Thursday, August 20, 2009

A Look into Yeast Infections

By Nancy Grace

Arguably, the most common cause of yeast infection is what is called thrush. It is a form of candidiasis that primarily affects female genitalia. There are a few cases where men can get the disease also. This does not mean that infections favor one gender or the other, it just means that there are certain parts of the body that are more prone to this type of infection.

Yeast infections occur in the skin or mucous membrane in humans via fungi called Candida. If observed in a culture it would look like a round colonies of white or off-white organisms. One of the most famous species is known as Candida albicans. It should be acknowledged that this is not the only organism that can result in a yeast infection in men or women.

Some would say that the Candida albicans is a peaceful organism and lives peacefully with the other flora in your body. It is kept in check by other bacteria in the body, which help keep it from growing out of control. Its favorite living quarters are dark, warm, wet places in the body. For this reason, you'll normally find yeast infections in the mouth, in the ears, in the blood, or in the gut. It also loves human skin and warm and wet places such as under skin folds around the belly and other areas like the armpits.

Candidiasis is called a yeast infection, because Candida albicans' normal form is a single oval you cell. When it is a yeast cell it grows by budding as a means of replication. This means that the cells actually clone themselves through the bulbs that grow out of them, which will remain attached for a period of time until they decide to let go.

Do you know what causes a yeast infection? The human body has to be at a certain temperature and pH level. These levels have to be balanced, along with its partner bacteria, which will allow it to grow without disturbing other flora. When the temperature and pH levels change some other bacteria will die. You guessed it, this leaves the Candida albicans cells to turn into fungi, and to get out of control, because it's competing bacteria is no longer available.

Candida albicans fungi have a rather unpleasant way of marking their territory during their growth phase. You may feel sensations that include burning, itching, tingling, which may result in soreness. It is possible to feel more than one of these symptoms at the time. I'll caution you not to scratch the affected area, because that'll only allow the overgrowth of the fungi to get worse.

There are all kinds of other signs that accompany a yeast infection such as drowsiness, muscle aches, pain, swelling, fluid retention, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and it can affect concentration as well. The problem is that these are common symptoms for other issues you may have so you need to make sure your diagnosis of a yeast infection is accurate.

A yeast infection is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with, because it can be fatal. This is true for people that may be older or younger people, or those with HIV or AIDS. Diabetics need to be especially aware of yeast infections, since they don't heal as well as the general population. On the positive side, if the yeast infection is treated accurately and properly it can be completely eradicated. - 14130

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