Oral medication is not given to pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Creams, pessaries and oral medication are the most commonly prescribed treatments for thrush. These treatments will treat the symptoms of the problem but do not guarantee a cure, as it doesn’t treat the underlying symptoms. For women who experience an “out of the blue” yeast infection, this can be a great way to clear it up. An “out of the blue” thrush yeast infection is one where a women just gets one with no obvious reason as to why. This is common because the causes of yeast infections are not properly understood or known and can vary from person to person. What we do know is contributory factors but generally it isn’t something that can give a one-size-fits-all cause.

One theory is that a high fat diet can cause a thrush infection. Fat is hard for the body to digest and thus stays in the blood stream for a long time. As a result anything that can be digested much more quickly, i.e. sugar, gets blocked and stuck in the blood stream by the fat. Having high blood sugar is dangerous, so Candida brings your sugar level down to a safe level and multiplies. Having high fat foods now and then isn’t the problem and this mechanism is perfectly normal. It is when one eats high fat all the time that is when the problem arises as the sugar in the blood stays high and needs constant attention from the Candida.

In this case another treatment possibility would be to change one’s diet. There are yeast free diet plans but these usually blame sugar as the culprit, when it seems that fat really is instead. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress levels is the best way to go against fighting yeast for good and a great treatment for thrush incorporated with medication.

Vaginal thrush is an irritation of the vagina caused by yeast called Candida Albicans. Candida is an organism that naturally lives in the body and usually is harmless.


However, under the right conditions, Candida will multiply and overgrow causing uncomfortable physical symptoms such as soreness, irritation as well as fatigue if a thrush yeast infection has been left untreated for too long. Along with irritation and soreness, you may also experience a thick white odourless discharge (sometimes it maybe watery). These are generally the most common symptoms of thrush.

Generally about 50% of women will get thrush at least once in their lifetime. In most cases this is considered “out of the blue” because the causes of thrush are not understood properly. After treatment, thrush usually doesn’t return, but in some cases a recurring problem can occur. In these cases there is an underlying cause or problem that hasn’t been address and it is only by finding this cause that one can overcome vaginal thrush. Generally a high fat diet on a long term basis can be a major factor in recurring yeast infections. A poor immune system, an unhealthy lifestyle and diabetes can all contribute to the likelihood on one getting a yeast infection.

In terms of diagnosis, generally you will not nee to be tested. Symptoms alone are usually enough for a Doctor to conclude that you have one. If you have a recurring issue, then a Doctor may want to take a swab from your vagina and test it to make sure they have made the right diagnosis.

Vaginal Thrush Treatment
The most common treatments for vaginal thrush are pessaries and creams. Pessaries are small pills you insert into the vagina and creams are applied the same way. A single large dose is often enough to clear a bout of yeast infection. Topical treatments are also prescribed if you are pregnant.

There is also the option to have oral medication but this is dependent on a number of things. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding this is not available to you. However if you are under 16 this is generally what is prescribed as it isn’t recommended that an under 16 use pessaries.

If the treatment doesn’t work and you still have symptoms after 14 days then you should see your Doctor again. This can happen in as high as 1 out of 5 cases.

Treatment can fail for a number of reasons including:

• The symptoms you experienced were due to something other than thrush.
• Although most cases of vaginal thrush are caused by Candida albicans, 1 in 10 are caused by other strains that are not as easily treated.
• Treatment wasn’t used correctly.
• It may be a very quick recurring yeast infection.

Natural Remedies for Vaginal Thrush
One of the most common natural remedies that people use is the insertion of live yoghurt into the vagina. It is believed by many that the good bacteria in the yoghurt helps balance out the yeast and bacteria in the vagina. Although using live yoghurt can help alleviate symptoms of thrush, studies have shown it is not a good treatment overall.

If you wish to use live yoghurt to help alleviate symptoms you can either dip a tampon in yoghurt and then insert the tampon or use a plastic syringe to squirt it in.

Other natural remedies include the use of garlic or tea tree oil but these can do more harm than good and have been shown not to be very effective. Tea tree oil and garlic also can irritate the skin so make your yeast infection worse.

Vaginal thrush is an inflammation in the vagina commonly caused by a yeast organism called Candida albicans. In the UK, 3 out of 4 women will have vaginal thrush at some point during their life, so it is very common.


