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Understanding Vaginal Yeast Infections -- Prevention

How Do I Prevent a Vaginal Yeast Infection?

To help prevent vaginal yeast infections, try the following:

  • Wear cotton or silk underwear, which allows excess moisture to evaporate, unlike nylon and other synthetics.
  • Wash and dry your underwear thoroughly and change them often to prevent dampness, which can increase the chance of a vaginal yeast infection.
  • Avoid staying in a wet bathing suit for prolonged periods of time.
  • Avoid douching or using deodorant feminine hygiene sprays, as these may also increase the chance of a vaginal yeast infection.
  • In addition, using tampons or sanitary pads for prolonged periods of time can increase your chances of getting a vaginal yeast infection.
  • Try eating yogurt that contains active cultures to replenish the good bacteria that help your body combat the overgrowth of yeast.

 

Recommended Related to Women

Too Embarrassed To Tell Your Doc?

by Sari Harrar Anna Albrecht was a fit 31-year-old mother of two when the Big Leak happened one day. "I was jumping rope at the gym when — splash! — I completely wet my pants," she recalls. "I was so embarrassed." So did Albrecht go to the doctor? "Not for seven years," she admits. "I just didn't jump rope." The leaks have stopped, thanks to a class aimed at strengthening her pelvic floor — the hammock of muscles that supports the internal organs, including the bladder, bowels, and uterus....

Read the Too Embarrassed To Tell Your Doc? article > >

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed by Nivin Todd, MD, FACOG on April 26, 2012

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