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· Be sparing when using sweet substances during sex. Any sugar left in your vagina from, say, honey whipped cream or flavored lubricants can provide a veritable feast for yeast. It’s the same chemical principle that dives beer brewers to syrupy malt to nourish yeast colonies – you don’t want to be micro brewing down there.
· If you suspect you have a yeast infection, test the acid level in you Vagina. The less acidic you are, the more likely that itching and icky discharge signal something other than yeast, like bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis, says David E. Soper, M.D., vice chairman of OB/GYN department of the Medical University of South Carolina at Charleston.
The test is simple:
You’ll need litmus paper – the kind with a range of 3 to 7. (Be sure to get the floppy kinds; stiffer ones may leave paper cuts.) Place a strip on your fingertip, then gently insert it into your vagina for a couple of second to (up your first knuckle is fine, since the entrance is where infections tend to reside). About a minute after you remove the strip, it will change color. Cheek it against the chart on the box, which indicates the pH reading. If the pH is above 4.5, your problem is probably not yeast and you need to see a doc to get a diagnosis and prescription. If it’s below 4.5, you can safely self-treat with an OTC cream.
The test can be thrown can be thrown off by several things, like the presence of blood and mucus or variations in your cycle. And if you’ve never had a yeast infection, experts strongly recommend consulting your doctor at the first sign of a suspicious discharge or that burning feeling while peeing.
· If you suspect you have a yeast infection, test the acid level in you Vagina. The less acidic you are, the more likely that itching and icky discharge signal something other than yeast, like bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis, says David E. Soper, M.D., vice chairman of OB/GYN department of the Medical University of South Carolina at Charleston.
The test is simple:
You’ll need litmus paper – the kind with a range of 3 to 7. (Be sure to get the floppy kinds; stiffer ones may leave paper cuts.) Place a strip on your fingertip, then gently insert it into your vagina for a couple of second to (up your first knuckle is fine, since the entrance is where infections tend to reside). About a minute after you remove the strip, it will change color. Cheek it against the chart on the box, which indicates the pH reading. If the pH is above 4.5, your problem is probably not yeast and you need to see a doc to get a diagnosis and prescription. If it’s below 4.5, you can safely self-treat with an OTC cream.
The test can be thrown can be thrown off by several things, like the presence of blood and mucus or variations in your cycle. And if you’ve never had a yeast infection, experts strongly recommend consulting your doctor at the first sign of a suspicious discharge or that burning feeling while peeing.