6 WAYS TO PREVENT VAGINAL YEAST INFECTIONS - Yeast Infection

1. Wear cotton underwear or panties with an absorbent cotton crotch. Better yet, wear skirts with no underwear, at least around the house--letting the area between your legs stay "aired-out" helps prevent yeast growth.

2. Don't use fabric softener on underwear--use a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle instead. Fabric softener "dryer sheets" should also be avoided.

3. Use unscented toilet paper--The added scent can cause irritation, and it doesn't make you smell any better.

4. Clean yourself after intercourse. Douching is NOT recommended--it can cause dangerous infections by washing bacteria up into the uterus.

The easiest, safest way to clean alkaline semen out of the vagina is to use home-made vinegar swabs. Simply wrap a bit of toilet paper, paper towel, or thin cloth around a finger. Dip this swab into a solution of 1 Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Insert your wrapped finger into the vagina as deeply as you can and wipe the inside with a circular motion.

If you are using a diaphram or sponge for birth control, be careful not to dislodge it. Don't use a vaginal swab if you're depending on foam or suppositories for birth control.

5. If you must take antibiotics, plain yogurt can help keep your vaginal tissues healthy. Twice a day take about 1/2 teaspoon of unflavored yogurt on your fingertip and slide it up into your vagina. It's best to lie down for a few minutes afterwards to let the yogurt settle and spread around some. Be sure to get yogurt that says "active cultures" on the label. These are living cells that help prevent excessive yeast growth. When you are done taking antibiotics, eat at least a cup of yogurt with active cultures every day for a week to help your body recover its natural balance.

6. Avoid sugars--white sugar, brown sugar, dextrose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, etc. Yeast thrives and multiplies on sugar.

Learn to read labels--it's amazing how many processed foods contain sugar. For instance, most canned chili has added sugar. Catsup is mostly sugar. There's sugar in most salad dressings, tomato soup, pizza, spaghetti sauces and even in Spam.

Honey, blackstrap molasses and other unrefined sugars are generally better for you than refined sugars, but yeast plants love any kind of sugar. Too much sweet fruit or juice can even make your body sweet enough to encourage the growth of yeast.

If you take the above precautions and still get frequent yeast infections, have your doctor or family nurse practicioner check you for diabetes. Diabetic people are often prone to yeast infections.