Vaginal thrush is caused by an overgrowth of a yeast called Candida albicans in 90% of cases.
It’s normal to have Candida in your vagina and most of the time it doesn’t cause any problems. However, sometimes certain factors disrupt the natural balance and the pH of your vagina, causing the Candida to multiply resulting in overgrowth (usually of one specific type of candida). This can cause inflammation of the skin, and an irritated rash to appear. Up to 3 out of 4 women will have at least 1 episode of thrush in their lifetime.
Vaginal thrush can affect women and girls of all ages, but it’s rare before puberty or after menopause. Your risk of getting
- are pregnant
- have a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- have recently been on a course of antibiotics or steroids
- have diabetes and your blood glucose is not under good control
- use a type of hormonal birth control that has higher doses of oestrogen
- have a weakened immune system, เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย such as from chemotherapy or immunosuppressants
- have a skin condition such as eczema or dermatitis
- experience vaginal dryness during sexual intercourse – this can cause irritation of the skin
- wear tight fitting clothes that may irritate the vulval area
- use vaginal deodorants, sprays, gels and wipes, perfumed bubble baths, douches or other products that can change the natural acidity of your vagina.
For some women tends to reoccur quite frequently. If you experience 4 or more vaginal thrush infections per year, this is called recurrent. Read more about recurrent vaginal thrush below.
Symptoms include
- itching, irritation or redness around your vagina and vulva
- burning or stinging when urinating (weeing)
- vaginal discharge – this can be thick and white or thin and watery, without any smell
- swelling and splits in the skin
- pain during sex.
Some people have no symptoms and thrush may be picked up when having a test for something else. It’s not necessary to have treatment when you have a swab that shows candida are present, unless you’re having symptoms that bother you.