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 Treat your yeast infection now, before it gets worse! 

So just when do you know when a yeast infection is “just superficial” and when you need to seek the professional guidance of your health care practitioner? 

If you’re in good health, one indication is that if you try to solve the problem yourself with over-the-counter medications and fail.  Then you should seek the aid of your health care practitioner. 

If you have a weakened or compromised immune system – no matter the cause of your weakened state – you should contact you health care practitioner at the first sign of any yeast infection.  It doesn’t matter if it may seem trivial to you, contact her anyway.  This gives her the opportunity to monitor the situation from the very start.

There are other reasons to call your health care practitioner as well.  If you’re experiencing a vaginal yeast infection, with the discharge lasting for more than one week, you should consult a professional.

You should also contact your health care practitioner if you experience recurring yeast infections; this may be a sign of a more serious, underlying problem.  If, along with your vaginal discharge, you also have a bloody discharge, or abdominal pain, a fever or increased urination, consult your health care practitioner.

Contact your health care practitioner if you develop oral thrush.  This particular infection requires a prescription medication. If oral thrush develops in a child, watch him carefully.  If he has drunk nothing for the last 12 hours then you need to contact your health care practitioner.  She may want to place him on IV fluid replacement.

Just as there are many versions of the fungus and it affects many areas of the body, there exists a wide variety of treatment options for the fungus Candida.  How your health care practitioner treats your particular symptoms depends on what type of fungus you have, where the infection is located and the severity of your symptoms – to name just a few variables.

Options for treating this type of infection include a myriad of creams, pills, lotions, troches (also more commonly called lozenges) as well as vaginal suppositories. Here are some of the classes of medication your health care practitioner may prescribe.

They are called azole medications.  They belong to a family of antifungal drugs and you can recognize them because they all end in the suffix “-azole.”  They work by blocking the creation of ergosterol, a vital substance in the cell wall of the yeast.  Without this substance, the yeast cell wall weakens and leaks.  Eventually the yeast die. Ergosterol is not found in human membranes, so the azole medications do no harm to human cells.

Another type of medication is called polyene antifungals.  These include nystatin and amphotericin B.  Nystatin is used primarily to treat thrush as well as some superficial candidal infections.  Doctors pull out the amphotericin B only for the more serious fungal infections that are systemic, those affecting your whole system.

These antifungal drugs work by literally attaching themselves to the ergosterol of the cell walls.  Then they create artificial holes in the walls that cause the yeast to leak and eventually die.

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There are several causes for the development of yeast infections, but one of the most common is a compromised immune system.

Almost 15 percent of those individuals who have a weakened immune system actually develop a systemic illness that is caused by the fungus Candida.  These infections enter the body through innocent-looking cuts in the skin, through mucous membranes or other breakdowns of the body’s system.

If you have a compromised or weak immune system, coupled with regular use of antibacterial, you may be at an increased risk of developing one of these illnesses.  The antibiotics not only kill the “bad” bacteria causing your other health problems, but they also destroy the “good” bacteria that are holding the Candida in check.

The use of implanted devised in the skin also increase the risk for this particular development.  Specifically those who use catheters an IV ports may be more susceptible to this infection.  Drug addicts using dirty needles may also find themselves at a greater risk.  These individuals may actually inject the yeast directly into their bloodstream or into their deep tissues.

Individuals who are receiving some type of cancer therapy who have weakened immune systems need to be mindful of the development of yeast infections as well.  Certain cancer treatments, including the use of steroids, weaken the infection-fighting abilities of the body which may allow for the spread of the fungus throughout the entire body.  This fungus has been known to attack the blood, brain, eye, kidney as well as the heart.  But its attacks are not limited there.  The fungus can also grow in the lungs, liver and spleen as well.  In fact, Candida is the leading cause of esophagitis – inflammation in the throat – in those afflicted with AIDS.

In women, yeast infections are ranked as the second most common reason for burning of the vagina, as well as itching and discharge.  Yeasts are normally found in the vagina.  It’s fairly easy, therefore, for an overgrowth to occur if the environment of the vagina changes for any reason.  Some of the more common changes include the use of antibiotics or steroids. 

But even events as common as pregnancy, menstruation, and the use of birth control pills may disturb the balance of the yeast population.  Even something as the presence of sperm has been known to create an imbalance in the vagina’s environment and cause an infection. Some individuals develop vaginal yeast infections simply because of their newly acquired diabetes. Yeast infections are more common once a woman reaches menopause.

