Vaginal Candidiasis

A healthy vagina contains a normal balance of yeast and beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus.

Vaginal Candidiasis is a fungal infection most often caused by a type of yeast called Candida Albicans.

Some infections can result from other forms of Candida for example C. Albicans;  It is most commonly found in the mouth, throat, and gut as well as the vagina.

It commonly occurs as a superficial infection or on mucous membranes in the mouth, skin or vagina. Candida is the name given to a specific condition when there is an overgrowth of the yeast Candida Albicans in the body.

This yeast is normally present in the body as a healthy microorganism of the intestinal tract, but when conditions are out of balance overgrowth can occur.

Candida is ranked as one of the most common groups of organisms that cause nosocomial infections (hospital borne infections). Commonly affect immune-compromised individuals diagnosed with serious diseases such as HIV and cancer or individuals that have recently undergone surgery, a transplant or are in the Intensive Care Unit.

These patients predominantly develop oropharyngeal or thrush candidiasis, which can lead to malnutrition and interfere with the absorption of medication.

Source of Infection

The source of infection is the flora in patient’s own body, in oropharyngeal and genital areas, commonly producing oropharyngeal or vaginal candidiasis or “thrush”.

When excessive antibiotic treatment is rendered, the bacteria in the mouth, or intestines, disappear and Candida Albicans overgrows the region.

A similar condition occurs in the vagina, when antibiotics kill the lactobacilli that normally produce acid in this organ. Without the acid, the Candida Albicans flourishes.

Candida Albicans can also cause infection of the skin called onycholysis (People whose hands are in water for extended periods of time may be susceptible to this disease.

Men can become infected after having sex with a woman that has an existing vaginal yeast infection, from touching the parts of the body that are commonly infected include the skin, genitals, throat, mouth, and blood.

The classic symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection can be very uncomfortable, and include:

• Pain and soreness.
• Pain and/or Burning sensation during intercourse.
• Pain and burning sensation when urinating.
• Unusual vaginal discharge (thick and white with a cottage cheese appearance or thin and watery with bad smell).
• Itching and irritation near/around the vagina or vulva.
• Rash.

Most yeast infections are mild; but they can become severe.

Symptoms of a severe or complicated yeast infection are:

• Redness around the vulva.
• Swelling.
• Cracks in the vaginal wall.
• Vaginal rash.

Investigations

1. History

• Duration of the complaint.
• Fungus infection
• Trichomonas.
• Gonorrhea.
• Excessive intercourse
• About the discharge; character, modality etc.

2. External examination — Examination of vulva: bartholin’s glands, urethra, etc.

3. Special examinations –

(i)      Smears from urethra, vagina and cervix.

(ii)     Blood examination.

(iii)    Urine examination.

(iv)   Blood pressure examination.

(v)     Biopsy: for evidence of malignancy.

(vi)   For Trichomonas, hanging drop method is done.

General Treatment

(i)      Rest and exercise.

(ii)     Diet: none stimulating, but nourishing.

(iii)    Personal hygiene is important.

(iv)   Regularity of bowel movements and habits.

Allopathic Treatment for Vaginal Candidiasis

The most effective treatment for a yeast infection is antifungal medicine. Two of the most popular drugs are fluconazole and miconazole.

• Fluconazole: A single-dose prescription pill that will treat most yeast infections. Symptoms make take a few days to clear, and the treatment is highly effective.
• Miconazole: An over-the-counter (OTC) topical cream. It comes in various formulas that can treat a yeast infection in three, five, or seven days. It can be messy and takes slightly longer to kill the infection than fluconazole, but may relieve itchiness faster.

Severe or recurring yeast infections may be treated with:

• Multiple doses of fluconazole.
• Boric acid, nystatin, or flucytosine (as suppositories).

Homeopathic management of leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

The aim of Homeopathic medicine for vaginal candidiasis is not only to treat symptom but to address its underlying cause(s) once and for ever, individual susceptibility and to nourish patient’s organism with all (maximum) essential vitamins and minerals.

Sepia Succus:

Sepia Succus is a medicine for yeast infections like ringworm (skin) {tinea corporis}.

Relaxed pelvic organs, Bearing-down sensation as if everything would escape through vulva, Prolapse of uterus and vagina. (Belladonna; Kreosotum; Lac c; Lil t; Nat c; Pod).

