Title: 
Headings: Yeast infections—vaginal
Yeast infections—vaginal
Summary
What is a vaginal yeast infection?
Who is at risk for yeast infections?
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Local treatments
Systemic treatments
Prevention

Content: Symptoms
A yeast infection can cause the following symptoms: vaginal itching or burning
redness and swelling of the vulva
a thick, white vaginal discharge
a burning sensation while urinating
pain during intercourse
Diagnosis
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important that you see your doctor to confirm that you do indeed have a yeast infection, as these symptoms can have other causes that would require a different kind of treatment. Your doctor will do a pelvic exam—he or she will take a swab of the vagina and have the sample examined under a microscope—to determine whether candida is the cause of the symptoms. If you do have a yeast infection, try to abstain from sexual activity until the infection has cleared. Otherwise, you might make the vaginal irritation worse and you and your sex partner could re-infect each other. Treatment
Fortunately, the symptoms of a yeast infection usually disappear completely with the right treatment. Treatment for yeast infections include: Local treatments, which treat a particular area affected by the infection
Systemic treatments, which treat an infection that affects the whole body
Local treatments
Many yeast infections can be treated with products you can purchase over-the-counter (without a prescription) at a drugstore. These include vaginal suppositories (a medicine you insert vaginally), creams or lozenges. The more commonly used drugs include clotrimazole (sold under the brand names Canesten and Clotrimaderm) and miconazole (sold under the brand names Micozole and Monistat).