 Yeastrol, the best remedy available. 

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No, there’s nothing to worry about. Your skin is normally very effective at blocking the fungus and keeping it from developing into a potentially harmful infection.  Your skin won’t allow any of the fungi to travel to locations it shouldn’t.  It’s only when you skin gets torn or cut, or when there’s some type of breakdown in your system, that this fungus normally penetrates.  And that’s when the trouble starts.

An infection occurs when these Candida albicans – and about 20 other species of candida – discover these warm moist locations under our skin.  It’s in these places that the fungi thrive. They begin to multiply prolifically enough to cause an infection.

Candida albicans is a versatile fungus, affecting many parts of the body when it gets the chance. Most commonly women think of the yeast infection, Candiasis, as being an infection most associated with the vagina.  You might be surprised to learn, though, that a diaper rash is also caused by one of these species of Candiasis.  So is thrush, a common infection of the mouth as well as some infections of the nail bed.

Yeast infections seem to appear more frequently as a person ages.  Adults have been known to be affected with oral infections of this fungus around dentures, as well as under the breasts and lower abdomen as well as beneath other skin folds.  Most of these infections are merely superficial. They are easily treated and quickly go away with no complications.

In very rare instances, though, a yeast infection may spread throughout the body.  The medical community calls this systemic candidal disease. This, indeed, can develop into a very serious health problem.  Some statistics say that up to 75 percent of individuals who develop this disease die from it.

And while most yeast infections cause little problems and clear up with routine treatment, there are instances of more resistant cases of yeast infections – that don’t necessarily attack your entire body — that stubbornly don’t yield to regular medications.

More than that, though, if a person regularly seems to develop yeast infection after yeast infection, it may be a signal the she has a more serious, underlying health problem, such as diabetes, leukemia or even AIDS.

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Do you know what’s the very best way to treat athlete’s foot?  By preventing its appearance in the first place!  If this sounds old fashioned, so be it.  But there are several tricks and tips you can get into the habit of performing daily to help keep your feet from becoming the next breeding ground for tenia pedis.

First, the fungus needs a damp place to grow.  Take the dampness away from it and it just can’t flourish.  So you’ll want to keep your feet as dry as possible.  Once you’ve dried your feet as much as you possibly can following a bath or a shower, you still may want to take an added precaution. This you can do by applying a medicated powder in your shoes and socks on a regular basis.

Speaking of socks, you’ll want to make sure the ones you’re wearing are absorbent to soak up any of the sweat from your feet.  Ideally, you should try to wear cotton socks.  When you’re done wearing them, you’ll also want to wash them in hot water.  Be sure to bleach them too.

Your shoes should be well ventilated.  If you wore them and find they are damp, don’t wear that pair again until their dry.

If you don’t like shoes and would rather go barefoot, try to suppress that desire.  But you could compromise.  Wear open-toed sandals. 

They’ll help you prevent athlete’s foot by allowing enough air around your feet that they’ll dry quickly.

Have you ever thought about using your antiperspirant on your feet?  Well, perhaps you should consider it.  This may prove to be especially crucial if you’re prone to developing athlete’s foot.  It’s an effective way to control the sweating that may cause this fungus to grow.

Let your shoes air out at night.  In fact, if at all possible, don’t wear the same pair of shoes daily.  This is the perfect way to allow one pay to air out while you’re using the other.

Some individuals apply an antifungal lotion to their feet after they dry them following a bath or shower. They then follow this with the application of an antifungal foot powder.  There are any number of good ones on the market today.  You can might have to try several out to see which one works best for you.  You wan to make sure the one you choose doesn’t contain any cornstarch.  Cornstarch encourages fungal growth.

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Many people use natural, herbal remedies to help heal their athlete’s foot. There are in fact, many remedies that may be of use to you.  Before you use any of them though, be sure to consult with your naturopathic doctor or your health care provider. 

One of the pieces of information she’ll be able to provide you is whether any the supplements you’re planning on taking interfere with any prescription drugs you may be on. Before choosing a supplement, you’ll also want to check with a professional herbalist to ensure that you’re not only taking the most effective herb, but also to ensure that you’ll get the proper serving.

One of the first things you’ll want to do upon recognizing the symptoms of athlete’s foot is to apply aloe vera gel on the affected area twice a day. Aloe vera’s antifungal properties help to hasten the healing process.