Candida is an organism naturally found in the body and in fact can be life saving in particularly circumstances. It is usually kept at harmless levels but a strong immune system and healthy body, but if the Candida gets an opportunity to grow and quickly, it can lead to vaginal thrush. Many women also find that they can get a recurring problem, this is usually because the underlying cause is not dealt with – only the symptoms are treated. If you suffer from recurring yeast infections and have more than 4 in a year, it is called recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Vaginal Thrush Symptoms
For some women, they may not experience any symptoms when it comes to vaginal thrush. This is fairly uncommon though and dangerous as if you do not know you have a problem it is more likely to grow into a bigger issue or a chronic yeast infection. Chronic yeast infections can start causing other problems in the body including diabetes.

Below is a list of some of the symptoms of thrush:

• Soreness
• Irritation
• Thick white discharge, which is usually odorless (may also be watery)
• Itching
• Pain/soreness during sex
• Swelling and cracked skin of the vulva

Vaginal Thrush Causes
There are many different reasons and causes to why you may have a yeast infection. Things like taking antibiotics, pregnancy and a weakened immune system are all contributory factors. Other things include a diet high in fat and being overweight. In these cases you may experience a recurring yeast infection unless you overcome the lifestyle habits that are causing the thrush problems. Stress is another factor that can contribute to your chances of developing thrush.

Vaginal Thrush Diagnosis
If you go to your Doctor, they will ask you about what symptoms you have. They will also ask you if you have had thrush in the past too. Generally Doctors will diagnose you by your symptoms alone, however if you have severe symptoms or have a recurring problem, then your Doctor will take a swab from your vagina to confirm the diagnosis.

Vaginal Thrush Treatment
If you have mild symptoms you may be given a short course of anti0fungal medication from your Doctor. This can be taken orally or intravaginally. Intravaginal treatment is usually in the form of creams or a pessary which is a small tablet you insert into your vagina.

Whether you are given oral or intravaginal treatment is dependent on an number of factors including:

• Your age – Under 16s are not given intravaginal treatment as it isn’t recommended.
• Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• What contraception you are using
• What treatment you would prefer.

Some treatments contain imidazoles which can damage condoms and diaphragms, so it is important to let your Doctor know what types of contraceptives you use. Some oral medications have also been reported to affect and stop the oral contraceptive from working too.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding then you will be prescribed an intravaginal treatment instead of an oral one.

If you continue to have symptoms after 14 days then it is best to go back and see your Doctor.

Vaginal Thrush Self-Help
There are many vaginal yeast infection treatments available over the counter that do not require a prescription. If you are sure you have one then this could be a quicker way to resolve it then waiting to see the Doctor. It is important that you are sure that you have one though so ask your pharmacist for advice if unsure.

Other things that you can do to help yourself is to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Eat a low fat diet and exercise regularly. Also try to keep stress to a minimum.

Vaginal thrush is a concern for many women. This article goes over 3 common concerns and questions surrounding yeast infection problems.

Can I use complementary therapies to treat vaginal thrush?

Some women like to choose complementary therapies to treat their vaginal thrush. One treatment that is popular is natural live yoghurt. Many women believe that yoghurt that contains live bacteria can help restore the balance of bacteria in the vagina, in this way overcoming the yeast problem. Research however has shown that although this is a great way to help relieve symptoms of thrush, it is not an effective treatment overall.

If you want to use yoghurt to ease your symptoms the best way to do this is to eat it or apply it directly. You can cover a tampon and insert this or you can use a plastic syringe and squirt the yoghurt high up into the vagina.

Other things that also get used are things such as tea tree oil and garlic to name a few. These have been shown not to work and may do more harm than good. Both garlic and tea tree oil, for example, can both cause skin irritation. These should be avoided when it comes to treating yeast infection.

If I have a yeast infection should my partner be treated too?

Despite what many people believe, your partner will only need to have treatment if they show any signs themselves of having one. A yeast infection in a man is called balanitis (caused by Candida albicans).

Symptoms of this include:

• Irritation
• Soreness
• Swelling around the head of the penis
• Redness around the head of the penis
• Thick lumpy discharge from under the foreskin
• Pain when peeing

If your partner shows no signs then there is no reason they should be treated as there is no evidence to suggest this will prevent recurring vaginal thrush.

If I get thrush while pregnant can or will it harm my baby?
Although thrush is a common problem among pregnant women, there is no evidence to suggest it will harm your baby. However it is important you contact your Doctor if you do develop one so that you can be given treatment that is safe to use during pregnancy. Over-the-counter medication may not be safe.

Despite this, there may also be a small change that your baby contracts a yeast infection one delivery but this can be easily treated and you shouldn’t worry too much about this if you get one while pregnant.