Leucorrhoea yellow, greenish; with much itching. Menses Too late and scanty, irregular; early and profuse; sharp clutching pains. Violent stitches upward in the vagina, from uterus to umbilicus.  Morning sickness. Vagina painful, especially on coition.

Excessive sensibility of the skin. Soreness of skin and humid places. Dry and itching eruptions, like scabies.

Boils and blood-boils. Engorged glands (Bartholin Gland). Eruptions of vesicles, like pemphigus.-Itching, stinging, lancinating, burning, or sometimes indolent ulcers.

Ringworm and yeast infection in men and women occurring in the spring season.

Mouth: Tongue white. Taste salty, putrid. Tongue foul, but clears during menses. Swelling and cracking of lower lip. Pain in teeth from 6pm till midnight; worse on lying.

Silicea Terra or Silica:

Yeast infection in men and women especially in groins.

Discharge of blood before proper period; menses too late; protracted; blood acrid. Metrorrhagia. Diarrhoea, before the menses. Painful menses, pale appearance of objects, or burning sensation and excoriation in vulva.

Itching in the vulva. Pressing-down feeling in vagina. Itching, burning, and soreness in pudenda; during menses. Discharge of blood from the uterus, while suckling, metrorrhagia. Abortion. Leucorrhoea, which flows when urinating, or after the menses. Leucorrhoea, like milk, flowing at intervals, and preceded by gripings in umbilical region. Acrid, corrosive leucorrhoea.

Menses too early and too feeble, or else too profuse with paroxysms of icy coldness over whole body or suppression of the menses.

Bovista

Leucorrhoea: a few days before or a few days after menses; while walking; like white of egg; yellow-green, acrid, corrosive, leaving green spots on clothes; thick, slimy, tough.-Excoriation in the inguinal fold during the catamenia (catamenia can be too early and too copious).

Calcarea Carbonica for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

During the catamenia, congestion in the head, with internal heat, or cuttings in the abdomen, and cramp-like pain in the lumbar region, or else vertigo, headache, toothache, nausea, colic, and other sufferings.

Suppressed menstruation, Miscarriage. Voluptuous sensation in the genital parts, with emission. Flow of blood at a time different from the catamenia. Metrorrhagia. Itching or pressing in the vagina. Shootings in the orifice of the matrix, and pressive pain in the vagina. Prolapsus uteri, with pressure on the parts. Itching in the womb. Inflammation and swelling of the womb, with redness, purulent discharge, and burning pain.

Varices in the labia majora. Leucorrhoea before the catamenia, with burning itching, or else like milk, flowing by fits, and during the emission of urine, leucorrhoea is profuse, milky, persistent or yellow and accompanied by itching and burning.

Leucorrhoea in infants and young girls often recurring before puberty, leucorrhoea before menses or in recurring attacks between the menses. Pain, as of excoriation and ulceration, in the nipples.

Hydrastis Canadensis for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Aching pains in small of back at climaxis; uterine affections with debility and digestive disorders. Hot watery discharge from uterus.

Leucorrhoea: tenacious, ropy, thick yellow. Ulceration of the os, cervix, and vagina; debility; prolapsus uteri. Os uteri very tender. Uterine haemorrhage; menorrhagia and metrorrhagia, with fibroid tumours; at menopause. Pruritus vulvae, with profuse leucorrhoea; sexual excitement. Lancinating pain in breast extending up to shoulder and down arm.

Cancer of breast, pains like knives thrust into part. Hard, irregular tumour of left breast, nipple retracted, glands in axilla enlarged and painful, cachectic appearance. Sore-mouth of nursing women. Abraded, cracked and sore nipples of nursing women.

Sulphur:

Pudenda itches. Vagina burns. Much offensive perspiration. Menses too late, short, scanty, and difficult; thick, black, acrid, making parts sore. Menses preceded by headache or suddenly stopped. Leucorrhoea, burning, excoriating. Nipples cracked; smart and burn.

Graphites for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Great aversion to coitus. Vesicles and pimples on the vulva, excoriation on the vulva and between the thighs, vaginal soreness, ovarian swelling and pain after getting wet.

