You’re sitting on the bus when it hits. That telltale itching and burning that comes all too often for you. As you fidget your way through yet another long bus ride, you wonder why it is that their does not seem to be many proactive means of addressing the problems with yeast infections. You wonder if there are simple yeast infection preventions for women that you have yet to discover. Relax, there are easy methods to prevent yeast infections that do not involve messy creams.

What is a Yeast Infection?

The first step toward yeast infection prevention is to understand what a yeast infection is. The body is filled with natural flora that helps to keep the body functioning normally. One such flora is candida albicans, which is a natural inhabitant of the vagina. Certain things, like heat and antibiotics, can cause an overgrowth of this flora. When this happens, a woman has a yeast infection and must seek treatment for symptoms such as burning, itching, redness and other discomforts.

Heat and Yeast Infections:

One of the most common ways for those who suffer recurring overgrowth of candida to prevent yeast infections is to be particular about clothing. Nylon and Lycra tend to trap heat—cotton doesn’t. Simply put, then, keep cotton as the closest material to areas where candida is naturally found. Also, avoid wearing pantyhose without underwear. If that does not seem to help, then it may be helpful to trade pantyhose for more traditional stockings.

A Cup a Day:

Another yeast infection prevention that can be easily maintained is to eat a cup of yogurt with live cultures everyday. The bacteria in the yogurt helps to prevent the overgrowth of candida. This proactive measure is found to be especially helpful for women who have recently undergone treatments with antibiotics, because the antibiotics often kill the natural bacteria that keep the candida in check. By adding live cultures back to the system, an overgrowth is not as likely to happen.

Bath and Body:

Along with clothing and food, there are a few other things any woman can do to help with yeast infection prevention. These steps include:

Avoiding perfume bath salts or powders that can irritation and cause an increase in candida

Always wipe front to back after a bowel movement

Avoiding douches that rob the vagina of needed mucous that helps keep candida from overgrowth.

By following these simple yeast infection prevention tips, a woman can reduce the number of times she has to ride the bus in agony, suffer the endless itching, and apply messy treatments.