16 Symptoms of a Yeast Infection

Yeast infections are among the most common types of vaginal infection, right behind bacterial vaginosis. In one report that was published in 2007, vaginal yeast infections were found to be caused by the growth of a fungus called Candida albicans along with various other related species including Candida glabrate.

The best way to treat a yeast infection is to kill off the fungi that is responsible for the issue. The best way to do that is to use medications known as azoles, which can be purchased over the counter from your local drugstore. These are very effective against C albicans in particular, but less so against other bacteria. They also come with some unwanted side effects.

Fortunately, there are other treatment options too, including a host of home remedies and other medications. Whatever you decide though, the first and most important step is to correctly identify and diagnose the infection.

Here, we’ll take a look at 11 common symptoms of a yeast infection and hopefully you’ll be able to ascertain whether you might be suffering from one.

1.  Rash

One of the most common symptoms of a yeast infection is a rash. This can actually have a number of different causes including a range of STIs so it is best to look for the other symptoms appearing alongside this. Interestingly, rashes don’t just affect women. Women can actually ‘give’ men a form of yeast infection, though it won’t cause the same symptoms or complications as it does in women.

If your partner develops a rash as well, then rather than writing it off as nothing, it is worth getting it checked out by a GP. Note that this is not considered an STI however.

Rashes caused by yeast infections tend to result in itching, swelling, peeling and cracking. They are usually red and scaly.