Swelling and hardness of ovaries after menses. Tearing, grinding, bursting in right ovary, as if it would burst, before and during menses. Tumour in right iliac fossa; Sensation of bearing down towards the genital parts.

Catamenia too slow, too scanty, and too pale. The first menses delay. Suppression of catamenia, with heaviness of the limbs and congestions of blood to the head. Cutting pains on the appearance of the catamenia. During the catamenia, flow of blood from the anus, pains in the limbs, ulcers become worse.

Swelling of the cheeks or of the feet, catarrh, with hoarseness and coryza, toothache, or cramps and violent cuttings in the abdomen, headache, nausea, pain in the chest, and weakness.

Leucorrhoea, white and liquid, like water, with tension of the abdomen, and weakness in the back. Leucorrhoea, before and after the catamenia, discharge occurs in gushes day or night. Painful sensibility and excoriation of the breasts, with eruption of running phlycten.

Mezereum:

Chronic leucorrhoea, like white of eggs (malignant, corroding), sometimes , menses are too frequent and lasting too long; scanty with leucorrhoea and prosopalgia; suppressed.

Cutaneous ulcers with thick, whitish, yellow scabs, under which thick, yellow pus collects. Skin covered with elevated white scabs. Itching, especially at night (in bed – in warm), more violent and painful (and changed to burning) after scratching, Gnawing itching as from vermin. Miliary eruptions, sometimes chronic.

Furunculi -Inflamed ulcers, with burning and shooting, or with gnawing pain, with an areola, sensitive and easily bleeding when removing the linen, which sticks, painful at night, the pus tends to form an adherent scab, under which a quantity of pus collects, burning and stinging with inflammation. Vesicles around the ulcers, itching violently and burning, like fire. Suppuration after inflammation.

Thuja Occidentalis for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Thuja Occidentalis is a medicine for yeast infection in men and women for fungal infections that appear as ringworms in the beard, mustache, neck area or other hairy areas (tinea barbae).

Vagina very sensitive (Berb; Kreos; Lyssin). Warty excrescences on vulva and perineum. Profuse leucorrhoea; thick, greenish. Severe pain in left ovary and left inguinal region. Menses scanty, retarded.

Polypi; fleshy excrescences. Ovaritis; worse left side, at every menstrual period (Lach). Profuse perspiration before menses.

Polypi, tubercles, warts epithelioma, naevi, carbuncles; ulcers, especially in anogenital region. Freckles and blotches.

Perspiration sweetish and strong, skin dry, with brown spots, zona; herpetic eruptions. Eruptions only on covered parts; worse after scratching. Very sensitive to touch. Coldness of one side. Sarcoma.

Borax:

Leucorrhoea, corrosive, and thick, like starch.-Sterility.-Acrid leucorrhoea, appearing for two weeks between catamenia, with swelling of labia and inflamed and discharging Duvernoy’s glands.

Stinging and distended feeling in clitoris. During pregnancy, swelling, itching, and burning of vagina, with a discharge like gonorrhoea.

False pains. Labour pains: spasmodic; more in stomach than in uterus; dart upwards, head of child goes back.

Sterility; During pregnancy, swelling, itching, and burning of vagina, with a discharge like gonorrhoea.

Skin difficult to heal; dingy, unhealthy skin; every injury tends to ulceration. Erysipelatous inflammations, with swelling and tension of the part affected, and fever. Whitish pimples, with red areola. Herpetic eruptions. Purulent and phagedaenic vesicles.

Merc Solobus for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Before catamenia: dry heat, with ebullition of blood, and congestion in head. Congestion of blood to uterus. Inflammation of ovaries and uterus. During catamenia: redness of tongue, with deep-coloured and burning spots, salt taste in mouth, teeth set on edge, and gums blanched.

Leucorrhoea in general; complaints concomitant to leucorrhoea. Leucorrhoea always better at night; greenish discharge; smarting, corroding, itching, burning after scratching. Purulent, corrosive leucorrhoea, with itching in the parts, worse by washing in cold water.

Hard tubercles on labia majora. Itching pimples, and nodosities in labia. Itching of genitals feel better from contact of urine. Inflammatory swelling in vagina, with a sensation as if it were raw and excoriated. Swelling of labia, with heat, hardness, shining redness, great sensitiveness to touch, and burning, pulsative, and shooting pains.

