In the article brought to your attention today we will talk about what causes thrush in women. This problem is very common. According to statistics, every second woman on our planet has candidiasis (so called thrush in medical circles). The disease has quite pronounced symptoms and a relapsing character. That is, despite timely treatment, a woman can get thrush several times a year.
Vaginal candidiasis is fungal in nature. The disease can occur for a number of reasons (why thrush appears, we will analyze a bit later). The main thing in this problem is to find out the source of the failure in the body. Until it is eliminated, candidiasis will bother constantly. The most common question among women is what are the causes of the disease. There is no definite answer. The thing is that each individual organism is individual, and the problem can have a different nature.
This difficult question can be answered somewhat generally. All reasons can be divided into two groups:
- external factors;
- internal factors.
We will talk about them after we deal with the disease itself and its types.
Candidiasis
Before we get to the question of where the thrush comes from , let's talk a little more about this disease. It is important to note that Candida fungi, which are the initiators of candidiasis, are always present in the microflora of the vagina. Now more than a hundred different fungi are known that are the cause of the disease. Fungi develop very quickly, but if no malfunction occurs in the body, the immune system monitors the rate of reproduction. That is, when the body fails, the fungi begin to develop at a tremendous speed, which leads to candidiasis.
It is very important to know that candidiasis (urogenital) is found not only in women, men are affected by this disease, and even less often children. Consider now its varieties.
Kinds
In total, two types are distinguished:
- Damage to the skin or mucous membrane.
- Visceral forms (if you encounter the second type, it means the infection has affected the respiratory system or the digestive tract (gastrointestinal tract).
In total, you can count more than a dozen representatives of fungi that provoke candidiasis. As mentioned earlier, they are an integral part of the microflora of the oral cavity, colon and vagina. When a failure occurs in the body, they begin to multiply intensively, which leads to the fact that they displace representatives of healthy microflora.
The provocateur of the development of the disease is always a decrease in the body's defenses, more simply - a decrease in immunity. Do not worry too much, thrush is a non-fearful disease that is quite treatable. Candidiasis does not pose any danger to life, but there are a number of unpleasant symptoms that can affect the quality of life. This also applies to her intimate side.
Candidiasis can be a signal for a serious illness (such as HIV or diabetes). However, in most cases, thrush appears for less dangerous reasons. More often, speaking of thrush, they mean damage to the mucous membrane of the genital organs:
- in women - the vulva;
- in men, the glans penis.
Infection occurs through sexual contact, which is why it is so important to protect yourself and have a permanent partner.
External factors
Earlier in the article, it was said that internal and external factors contributing to the development of candidiasis disease are distinguished. Now let's talk in more detail about external ones. These include:
- the wrong diet;
- long-term use of antibiotics;
- improper treatment;
- lack of personal hygiene.
So, what does thrush come from? The gynecologist will help you find the answer to this question. They will not produce anything terrible, only a standard medical examination. If you are tormented by unpleasant symptoms (itching, unpleasant odor, cheesy discharge), then feel free to consult a doctor. Self-medication is highly discouraged, because the remedies for thrush, which are so many on the windows of pharmacies, help eliminate symptoms, but they have no effect on the cause. Only an experienced specialist can identify the lesion and prescribe the correct treatment.
If the problem is poor nutrition, then you should just bring your diet back to normal. This is not so difficult, exclude the trick:
These products help the vaginal acid environment to change. In addition, the abuse of sweet, spicy and starchy foods leads to impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and dysbiosis.
As you know, beneficial bacteria are involved in the control of the propagation of fungi of the genus Candida . And taking antibiotics, especially for a long time, leads to the fact that the microflora of the intestine and vagina change. Lactobacilli are forced out, which leads to intensive reproduction of harmful fungi.
Once again, pay attention to the fact that self-medication is not worth it, since there are many causes of the disease, and the method of treatment depends on them. If you find symptoms of candidiasis, go to the gynecologist. One of the most common causes of thrush is unprotected intercourse. Claims to a man in this case are inappropriate. The thing is that a man may not even know what is the carrier of the infection, since the disease in them is asymptomatic.
Internal causes
What causes thrush in women? In this section, we will continue to answer this question. Now we will consider the internal factors, which include:
- hormonal disruptions;
- herpes;
- weak immunity;
- prolonged illnesses.
If everything that was said in the previous section does not fit, then the reason is to look more deeply.
So, what does thrush come from? One of the most common causes is hormonal failure. This may be the second half of the menstrual cycle, which is characterized by a large production of progesterone, pregnancy.
Chronic diseases or even genital herpes can cause frequent manifestations of thrush.
The last two points are even easier to explain. With weak immunity, the reproduction of fungi is practically not controlled in any way.
Be mindful of your body's signals. If symptoms occur, go to the gynecologist and take a swab from the vagina. The thing is that the symptoms of candidiasis are similar to other diseases of the genitourinary system. Thrush is not dangerous, but treatment should begin immediately. When you can get rid of the problem, it is worth taking a number of preventive measures (increase immunity and personal hygiene).
Food
Now we highlight the five most common causes of candidiasis. Why does thrush appear in women? The first and most popular reason is malnutrition. The problem does not manifest itself immediately. At the beginning, you will feel problems with the gastrointestinal tract, dysbiosis (due to changes in the intestinal microflora) will soon occur. Only then will candidiasis be added. Of course, the doctor will prescribe a treatment that will help get rid of unpleasant symptoms, but you need to adjust your diet.
Hormones
Here is another fairly common reason why girls get thrush. As you know, after ovulation there is an increased production of progesterone, that is, thrush may appear in the second half of the menstrual cycle. The same applies to pregnancy, when global hormonal changes occur in a woman’s body. Another option is to take OK (i.e. oral contraceptives). If a woman is completely healthy, then you can not worry about it, another thing is the presence of a chronic disease.
Antibiotics
Did thrush appear after antibiotics? This is a common case. The thing is that in some cases these necessary medicines can kill not only pathogenic bacteria, but also representatives of beneficial microflora. As mentioned earlier, the reproduction of fungi is strictly controlled by lactobacilli. If there are few of the latter, then the fungi will begin to multiply without restrictions, which leads to thrush.
Improper treatment
Now we will answer one very interesting question: what causes thrush again and again, if treatment is carried out. Many women are treated for candidiasis on their own, but treatment is also necessary with their partner. The fairer sex can get rid of the problem, but another intimacy with an infected partner will quickly resume it. For men, there are many different creams. If this is not done, then the thrush will come back again and again.
Herpes
And one more, the last reason for the frequent appearance of thrush. What is herpes? This is an infection caused by HSV (deciphering is the herpes simplex virus). This is a fairly common disease, as well as candidiasis. Candida fungi, which are the causative agents of thrush, are in the body of every person, since they participate in metabolic processes along with other microorganisms.
It would seem, what connection between herpes and candidiasis can be? But everything is not so simple, HSV lives in our body, being in a passive state. But with weakened immunity, he makes himself felt. Following it, candidiasis also appears. The way to get rid is the treatment of herpes, thrush and strengthening immunity.