Some of the best natural remedies incorporate herbs into them to use as foot baths or rubs.  You may want to soak your feet in a basin of warm water which not only has some rubbing alcohol in it, but several cloves of peeled and crushed garlic as well.

The natural antifungal properties of garlic make it a natural choice as a stand-alone remedy to help alleviate the symptoms of athlete’s foot.  Some individuals advise to simply rub a clove of raw garlic on the fungus.  Others say it’s best to crush the garlic to bring out its natural oils.  Place the crushed garlic on the affected area. Leave this on for about half an hour and then wash it off with just water.  This should be done daily for a week.  By the end of the week, the fungus should be gone.

If the idea of covering your feet with crushed garlic is a bit much, you might want to compromise and just put a dusting of garlic powder on your feet (seriously!).  Some herbalists and others specializing in home remedies say that if you do this twice a day, you’ll athlete’s foot will be gone in no time at all.

If garlic is a bit strong for you, then you might want to consider a poultice made with ginger, which also is widely known for its antifungal powers.  Place one ounce of fresh chopped ginger in a cup of water and simmer this for about 20 minutes. Let it cool sufficiently so you can apply it to your feet.  Do this twice daily until your athlete’s foot disappears.

Here’s another one – it’s a bit sticky, but it works.  Rub raw honey on the infected area before bedtime.  Cover the feet with old socks.  Leave it on overnight.  When you wake up in the morning you’ll notice an improvement.

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Athlete’s foot itself is not that serious of an infection.  It usually can be treated quite quickly.  There are times, however, when the original fungal infection triggers a secondary bacterial infection.  This occurs if the fungus should kill vulnerable bacteria through the production of an antibiotic substance. A hardier, more resistant type of bacteria grows in the place of these more vulnerable ones.

These newer bacteria then release substances that can cause the tissue breakdown which results in soggy skin and painful eroded areas between the toes.

There’s still one more complication of athlete’s foot you should be aware of.  This one occurs after the infection has cleared.  Proteins may enter your bloodstream, which may lead to an allergic reaction.  This could cause an occurrence of blisters on your fingers, toes or even on your hands.  This condition is called dermatophytid reaction.

Your infection may be so mild, in fact, that he may just recommend an over-the-counter remedy. There are plenty on the market.  For the most part, mild infections respond well to the following prescription medication:  Terbinafine (sold as Lamisil AT), Clotrimazole (sold as Lotrimin AF) and Miconazole (Micatin).

If your particular care of athlete’s foot doesn’t improve, then your health care practitioner may prescribe one of these stronger medications: Itraconazole (sold as Sporanox), Fluconazole (sold as Diflucan) or a stronger variation of Terbinafine (sold as Lamisil).
Before you fill that prescription that your personal care practitioner hands you though, be sure to question him thoroughly about the possible side effects of these medications.  Oral itraconazole and oral terbinafine may be linked in rare cases to liver failure or even to death, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Taking oral itraconazole may, in fact, weaken the heart’s contractions.  Be sure to tell your health care practitioner if you have a history of heart failure.

If you should have athlete’s foot as well as another bacterial infection, your health care practitioner may prescribe an oral antibiotic.  He may also decide that your specific case can be helped by using steroid ointments. Other remedies that he may recommend may to wet dressings or compresses as well as vinegar soaks to help clear the blisters or the soggy skin.

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Determining whether you’ve developed a case of athlete’s foot is relatively easy.  There are plenty of symptoms that indicate the fungi’s presence.  Don’t expect, though, to experience every symptom of this contagious infection.  You may only have a fraction of them.

Characteristically, athlete’s foot is recognized by an itching, burning or stinging between your toes.  More often than, not the infection settles into the space between you last two toes. You may also notice these same symptoms on the soles of your feet.

Your feet, if affected with this infection, may develop itchy blisters. Another indication of the presence of this fungus is cracking and peeling of the skin on your feet.  This usually occurs in the same areas that the burning happens – between your toes and on the soles of your feet.

You may also notice that the sides and bottoms of your feet are extremely dry.  These too are signs that you have contracted athlete’s foot.

Athlete’s foot can also affect the health and condition of your toenails.  If your nails are thick or discolored then you may have athlete’s foot.  Additionally, toenails that are crumbly, ragged or pulling away from the nail bed may also be infected with tinea pedis.