Prolapsus uteri et vaginae; feels worse after coitus. Sterility with too profuse menstruation. Easy coitus and certain conception.

Almost constantly moist. Excessive odorous viscid perspiration, worse, night.

Vesicular and pustular eruptions. Ulcers, irregular in shape, edges undefined. Pimples around the main eruption. Itching, worse from warmth of bed.

Pulsatilla for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Contractive pain in uterus, like labour pains, Labour-pains too weak, spasmodic, or ceasing, obliging her to bend double. Spasmodic pains, or drawing tension in uterus, and pains like those of labour. After-pains in females of a mild disposition.

False pregnancy. During pregnancy: nausea, morning sickness; varicose veins, bluish, feels better towards evening. Lame pelvis, better with warm in bed, must change position frequently threatened abortion, flow now ceasing, now returning.

During labour intense inertia; weeps because she is not delivered; malpositions of fetus; postpartum haemorrhage; convulsions, following sluggish or irregular pains; lochia scanty, milky, or suppressed; puerperal fever; phlegmasia dolens.

A burning (sticking) pain in vagina and pudenda. Metrorrhagia (discharge now stopping, and then stronger again, of coagulated, clotted blood, or with false labour-pains). Menstrual blood black, with clots of mucus, or pale and serous.

Catamenia irregular, tardy, or premature, of too short or too long duration, or entirely suppressed (esp. if produced by getting the feet wet), with colic, hysterical spasms in abdomen, hepatic pains, gastralgia, pain in loins.

Suppression of menses (especially in elderly women in whom they usually occur at full moon). Delay of first menses in mild, gentle girls, low-spirited, diarrhoea during menses.

Leucorrhoea, thick, like cream (especially frequent in lochial discharges where the flow looks like milk), or corrosive and burning, principally at period of catamenia before, during or after), and sometimes with cuttings (better when lying down; with swollen vulva).

Zincum Metalicum for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Catamenia premature and too copious.  Suppressed menstruation, with full habit. Sterility and or Miscarriage voluptuous sensation in the genital parts, with emission, Flow of blood at a time different from the catamenia.

Metrorrhagia, Itching or pressing in the vagina, shootings in the orifice of the matrix, and pressive pain in the vagina, itching, Inflammation and swelling the womb with redness, purulent discharge, and burning pain.

Varices in the labia majora. Leucorrhoea before the catamenia, with burning itching, or else like milk, flowing by fits, and during the emission of urine.

Eruption of lenticular red and raised spots, with great heat, much thirst, and want of appetite. Skin hot and dry as if covered with a kind of miliary eruption. Furfuraceous coating of the skin; burning; chapped.

Humid, scabby eruptions and titters, or in form of clusters, with burning pains. Itching pemphigus, Ulcers deep; fistulous; carious with too little pus.

Erysipelatous inflammations. Furunculi, warts, corns, with pain as of excoriation, and burning.

Polyps uterus. Bloatedness swelling and induration of the Bartholin glands, with or without pain. Varices, Arthritic nodosities.

Lilliam Tigrum:

Acrid, brown leucorrhoea; smarting in labia. Sexual instinct awakened. Bloated feeling in uterine region. Subinvolution. Pruritus pudenda, Bearing down, with sensation of heavy weight and pressure in uterine region.

Voluptuous itching in vagina, with feeling of fullness of parts. Leucorrhoea; bright yellow, acrid, excoriating; leaving a brown stain; after menses.

Menses continue only when moving about, and cease when sitting or lying down. Amenorrhea.

Kreosotum for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Premature catamenia, of too long continuance, and too copious, with a discharge of black blood. During an embrace, burning in the parts, followed next day by menstrual discharge of dark blood.

Before the catamenia, abdominal spasms, leucorrhoea, irritation, and inquietude. After menses pressure in the genitals; leucorrhoea; and many other sufferings. Metrorrhagia in fungoid disease of endometrium.

Leucorrhoea, corrosive or mild, and sometimes followed by exhaustion and fatigue, especially in legs. Leucorrhoea of a yellow color, staining linen yellow.

White leucorrhoea, having odor of green corn. Leucorrhoea putrid, with accompanying complaints; leucorrhoea in general, esp. if very fetid and exhausting.

