Yeast infection symptoms
Yeast infections – candidiasis
Yeast infections commonly afflict men, women and children alike. You would hear it spoken of as ‘thrush’. Yeast infections are the result of Candida albicans and the medical symptoms of the disease varies with the site of infection and the individual.
Yeast infection symptoms in women
Vaginal thrush is the most common yeast infection in women, typically women with yeast infections will have :
- a white cheesy discharge from the vagina
- itching around the vagina
- irritation in the vaginal area
- pain during sexual intercourse
- a burning sensation when urinating
Yeast infection symptoms in adults and children (primarily infants)
- Oral thrush is the one of the ways yeast infection can manifest itself. Often what women will find is that if their breast feeding child has oral thrush, they may find that their nipples may get a dose of it too and they may require treatment as well. Symptoms of oral thrush include :
- white patches on the tongue and mouth area – a lot of people think that it looks like milk curds but unlike milk curds these cannot be wiped off. If you try to wipe these patches off, the underlying area will start to bleed and painful oral lesions will take their place.
- irritability and food refusal (more likely in infants and children as their mouth becomes too sore for them to want to eat or drink) – care should be taken to ensure that they receive adequate fluids and soft foods in the meantime to prevent dehydration.
- Yeast infection in the nappy area or skin folds – typically occuring when the area remains moist for long periods of time eg in nappy rash – these appear as flat red rash spots which cause pain and discomfort. If your baby has these spots or a bright red nappy rash then it’s time to visit your doctor.
Yeast infection symptoms in people with depressed immunity
People with HIV or on immune suppressive drugs often will get yeast infections in their internal organs including the gut resulting in painful ulcers. Dehydration and poor food absorption is common in these circumstances. Candida in some cases can spread via the blood stream into your brain resulting in behavioral changes and other nervous system signs (this isn’t common in people with a healthy immune system but can happen with people who have a depressed immune system).
See other medical symptoms