The Truth About What a Yeast Infection Looks Like

How to Identify a Yeast Infection

At some time in your life, you will probably need to know what a yeast infection looks like. A yeast infection will have different characteristics depending on which body part it has attacked. In most cases, it looks like a patchy red rash that is not raised at all. After a while, this rash can generate pus.

Babies usually get yeast infections in their mouths, where the fungus finds a wet, enclosed space in which to live. This type of yeast infection often resembles a layer of white, milky mucus over a red area of the skin. When the mouth is in this condition, it makes drinking and eating difficult and painful.

Babies and children still in diapers may also develop a yeast infection from the wet, warm environment. The more vigilant you are in changing the diaper, the more likely your child can avoid a yeast infection. Dry clothing is key to keeping yeast infections at bay. The yeast infection on a babys bottom will look similar to the red patches of rash mentioned earlier in the article.

Yeast infections can also occur in the skin between fingers and toes. In this case, it will look red and dry and feel quite irritated. Sweaty socks can often contribute to this problem, so go for socks that provide a looser fit and allow your feet to have some circulation.

When found in the ear, a yeast infection looks like a standard ear infection, causing the ear to look red or swollen. There may be a cottony discharge that comes from the affected ear.

A vaginal yeast infection has to be the most well known type of yeast infection. Up to 75% of many women suffer from this condition at least once in their lives. It is important to know what this kind of yeast infection looks like.

Often, you will notice a red patch of skin that looks inflamed and swollen. The soft tissues surrounding the vagina may also become swollen and irritated. Excessive dryness of the vaginal area is another indicator that you may have a yeast infection.

Other Symptoms of Yeast Infections

Vaginal yeast infections also present with a host of other symptoms. A white, thick discharge will most likely occur; this will look different from the normal discharge a woman experiences when ovulating. It may have an odd smell, which some women compare to the smell of baked bread. You may notice a difference in coloration when discharge is due to a yeast infection.

Yeast infections in the ear can also be identified in children by the affected childs behavior. Often, the child will act fussy due to the ear pain, or repeatedly pull on or rub the infected ear. Children with ear infections usually have trouble sleeping.

Once you are acquainted with what a yeast infection looks like, you can begin treating this condition much more quickly than before. Always consult with a doctor before taking medications, as some medicines can actually cause a future yeast infection to be more resistant to drugs.

Symptoms of a Yeast Infection

What To Expect From a Yeast Infection

It is vital to know the symptoms of a yeast infection; most people will develop this condition at least once in their life. No matter where the yeast infection is located, the area will be red and inflamed. Pus may be present, especially if the infection is found in the mouth. The rash on the skin may have similarly affected patches of skin close by; these are called satellite lesions. The yeast infection rash often appears to have a lacy border.

Ear infections that are caused by improperly high amounts of yeast will lead to sharp pains in the affected ears, swelling of the ears, and possibly a whitish discharge that resembles cotton. If the webbed skin between your toes and fingers is dry, red, and itchy, it may be a symptom of a yeast infection caused by excessive sweating. Oral yeast infections often cause wide-ranging symptoms, from a flat, red rash topped with a milky white coating to pain when eating or drinking. Do not attempt to clean off the white areas; even when this is done gently, it is likely to cause bleeding.

Vaginal yeast infections may cause a burning sensation during urination. Often, it causes intercourse to be either uncomfortable or actually painful. Often, the typical redness and swelling will extend to the entire area surrounding the vagina. A thick discharge from the vagina is another telling symptom of this type of yeast infection. It will probably not have a bad odor, but it may be a different color than that of the womans normal discharge. The vaginal area will be itchy and irritated, and will be dry. In some cases, the yeast infection may make a woman feel the urge to urinate more often than she would in a normal situation.

When You Should See a Doctor

You should make time to visit a doctor as soon as you can after identifying the condition as a yeast infection. This is to confirm that you have only a yeast infection and not a more serious medical issue. Some STDs are known to have symptoms that mimic those of a yeast infection. Without treatment, these copycat diseases have been known to cause severe and lifelong health problems, including infertility.

Your doctor will be able to help you decide what medication should work best for your yeast infection. If you were to treat yourself for a yeast infection when you actually had some other type of malady, you could easily cause problems for yourself down the road. Yeast infections can become resistant to certain drugs if the drugs are used when they are not needed.

For children, you should visit the doctor at your first opportunity. Again, this is partly due to a need for guidance on which medication to use. If a child has been avoiding drinking due to the pain of an oral infection, he or she may be dehydrated and need further treatment.

In Summary

Knowledge of yeast infection symptoms is key to successful treatment; familiarize yourself with these indicators so you can keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.

What You Must Know About Yeast Infections in the Ears

What You Must Know About Yeast Infections in the Ears

What Causes this Infection?

