What is the best way to get rid of thrush? I've tried live yoghurt and have been washing myself two to three times a day? How can I help stop the thrush coming back?

answer

First, don't wash yourself out internally (douching) as this washes away the natural healthy bacteria, acidity and immune substances that help to keep vaginal thrush at bay. Use Lactacyd instead (available from Boots and all good chemists, £6.35) - a soothing external wash that maintains normal acid balance in this area. Some women with recurrent thrush have slightly reduced levels of iron. This can only be diagnosed by a blood test that measures serum levels of ferritin - an iron-binding protein. However, diagnosing candida from symptoms and examination alone is not always accurate, as other conditions such as bacterial vaginosis cause similar problems and need different treatment.

With all genital symptoms, it is best to visit a genito-urinary medicine clinic for full screening and proper diagnosis to confirm the presence of candida yeasts.

To help stop thrust recurring, try the following recommendations:

Avoid getting hot and sweaty. Avoid wearing tight underwear, especially nylon pantyhose or tight trousers. Use panty-liners and change them as necessary throughout the day. Wear cotton underwear, and it's also worth boiling cotton underwear or hot-ironing underwear gussets. This is because modern low-temperature washing machine cycles do not kill candida spores and you may re-infect yourself from your underclothes.

Eat an iron-rich diet and take a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing iron - a vitamin C source such as orange juice will also increase iron absorption from the gut.

Consider asking your partner to use an anti-fungal cream, as men can harbour yeast spores and pass infection back to you, without developing symptoms themselves.

Taking a probiotic supplement to replenish intestinal levels of friendly digestive bacteria will help to suppress candida overgrowth in the gut, which is believed to act as a reservoir for recurrent vaginal candida infections.

One of the most successful herbal remedies for candida is Lapacho - also known as Pau D'arco. Other popular and effective options include grapefruit seed extract and olive leaf extracts. Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is useful for boosting immunity when under excess stress.

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