If you have a vagina, you might want to do yourself a favor and learn the most common yeast infection causes. After all, the more familiar you are with the causes of this itchy, irritating infection, the better equipped you are to avoid them at all costs, because while you’ll probably never be 100% safe from yeast infections, there are some things you can do to keep your risk to a minimum. Below, find the things anyone with a vagina absolutely should know about yeast infection causes, as well as how to recognize and (most importantly) get rid of yeast infections.
In case you need a refresher, these are the symptoms of a yeast infection.
Yeast infection symptoms can range in severity, but they’re pretty much guaranteed to always be unpleasant. Notably, yeast infections have similar symptoms to other vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis, so identifying what’s going on is essential to make sure you’re treating the right problem and making things better instead of worse. Here’s what to look out for, per the Mayo Clinic:
- Lots of irritation. Often yeast infections make you super itchy in and around the vagina. You might also experience burning, especially when you pee or have sex.
- Changes in your discharge. Vaginal discharge during a yeast infection typically becomes thick and white like cottage cheese (sorry if that ruins cottage cheese for you). You might also experience watery discharge. Unlike a bacterial infection like vaginosis, yeast infections do not make discharge smelly.
- Vulva swelling or redness, or a vaginal rash.
- Vaginal pain and soreness.
While those are pretty typical yeast infection symptoms, you might also deal with what’s known as a “complicated” yeast infection. With complicated yeast infections, your symptoms will be more severe, with extensive redness, swelling, and itching that leads to tears, cracks, and sores. You can read more about recurring and complicated yeast infections here.
So what causes yeast infections?
Broadly speaking, yeast infections are typically caused by an overgrowth of a fungus called Candida albicans. Despite how gross it sounds to have fungus in your vagina, it’s totally natural to have some Candida albicans in your vagina; the problem is when there’s too much of it. Typically your vagina does a great job keeping its own ecosystem in careful balance, but when something causes one microorganism to grow more or less abundantly than it should, it can easily result in an infection.
Yeast infections specifically happen when something throws Lactobacillus, the “good” bacteria that typically keep Candida albicans in check, off balance. Left unchecked, Candida albicans overpopulates the area and causes a yeast infection, Michael Cackovic, M.D., an ob-gyn at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF.
A lot of things can throw off the vagina’s bacterial harmony like this and cause a yeast infection. Here are some common yeast infection causes to keep on your radar:
1. Antibiotics
Antibiotics kill bacteria, but unfortunately you can’t choose with 100% accuracy which bacteria they target in the body. “If you’re taking an antibiotic for a sickness or skin infection elsewhere, some of those [vaginal] bacteria are going to be susceptible too,” says Dr. Cackovic. When it knocks out some of the “good” bacteria in the vagina, yeast can overgrow and cause an infection. One way to combat this is to ask your doctor about taking a probiotic at the same time, to preserve your populations of helpful bacteria, says Dr. Cackovic.
2. Sitting around in a wet bathing suit or sweaty gym clothes
Yeast loves anything warm and wet, which is why it’s found a nice home in your vagina in the first place. “Anything you do down there that keeps it hot and wet, like wearing a wet bathing suit, is going to create an environment that loves to hatch yeast,” Dr. Cackovic says. This also means it’s not a great idea to stay in your sweaty gym clothes for hours after your workout.
On top of that, Dr. Cackovic recommends wearing sports underwear that’s made of a wicking material like polyester if you’re planning to get super sweaty. It’ll help pull the moisture away from your skin and keep the whole area drier. (For day-to-day wear, gynos typically recommend cotton underwear because it’s the most breathable fabric, but it can get soggy when you’re seriously sweating.)
3. Irritating bath products or laundry detergent
Using a new body wash or laundry detergent, especially one with fragrance, can disturb the pH of your vagina and cause irritation or a yeast infection. But even if you don’t get a yeast infection right away, Dr. Cackovic says he often sees a domino effect that can lead to one indirectly. A new detergent can cause irritation or a skin condition called dermatitis, which in turn causes itchiness and redness. Those symptoms can be misdiagnosed as an infection, for which you might be prescribed an antibiotic. With no “bad” bacteria to kill, the antibiotic can kill off the good ones, leading to a yeast infection that could have been avoided. No fun.
