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.