Tag: Serious Health

The Benefits of A Home Yeast Infection Kit

Can I Test Myself for a Yeast Infection?

Not everyone is able or willing to go see a doctor when they suspect a yeast infection; for these women, a yeast infection kit can be used at home with highly accurate results. If you think you have this kind of infection, a kit can save you both gas money and a possibly unnecessary doctor bill.

Why Test At Home?

The price of getting tested for a yeast infection begins when you get in the car and drive over to your doctors office. Todays gas prices are high enough to make a home test kit economical even if you spent money on nothing but gas. The costs continue to climb when you have your doctors visit and are charged for the physicians time. Your next cost occurs when the swab test is sent to the lab to be analyzed or studied under a microscope.

All these costs can be cut out if you buy a yeast infection test kit. You will have all the time you need to take the test on your own. Just performing the test in your home will save you the stress of a doctors visit. Many women willingly buy a home test kit just so they can administer the test in the privacy of their own bathroom.

Why Do I Need to Test At All?

Yeast infections come with a number of symptoms that are similar to symptoms of several STDs that are known to be serious diseases. These matching symptoms include redness, irritation, a burning sensation when urinating, and a thick white discharge. If you have never suffered a yeast infection before, you must find out for sure that it is, in fact, the cause of your symptoms. Do not risk your future health on a guess; some STDs with copycat symptoms have been known to cause infertility and other serious health problems.

You should also hold off on treating the infection until you know that it is a yeast infection and not something else, such as a viral or bacterial infection. Many of the medications that are used to treat bacterial infections will only make a yeast infection worse. If other medicines are used in the wrong way, they can cause future yeast infections to actually be harder to stop.

How Does a Test Kit Work?

Your yeast infection kit is very simple. You will have to draw blood in some way; one of the easiest and least painful ways to get blood is to prick one of your fingers. Place the blood on the provided lab paper strip and send the strip to the designated lab. In a couple of days, you will be informed of the results. The test is intended to measure the amounts of two antibodies in the blood. The amount of antibodies will be higher than average if you have a yeast infection.

If you believe you have a yeast infection, save yourself a bit of money and buy a yeast infection kit.

What Risks Are Associated with an Untreated Yeast Infection?

Can My Yeast Infection Go Away Without Treatment?

A yeast infection can clear up eventually, but even so, the waiting time is extended and accompanied by all the usual pain. Most of the time, a yeast infection will cease when a womans period begins, because the blood causes much of the yeast to die.

Can I Become Infertile from an Untreated Yeast Infection?

No, the yeast infection has nothing to do with fertility. It is a fungal infection that affects tissues, but has no impact on the reproductive system. You cannot get cervical cancer from a yeast infection, either. These ideas are completely false, so dont spend any time worrying about them.

What Will Happen If I Leave My Yeast Infection Untreated?

You will have a much longer and more painful experience than if you had treated the infection. There are not very many occurrences of serious health issues arising from an untreated yeast infection. Some women who have repeated yeast infections suffer from this condition due to a pre-existing medical problem that is causing the infections to take place. If you have yeast infections very often (three times or more in one year), you would be wise to set an appointment with your doctor. It may be that just a few simple changes or a medication can help your life return to normal.

In some cases, an untreated yeast infection can lead to a blood condition known as sepsis, in which the blood is contaminated with bacteria. The bacteria then travel throughout the entire body; in effect, this is a form of blood poisoning. Although yeast infections rarely every lead to this disease, you should at least consider the possibility when deciding whether or not to treat your infection. Its really not worth the risk, especially when treatment is so simple and inexpensive. If you are unable to afford prescription medications, there are plenty of natural remedies that are proven to help fight the yeast infection.

If you find that you develop yeast infections three times or more each year, you may have a problem known as vulvovaginal candidiasis. This simply means that you are prone to have yeast infections and will probably continue to have them unless you seek medical assistance. Your doctor or a gynecologist can help you treat these recurring yeast infections.

So Should I Treat My Yeast Infection?

Yes, of course! There is no reason to let the yeast infection run its course, although it will likely die naturally during your next period. You have a choice between mainstream medicine, which will consist of prescription or over-the-counter medicines, and natural medicine, which will likely call for home remedies. Either way is effective. If you choose to make use of home remedies, make sure you do your research first. Some folk remedies are perfectly safe if they are applied in the correct manner, but can be quite hazardous if the user is unaware of the right way to use them.

Warts – Causes And Prevention

Warts are an ongoing problem for many people of all ages. They can go beyond being just a minor annoyance, sometimes resulting in much more serious health implications. Warts can be spread to other people, causing them to become infected with the virus. And some types of warts can be deadly. Taking all of these factors into consideration, it is a good idea to know what causes warts and methods you can take to minimize your risk of getting them. If you have already acquired warts, it is equally important if not more so, to lessen the chance of transmitting them to other people. The best precaution you can take is to be armed with the facts.

Warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. So far, more than eighty different kinds of this virus have been identified. The various forms affect various parts of the body. The incubation period between when a person becomes infected and when an outbreak occurs also varies. The warts are easily transmittable from one person to another, and can also be transmitted from one part of the body to another area. Factors which determine a person’s likelihood of becoming infected include the state of the person’s immune system, the degree of virus that is present in the warts, the location of the warts, and the degree of contact.

Although it is often difficult or even impossible to prevent infection, there are some measures you can take to lessen this risk. If you already have one or more warts, it is important to prevent them from spreading. You should try to avoid touching the wart, for it can lead to the virus being spread to other areas you may touch afterward. You should avoid using other people’s towels and washcloths if they have not been cleaned. You should avoid wearing other people’s shoes. In locations where the virus might be present, you should make a point of wearing shoes to prevent indirect contact with infected surfaces. These factors will greatly reduce your risk of acquiring the virus associated with all forms of warts.

In addition, there are special factors associated with genital warts, which are the most serious and potentially deadly. These warts, which are a prime factor in cervical cancer, are spread by sexual contact. The risk of these warts and the cancer which results from them is highest in people who have multiple sexual partners. Although it is not as widely known as it should be, while having multiple partners increases the risk of coming in contact with a person who already has this infection, it has also been shown that having multiple partners alters one’s own natural levels of bacteria and will make you more susceptible to the virus. Not having multiple sexual partners is the most sound way to lessen your risk of acquiring genital warts. Those who already have them can also spread them by touch or by sharing infected washcloths and towels.

Currently, there are issues about a vaccine called Gardasil. This vaccine is proported to protect against four of the strains of Human Papilloma Virus which account for ninety percent of genital warts. Although this vaccine is not far beyond the testing stage, making the risk factors of the vaccine itself debatable, some locations are recommending it for young children. Some states are attempting to mandate this vaccine for little girls. In addition to the fact that the risk factors of the vaccine have not yet been adequately tested, the main issue being debated is whether giving elementary-school-aged children a vaccine to prevent a sexually-transmitted disease will lead many children and adolescents to believe it is okay to become sexually active and engage in a promiscuous lifestyle.

Types of Warts

Warts are benign tumors of the skin, caused by viruses in the human papaloma virus family. They may take weeks or months to grow before they can become visible, and are contagious. In many cases, warts can be treated through home remedies and over the counter medications. However, in some cases warts must be treated by a professional.

There are four main types of warts: common warts, flat warts (also known as juvenile warts), plantar warts (warts on the feet), and genital warts. The first three types of warts are treated similarly. Genital warts typically require professional medical treatment, and can cause serious health problems if not treated quickly.

Most types of warts are not typically threatening to the overall health of the patient. When warts are bothersome or embarrassing they can be treated at home through over the counter medications. However, recurrences may happen later. If the warts continue to be bothersome, professional medical treatments may be sought.

Common Warts

Common warts appear as thickened bumps, sometimes called papules. They can appear somewhat like a mole, but are rougher on the surface. Small black dots also may appear due to clotted blood vessels.

Common warts often appear on the hands, knees, and elbows. Like all warts they are contagious, and can be spread to others with low immunity to the human papaloma virus family. Warts can also be spread to other areas of the body through touching or shaving.

Flat Warts (Juvenile Warts)

Flat warts are similar to common warts in that they appear on the hands, knees, arms, and face. They are also contagious, and can be spread to other areas of the body or other people. Flat warts are also called juvenile warts because they are most commonly found in children and young adults.

Flat warts appear as small bumps, about the size of a pin head, with a smooth flat top. They can be the color of the skin or may appear yellow or brown. They are not very large, but can form in clusters of as many as one hundred warts in one small area of the body.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts occur on the bottoms of the feet. They are especially common in people with diabetes. Plantar warts can be very painful if left untreated, especially if they appear in a weight bearing area of the foot.

Plantar warts can sometimes be mistaken as corns or rough spots on the feet. They are typically rough and spongy in texture. Plantar warts are usually yellow, gray, or brown, causing the confusion with corns or other rough spots on the feet.

Genital Warts

Genital warts are the most common sexually transmitted disease. They appear as the color of the skin in most cases. They can be found anywhere in the genital area. In women they can actually spread to the walls of the vagina and the cervix itself.

Unlike other types of warts, genital warts can cause serious health conditions if left untreated. Treatment for genital warts must come from a professional. This type of warts cannot be treated at home.

The human papaloma virus has been found to actually cause cancer of the cervix. This is due to the rapid cell growth induced by the virus. There are over sixty strands of the virus, but only about four of them have been found to cause cervical cancer. However, the threat is very real, and should be addressed with professional medical attention as soon as they are noticed.