Yeast Infection Symptoms

More than 70% of all women will experience the discomfort of a yeast infection at some point in their lives. Although much more common in females, yeast infection symptoms can also present themselves in men and many of the symptoms are quite similar.

If you think you might have a yeast infection, carry on reading for a list of tell tale signs you have been infected.

What are the symptoms of a yeast infection?

A definitive list of all reported yeast infection symptoms would most likely be beyond the scope of this article. Everyone is different, some people display a wide variety of symptoms whilst others escape with only very minor discomfort. In order to cater for as many people as possible, we have included only the most common symptoms and have built on each one.

Vaginal Pain - dull aching or stinging around the vagina?

Vaginal discomfort is by far the most common oral yeast infection symptom. The bacteria which causes an infection thrives in areas which are consistently warm and moist and a vagina fits that bill perfectly. Other popular areas include the mouth, underarms and anus.

The severity of your infection will depend on the amount of pain and discomfort experienced, some people will hardly notice any change whilst others will struggle to walk without feeling pain. For a lot of people, it will be especially difficult to urinate, when the urine passes over the affected area it stings and can often take a long time to relieve.

Vaginal Dryness - discomfort when having sex?

Vaginal dryness is more commonly associated with women entering the menopause but it's also a strong indication that a yeast infection is present. Vaginal dryness makes sexual intercourse very painful and this is one of the more problematic side effects. Once it begins affecting your relationship with your partner, consider finding the appropriate treatment discuss the problem with your partner - sooner rather than later.

Anal Itching - A burning desire to scratch your anus?

Sexual discomfort - Struggling have intercourse with your partner?

As mentioned above, discomfort when having sex is often the result of vaginal dryness and severity levels differ from person to person. For some women, they simply need to become more sexually aroused than normal to experience painless intercourse. For others, unfortunately it won't matter how sexually aroused they become, intercourse will always be painful until the problem is treated.

Many women feel pressured into pleasing there partner and fight through the pain barrier in order to fulfil any sexual desire. This can be extremely dangerous and excruciatingly painful. Remember, pain is usually a signal that something is wrong and these signals shouldn't be ignored. Talk to your partner as soon as possible and explain that with the correct treatment, you will be up and running again relatively quickly.

It's also worth noting that if you have had sex with your partner whilst carrying a yeast infection, there's a high chance you have passed the infection across to him. Although yeast infection symptoms won't be as prominent in the male, the infection will still be present and will be passed back to you, through intercourse, in the future. The best course of action here is to make sure you are both treated and both clear of any infection before returning to intercourse.

Vaginal Discharge - Thick, white vaginal discharge?

Every women will experience vaginal discharge and in most cases it's normal and completely harmless. Problems occur when the discharge carries a smelly odour, is an unusual colour (such as green or yellow) or has a clumpy consistency that you might associate with cottage cheese.

White discharge is expected at the beginning and end of your cycle and is normal. The discharge can be added to your yeast infection symptoms when it causes you to itch and the discharge is a thicker consistency than normal. Before you diagnosis yourself with vaginitis, have a think about any new products you have recently used around the area. Have you tried any new soaps? Hygiene sprays? Tampons? Are you on a new course of antibiotics? Any change in routine is certainly worth noting before presuming you have a yeast infection. For some people, the materials used to make condoms (latex mainly) and the sperm killing chemicals which are added for birth control can irritate a lot of women.

If you have any of the yeast infection symptoms above and are worried, the absolute best course of advice is to go and see your doctor. If you know your symptoms are the result of a yeast infection, find the appropriate treatment for you (and your partner if necessary) and finish the course fully.