Complaints of females at change of life. Cramp-like pains in external genitals. Excoriation, with smarting pains between genitals and thighs. Shootings in vagina, as if produced by electricity. Voluptuous itching in vagina, inducing rubbing in evening, succeeded by smarting, swelling, heat, and induration of external parts, with soreness in vagina when urinating.

Desire for coition, in females, especially in morning; after coition, pain, as of excoriation, and hard knottiness in neck of uterus, or swelling of the genital parts (both male and female) with burning pains (worse in morning than in evening).

After coition discharge of dark blood the next day. Prolapses vaginae, prolapsus uteri.

Soft, unnatural feel of skin, violent itching all over, especially towards evening, and with burning sensation  after scratching.

Arsenicum Album:

Venereal desire in women. Catamenia too early and too copious, attended by much suffering. Catamenia suppressed, with pains in the sacrum and in the shoulders.

Leucorrhoea acrid, corrosive, thick, and yellowish, scirrhous uteri.

Vesicular eruptions. Herpes, with vesicles, and violently burning, especially at night, or with coverings, like fish-scales, general anasarca; black blisters, pustules filled with blood and pus, tittery spots, covered with phlyctenules and furfur, with burning nocturnal pains.

Inflammatory tumors with burning pains, warts. ulcers inform of a wart. Varices.

Cantharis:

Catamenia premature and too copious, with black blood and pains during the flow. Voiding of moles, of foetus, and of placentae.

Female Sexual Organs. Catamenia premature and too copious, with black blood and pains during the flow. Voiding of moles, of fetes, and of placentae.

Inflammation of the ovaries. Swelling of the cervix uteri. Corrosive leucorrhoea, with burning sensation on making water, and excitement of sexual desire.

Itching vesicles, with burning pain on being touched. Blisters, from burns. Erysipelatous inflammation. Acute drawing pains in ulcers, with increased suppuration.

Apis Melifestida for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Abortion. Abortion during the early months. Dropsy in the latter part of pregnancy attended with puerperal convulsions. Erysipelatous inflammation of the breasts. Swelling and hardness of the mammae threatening to ulcerate. Scirrhous or open cancer of the mammae, with stinging, burning pains.

Amenorrhea or menorrhagia. Inflammation, induration, swelling, and dropsy of the ovaries (rite sided). Ovarian tumors, with stinging pains like bee-stings. Metritis, peritonitis, with stinging, thrusting pains.

Pressing-down or bearing down pain in the uterus, with sensation as before menses. Ulceration and engorgement of os uteri. Large and painful swelling of the labia, with heat and stinging pains.

Ovarian tumours, with stinging pains like bee-stings. Threatened miscarriage in the early months. Metritis, peritonitis, with stinging, thrusting pains. Dropsy of the ovaries (r.); dropsy of the uterus. Strained pain l. ovary.

Menstruation suppressed or diminished, with congestion to the head. Labour-like, bearing-down pains, followed by dark, bloody mucus, Ulceration and engorgement of os uteri. Large and painful swelling of the labia, with heat and stinging pains.

Natrum Muriaticum

Spitting blood at menstrual nisus; Itching in genital organs. Repugnance to coition. Coition: painful from dryness of vagina; burning smarting during; in anaemic women with dry mouth and dry skin.

Leucorrhoea, with headache, disposition to diarrhoea, colic, and mucous evacuations. Acrid (greenish) leucorrhoea (increased discharge when walking), with yellow colour of face. Abundant discharge of transparent, whitish, and thick mucus from vagina.

Vulvitis with falling off of hair. Itching of external parts with falling off of hair. Pimples on mons veneris.

Terebinthina or Oleum terebinthinae for leucorrhoea or Vaginal Candidiasis

Catamenia retarded and scanty. Drawing in thighs and colic as if menses would set in, a week after she had had them. Uterus and ovaries very painful. Ovarian dropsy. Terrible burning in uterus, with great bearing-down pain; caused great heat all over; craves drink; inward heat. Uterine diseases after wearing pessaries. Fibroids; bloody leucorrhoea; burning in uterus; menorrhagia, black blood.

Herpes labialis. Abortion. Neuralgia during pregnancy. Burning and bearing down in uterus during urination. Metritis, lochia checked, burning in uterus. Peritonitis after confinement from tight-lacing.