Candida And Pregnancy

Writen by Jane Symms

Candida is quickly becoming one of the most controversial health topics of our time. Most conventional doctors don't believe the ailment even exists since there are such a myriad of symptoms associated with the disease, but those that do believe tend to do so passionately. There has never been any sort of ironclad study done on the ability for a woman who suffers from Candida to conceive, the much more common yeast infection form of Candida is thought to interfere in a woman's body chemistry enough as to stop any possible conception.

A yeast infection can release toxins into the bloodstream and cause everything from vaginal thrush to arthritis, autism, asthma, psoriasis and in some cases, infertility. An excellent way to deal with these types of infections is with over-the-counter yeast infection medications or creams, or by simply changing your diet to a no yeast, anti-candida diet.

The easiest way to tell if you have a yeast infection include itching and redness in the vaginal area. Also, inflammation on the urinary opening and more frequent urination as well as painful urination are signs. In severe cases, the vulva may swell and small fissures can appear. Discharge can become thick and white. Intercourse will usually become painful as well, also hurting your chances of conception. In rare cases, yeast infections can come from your sexual partner, and in those cases, the partner would need to be treated for the infection as well if conception is to be more likely.

Once you are pregnant, yeast infections become common. Studies have shown that women are actually more susceptible to yeast infections during pregnancy than during any other time in their lives, especially during the second trimester. There is no evidence that the yeast infection can damage the baby or cause any sort of birth defect, but the number of drugs that can be used to treat the infection are limited due to the fact that you're pregnant. They mostly cause a major amount of discomfort in a time when you're already experiencing high amounts of discomfort due to the pregnancy itself.

Yeast infections are more common during pregnancy mostly because of the roller coaster ride your body is going through hormonally. A high vaginal pH (a more acidic environment) is healthy and helps keep Candida at bay, but during the second trimester of the pregnancy there is an increase in the amount of sugar in vaginal secretions on which the yeast can feed on, causing a large amount of growth and a pain for the women having to put up with it.

The most common and least evasive treatments of yeast infections during pregnancy are over-the-counter and prescription creams and suppositories. If left untreated, a yeast infection can be passed to your baby during birth via the mouth. This is called thrush and can be treated with a prescription drug called Nystatin. Treatment time of the infection while pregnant can range from a week to two weeks. You should have a much easier time controlling your pH, and your Candida once the pregnancy is over.

Jane Symms has an interest in Candida. For further information on Candida please visit Candida or Candida Symptoms.