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Thrush aka Vulvo-vaginal Candidiasis (VVC)
Thrush is a form of yeast or fungus called Candida that naturally exists in and on the body. It is a vaginal infection caused by the overgrowth of the yeast. By investigating the common causes, symptoms, and preventive methods of Thrush, VJJ Health aims to shed light on this vaginal infection in order to help you improve your intimate wellbeing.
Thrush can arise due to a variety of circumstances, including lifestyle choices, pregnancy, antibiotic use, and hormonal changes. It is essential for anybody looking for practical preventative techniques to understand the possible reasons behind the infection. The article also explores recurrent thrush, explaining why certain people could have infections again and offering helpful advice for how to help cope with the symptoms and how to avoid recurrent infections moving forwards. This thorough guide will answer any questions you may have about why thrush keeps coming back, how to treat its symptoms, or whether you may strengthen your body's natural defences. Together, we can dispel the myths surrounding Thrush and provide people the tools they need to take charge of their intimate health.
What is Thrush?
Thrush (Candida) is a type of fungus called yeast. It is commonly found in and on the body and normally causes no problems. Sometimes, a change in conditions in the vagina and vulva can encourage the overgrowth of Candida and it can cause a vaginal infection which is often called Thrush, this upset of the vaginal microbiome leads to discomfort and uncomfortable symptoms. A healthy, or normally balanced vagina and vulva has a microbiome that helps prevent this overgrowth of yeast.
Sometimes things can happen that disrupt the vaginal microbiome or the normal functioning of the cells in the vagina and vulva. The symptoms of Thrush can be:
- An itchy vulva or soreness.
- A white discharge (sometimes described as ‘cottage-cheesy’)
- Pain when having sex
- Discomfort or pain when peeing
Thrush can often be mild, causing irritation and itching however sometimes it can develop into a serious infection causing swelling, hot redness and cracks in the wall of the vagina.
Why do I get Thrush?
Thrush is very common. Most women will experience a thrush infection at some time in their lives and often have several vaginal infections per year. The most common causes of thrush are related to fluctuations in hormones and to changes in the vaginal microbiome.
- Changes in hormone levels during your monthly period can leave you more susceptible to thrush. These monthly changes in hormone levels can affect your vaginal microbiome which protects your vagina and vulva from thrush infection.
- Using antibiotics can cause an imbalance in your vaginal microbiome which can lead to an increase in thrush infections. Because antibiotics suppress the good bacteria in your microbiome as well as the bad ones which you are treating, you can be left open to a fungal infection which is not controlled by antibiotic medicine.
- When you are pregnant, you have very big changes in hormone levels. These changes can make you more likely to get thrush.
- Having unmanaged diabetes is a risk factor for increased vaginal thrush infections.
There are other lifestyle factors which are not actually ‘old-wives’ tales and do increase the likelihood of getting a vaginal thrush infection:
- Wearing hot, sweaty clothes for a long time
- Sitting-around in a wet swim-suit
- Douching or washing your vagina with anything scented, soapy or deodorant
What can I do to stop getting Thrush?
Sometimes, when your hormones are fluctuating or if you are on antibiotics, it’s hard to keep the yeast microbes that cause thrush away. If your vaginal yeast infection keeps coming back, it is called a recurrent thrush infection. This might be because you have become resistant to the fungicide, or that there are other things that you could do which might help.
- Choose underwear that is not too tight and allows your body to breathe – natural fabrics are best as they don’t trap moisture which is Candida’s best friend. Silk is good if you are rich (!) but cotton undies are perfect.
- Always wipe from front to back after going to the toilet. It stops the accidental spread of microbes from the bottom to the vagina or the urethra.
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Don’t hang around in a wet swimsuit or sportswear for too long. Dry off and put some cotton pants on!
- Think about taking a specific vaginal live-bacteria supplement to help support your vaginal microbiome.
What about supporting my Vaginal Microbiome?
We know that a healthy vaginal microbiome helps your body resist the overgrowth of the microbes that causes thrush. There is good evidence too that supplementing your vaginal microbiome while you are taking antifungal medicine helps your body fight the infection more quickly and helps protect your vagina from an infection coming back. If you are going to take a vaginal Lactobacillus supplement to help support your vaginal microbiome, make sure that it contains specific strains of Lactobacillus that belong in the vagina.
Lots of supplements for women have similar sounding bacteria in them but they are designed to help your gut-microbiome. Ultimate V contains four specially chosen strains of vaginal Lactobacillus which have been selected from hundreds of others because of their ability to suppress yeast and to survive the journey from your mouth to your vagina. To learn more about Ultimate V, visit the page here.
Recurrent Thrush
It is very common for thrush to come back. If you get Thrush four or more times in a year, it is called recurrent Thrush and it can be a really depressing and difficult thing to manage. There is always some of the yeast that causes thrush living in your vagina, just in small enough amounts that it causes no problem. It is kept under control by the good bacteria (Lactobacilli). Sometimes things happen to make your vaginal microbiome go out of balance and this allows the thrush yeast to take-over. This can be for a number of reasons:
Hormonal fluctuations around your period – around the time of your period, your hormone levels change and this can have an effect on your vaginal pH and the microbiome that works to keep your vagina free of infection. If this happens to you, you may wish to supplement your vaginal microbiome with a live bacterial supplement for women to support your vaginal wellbeing.
Sexual activity – Sperm is very alkaline (has a high pH – 8/9) so unprotected sex can alter the make-up of your vaginal microbiome and affect your vaginal pH balance. This can allow thrush to increase and cause an infection. If this is the case, try to use a non-spermicidal condom (spermicide kills good bacterial as well as sperm) to protect yourself. A healthy vaginal microbiome is essential for vaginal health.
Your partner may have thrush – You should see a doctor to find-out if your partner has thrush. If this is the case and they are male, a doctor should be able to give a prescription to treat it.
You are pregnant – Pregnancy causes huge changes in your hormones and this may result in a disruption of your delicate microbiome balance in favour of Thrush. Ultimate V is safe to take in pregnancy and will work to balance your microbiome.
