Do you really have a yeast infection?

Do you really have a yeast infection?

Vaginal yeast infections are extremely common. Almost 75% of women will get at least one. Most women tend to self-diagnose and self-treat what they think are yeast infections. Let's face it. We get busy and unfortunately, that makes going to the doctors somewhat inconvenient. You should know though that at-home assessments are wrong 70% of the time. In many cases, the symptoms (itching, burning and vaginal discharge) are actually caused by bacterial vaginosis, which is more serious than an actual yeast infection. These need to be treated with prescription medications.

To make the most accurate diagnosis at home, use an OTC yeast infection test such as a vagisil screening kit. This kit measures PH levels after you press a wand against your vaginal wall for approximately 5 seconds. If your PH is above the normal range, you may have bacterial vaginosis and you should really see your doctor. If it's positive, you can usually treat with Monistat. This should be avoided though if you are pregnant or are prone to yeast infections. In those cases, you definitely need to see your doctor