A yeast infection in the ear can be very painful. We all have small amounts of yeast in our bodies at any given time. However, too much yeast leads to an infection that can become a major irritant. The ears are the perfect place for a yeast infection to form, because the yeast grows well in damp areas. The Eustachian tubes can support yeast infections at their openings; as anyone who has had an ear infection knows, this will be highly unpleasant.

Yeast and bacteria usually work in harmony with each other within the human body. The good type of bacteria that you have in ordinary circumstances kills yeast, keeping the yeast population under control. This system can get out of whack if you take antibiotics. Often, a person takes antibiotics to kill bacteria that are causing an infection in the sinuses or elsewhere. Unfortunately, the antibiotics kill the good bacteria, as well. This leaves a wide open door for the yeast to multiply and cause a raging yeast infection.

What Are the Symptoms?

If you suspect a yeast infection in either your ears or your childs ears, you must look for the right symptoms. Ear infections vary widely as to cause, so be sure that you know what you are treating before you start administering medication.

A yeast infection in the ear will cause an itchy feeling inside the ear and on any outside surface that is affected by the condition. There will most likely be a lingering soreness. Yeast infections often cause a white discharge, and the ears are not immune from this side effect. Some have said that the discharge is similar in appearance to the cotton you will find on the end of a swab.

If your child is too young to tell you what is wrong, you may notice him or her tugging at the ear. Often, children have difficulty sleeping when they have ear infections. Redness is a symptom that adults and children share. Children may cry or show other signs of distress, such as crankiness.

Yeast infections can also cause shooting pains in the affected ears.

How Can it Be Treated?

You should see a doctor to confirm that you or your child are indeed suffering from a yeast infection of the ear and not another type of ear infection. It is wise to seek medical help as soon as you suspect a yeast-based ear infection, as the condition can be quite painful if left untreated. Sometimes, a yeast infection can hitch a ride in the bloodstream and cause infections in other areas of the body.

Sometimes, it is hard for doctors to diagnose the ear infection correctly. This is due to the similarity of symptoms between a yeast infection and other ear infections. In most cases, children can get over an ear infection without having to take antibiotics. As already discussed, these medications can actually make a yeast infection worse.

Ear Infections in Children

Middle ear infection is a very common problem faced by children. Even infants below two years could face this problem. Infection in the ear is caused by germs and viruses. They enter the human body and grow to cause infection, affecting the normal functioning of the body. Similarly, germs can enter the ears. Depending on the location of infection, the infections are named. The human ear can be divided into the inner part, middle part and outer part. When the outer ear is infected by germs, the infection is known as swimmers ear. When the inner part of the ear gets infected, it is called middle ear infection. The germs infect the middle portion of the ear and fill that area with pus or a yellow gooey liquid. This liquid has cells which fight germs. The middle part of the ear is shaped in the form of a tiny air pocket. It is located at the back of the eardrum. And when the pus begins to fill in this area, the ear feels like a filled balloon which is on the verge of popping. This feeling is really painful.

The throat is connected to the middle portion of the ear through a channel known as Eustachian tube and in fact middle portions of both the ears are connected to the throat by two Eustachian tubes. The job of these tubes is to allow the free movement of air, from the middle ear, in and out direction. Infants below three years have less developed and smaller Eustachian tubes and therefore are less capable of keeping germs completely out of the middle ear. As the child grows, so do the Eustachian tubes and the more capable they are of keeping germs outside, but they still face some problem.

Usually kids, who have allergic problems and catch cold very frequently, are more prone to get ear infections. When the child gets cold, the Eustachian tube gets obstructed which allow germs to get into the middle ear. And the germs which gain entry, multiply rapidly resulting in a middle ear infection.

The child gets a fever along with the ear pain. Some even find it difficult to hear because of the blockage. Middle ear infection is not contagious, but the cold caught from others can eventually result in an ear infection. The sooner the doctor is contacted, the better for the child and the rest of the family members. The doctor will check the ear with the help of an otoscope. It is a special flashlight which makes the eardrum visible. The eardrum is a thin membrane separating the outer ear from the middle ear. The otoscope can also be used to blow a puff of air into the ear. This determines whether the ear drum is functioning normally and is moving in a healthy way or not. Because of the puss formation due to the infection, the fluid will press against the ear drum and may even make it to bulge. Also, the eardrum can turn red because of the infection.

The doctor will prescribe a pain reliever to be taken for the next two days. Antibiotics will be prescribed if the infection is caused because of bacteria, which will end the infection within a couple of days. Incase, the doctor recommends an antibiotic, the cycle must be completed as told by the doctor, otherwise there can be a possibility of re-infection. Few children who get ear infections frequently will have to undergo other tests such as tympanogram and audiogram.

Children can take some steps to avoid ear infection. They must wash their hands regularly. They must keep away from people who are infected with cold. And if they do come near or in contact with an infected person, they should wash their hands and should not touch their eyes or nose. Parents, who smoke, should not do it near the kid as the tobacco smoke can be responsible for the malfunctioning of the Eustachian tube.

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