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What Is the Best Yeast Infection Home Remedy?
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  • Written By: Sara Schmidt
  • Edited By: Andrew Jones
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    2003-2012
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Several home remedies are available for treating yeast infections. The best yeast infection home remedy is one that works as an antifungal agent. These include probiotics, vinegar, and tea tree oil.

Priobiotics, live microbial organisms, are naturally present in the digestive tract as well as the vagina. Lactobacillus is the probiotic that can help treat and stop the growth of yeast infections. These are available as oral supplements and vaginal suppositories. Eating lots of yogurt and dipping a tampon coated with yogurt into the vagina twice daily have both been shown to help treat yeast infections as well.

A known antifungal agent, tea tree oil can be used as a yeast infection home remedy. Place a few drops of diluted oil on a tampon and insert into the vagina twice daily until symptoms are gone. Tea tree oil should be used with caution. Full strength oil can harm the vaginal area; for this reason, tea tree oil should always be diluted before being applied to the body.

Vinegar can be an effective yeast infection home remedy. Both antifungal and antibacterial, vinegar can be added to a warm bath to treat yeast infections. After soaking for twenty minutes, the vagina should be thoroughly dried. Though any vinegar should work as an effective yeast infection home remedy, but apple cider vinegar often produces the best results.

Other yeast infection home remedies known to be effective include buttermilk, garlic, and honey. Drinking two glasses of buttermilk a day can help treat infections. A paste made from garlic pods and applied around the vagina can treat yeast infections. A garlic clove can also be inserted into the vagina twice daily, though ingesting garlic supplements or fresh crushed garlic may also be effective.

Honey poured over the affected areas can also help. Though very sticky, if applied and left for twenty minutes twice a day the treatment may eliminate yeast infections. A warm bath, after which the vaginal area is thoroughly dried, should follow this treatment.

Though any yeast infection home remedy may be effective, it is advisable to consult with a gynecologist if a yeast infection develops. There are also many methods available to prevent a yeast infection. Wearing loose-fitting clothing, keeping the vaginal area clean and dry, cleaning the vagina after sexual intercourse, wiping front to back after using the toilet, and avoiding perfumes, sprays or perfumed products in the genital area can all help.

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ElizaBennett
Post 2

@jennythelib - I'm glad you pointed out the difference. A home remedy to cure a yeast infection is a waste of time if you don't have a yeast infection! And not all vaginal itching is caused by an infection. You could be recovering from an infection and the treatment and experience itching, your pH balance could be off (especially during pregnancy), etc.

If you're sure it's yeast, another yeast infection home treatment that I didn't see in the article is gentian violet. This actually used to be available as a prescription medication, but the drug has been discontinued. It is widely available, however, and I've heard of people using it to treat vaginal yeast, but especially to treat yeast infections elsewhere.

It is supposed to be particularly good for yeast infections on the nipples (for breastfeeding moms) and for thrush (yeast infection of the mouth). It can be awfully messy, but I've known people to have success with it. Never tried it myself.

jennythelib
Post 1

You might be able to use a home yeast infection remedy and clear things up yourself if you know your system really well and are sure it's yeast because you've had it before. Otherwise, it's important to remember that it might not be yeast at all! A vinegar rinse or garlic clove isn't likely to hurt you if you have a bacterial, rather than yeast, infection, but if you put off getting the right treatment, it will just be that much longer before you can start to feel better!

And I would never suggest using over-the-counter yeast treatment if you haven't seen your doctor yet. If you have a bacterial vaginal infection, the yeast infection treatment won't help and will start to monkey with your system in ways you don't need before starting antibiotics.

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