4. High estrogen levels
Sometimes you can thank your hormones for yeast infections. “Yeast infections appear to occur more often in the setting of increased estrogen levels, such as with oral contraceptive use (especially when the estrogen dose is high), pregnancy, and estrogen therapy,” Dr. Cackovic says. That’s because excess estrogen increases glycogen (a stored form of glucose) levels in the vagina and glycogen promotes yeast growth.
Dr. Cackovic notes, though, that most birth control pills are monophasic, meaning the hormone doses are the same throughout one pack and therefore shouldn’t cause a big enough change to spark an infection. If you’re curious whether your specific birth control might be opening you up to yeast infections, talk to your gyno.
5. Douching, or otherwise irritating your vagina by trying to clean it
Doctors advise strongly against douching, which involves putting fluids into your vagina with a squirt bottle in an attempt to clean yourself. Douching can seriously disrupt the normal pH of the vagina and cause an overgrowth of yeast or harmful bacteria.
To avoid changing the natural environment or causing irritation, doctors also don’t recommend cleaning inside the vagina with soap. “Never put soap in the vagina,” Tami Rowen, M.D., an ob-gyn at UCSF Medical Center specializing in sexual health concerns, tells SELF. “It’s like washing your mouth out with soap.” Your vagina can actually clean itself just fine using that discharge we talked about—no soap necessary.
Instead, simply rinse the area around the vulva with warm water while showering. If you don’t interrupt the ecosystem, the bacteria and yeast will stay balanced on their own. For more information, here’s everything you need to know about cleaning your vagina.
6. Diabetes
According to the Mayo Clinic, people with diabetes have a higher risk of getting yeast infections, especially if they have trouble managing their blood sugar levels. Higher blood glucose levels feed yeast, leading to an overgrowth in any warm, moist areas of the body, especially the vagina.
7. Changes in your sex life
While a yeast infection is not an STI, having sex more frequently than usual or with a new partner can change the vagina’s pH and introduce new bacteria and fungus, explains Dr. Cackovic, altering the Candida levels and causing an infection.
Speaking of sex and yeast infections, if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s safe to have sex when you have one, we’ve got you covered. Everything you need to know is here.
8. Certain lubes
Some people are sensitive to certain types of lubes. “Some, especially glycerin-based, have sugar in them,” Dr. Rowen explains, which can prompt yeast growth. Same goes for flavored or warming lubes, which may contain not only sugar but also irritating chemicals. Some people may have problems with silicone-based lube—it lasts longer, “which is great, but it’s going to cause more of a change in the vaginal environment,” Dr. Rowen explains. She recommends sticking to water-based lube without glycerin if you’re prone to yeast infections.
Using a spermicide or condoms that contain it can also cause yeast infections in some people. Nonoxynol-9, the active ingredient in most spermicides, kills sperm and germs but can be irritating and kill good bacteria too.
Here’s what to do if you suspect you have a yeast infection.
While you might be tempted to just run to CVS to grab some Monistat when you think you have a yeast infection, Dr. Cackovic cautions against self-treating. Even if you recognize the symptoms, it’s hard to know for sure on your own what type of infection you’re dealing with; you might mistake these conditions for yeast infections, for example.
Without knowing for sure whether the infection is bacterial or fungal, it’s easy to treat the wrong thing and end up making your symptoms worse and prolonging the problem. “It becomes a vicious cycle,” he says. If you notice changes in your discharge, accompanied by itching, burning, redness, or just an overall discomfort, it’s time to pay your dear gyno a visit and get things straightened out.
If it turns out to be a yeast infection, treatments are antifungal medications, in the form of either creams or tablets and suppositories that you place inside the vagina. Typically, OTC medications (like Monistat and Vagistat) have the same active ingredients as medications your doctor will prescribe, but with a weaker concentration.
The good news is that if you treat a yeast infection promptly and properly, treatment is typically smooth sailing. So don’t hesitate once that trademark itch hits.
Related:
- 6 Reasons Your Vagina Feels Sore After Sex and What to Do About It
- 10 ‘Weird’ Worries That Are Actually Present in a Normal Vagina
- 8 Potential Reasons Why It Burns When You Pee