When you visit your health care practitioner with these symptoms, his initial reaction will no doubt be to ensure that the infection is caused by tinea pedis and not by some other skin disorder.  He’ll probably want to exclude the possibility that these conditions could have been caused by dermatitis or by psoriasis.  Be prepared to be able to answer some questions about your being exposed to contaminated areas or being in contact with individuals who may have athlete’s foot.

Your health care practitioner may take scrapings of the affected skin.  These will be evaluated under a microscope to identify the type of fungus. If, indeed, a fungus is causing these problems, he’ll most likely prescribe an antifungal medication.

The possibility may also exist that the test of the skin scraping fails to indicate the presence of any fungus.  If your health care practitioner still suspects that a fungus is to blame for your condition, he may send a sample of your skin to a laboratory to discover if fungus would grow under the proper conditions.  This test is called a culture.  He may also decide to order one if you’ve undergone treatment for the condition and no improvement is seen.

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"Make sure you wear your ‘flip-flops’ into that shower at camp!"  You can still hear the words of your mother today pleading with you to wear those sandals as you embarked on the bus for summer camp.

If you went to college and lived in a dormitory, your mother undoubtedly made you pack a pair of sandals for your use in the communal shower.

Oh, she may never have called the infection by name, but rest assured, she was doing her best to protect you from athlete’s foot.  It’s a common fungal infection that spreads easily in public places, especially in public showers, lock rooms and fitness centers.

Usually athlete’s food affects those small, dark spaces between your toes.  But if left untreated, it can often spread to your toenails as well as the soles and sides of your feet.  The good news is that this infection is easily cured just by using any number of over-the-counter remedies found in your local drug store. If your case is more severe, it may require a visit to your health care practitioner who can prescribe topical medication for it.

Athlete’s foot is also known as tinea pedis, ringworm of the foot and dermatophytosis.  It’s closely related to several other fungal skin conditions, most of which have similar sounding names.  Tinea is a type of fungus.  Pedis is the Latin word for "foot".

A tinea infection can occur in other areas of your body.  For example, tinea corporis causes a red rash the displays itself as a scale red ring on the top layer of your skin.  You know this infection by its more common name ringworm of the body.

Tinea may strike men, causing an itching in their genital, inner thighs as well as their buttocks, called tinea cruris.  We all know this as jock itch.

If you’ve ever had school-aged children, then you may have encountered a form of tinea that causes a red, itchy patch on the scalp.  This form of tinea is known as ringworm of the scalp or tinea capitis and can result in bald patches on the head.

All of these conditions are caused by a group of mold-like fungus called dermatophytes. Sprouting wispy, fingerlike extensions dermatophytes infect the surface of the skin.  As a result, the deepest portion of our epidermis (which is the outermost layer of your skin) produces an abundance of skin cells.  As these cells push their way to the surface, the skin becomes thick and scaly.  As you can imagine, the more the fungi spread, the more cells your skin produces, and the more scales appear on your skin.  This causes the ring of the infection to form.

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Sugar addiction.  You may not have thought of yourself as an addict.  Think again.  It may be that you became an addict unwittingly, but you still may be one.  Most of us are.  And overcoming this addition is just as difficult – if not more so than tobacco or alcohol. 

Interested in reducing your reliance on sugar through the substituting of good, wholesome foods?  It is possible.  While it may take some discipline and time, you’ll find it’s worth the both the time and effort you put in to it.  Not only will you be decreasing your chances of developing some of the most devastating degenerative diseases, you’ll also be increasing your energy level and your quality of life!  Now, isn’t that worth it?

Eat sweet vegetables.  You have probably already guessed that the best way to beat the sugar craves is through a sensible diet.  But to help your taste buds – and your brain – transition, try eating sweet veggies.  Root vegetables are especially valuable.  Try increasing your intake of yams, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and – believe it or not – even onions.  These provide you with a sweet flavor while at the same time helping to reduce that nagging craving for a sweet dessert.

While you’re munching down on those vegetables, include some green leafy vegetables as well.  This will help replenish those essential nutrients that sugar has been stripping from your system.

Add some high-fiber foods to your diet as well.  Apples are especially valuable here.   They not only keep those sugar cravings at bay, but since they require more "chewing time" they give your body the valuable time it needs to realize that it’s not hungry any more.  And that means you’re less likely to overeat!  And that helps if you’re trying to lose weight as well.  A Brazilian study recently discovered that just by eating three small apples throughout the day – while eating a well-rounded diet – can help you lose significantly more weight than those individuals who didn’t eat apples.  Not a bad bonus!

Don’t limit your fruits though to just apples.  Look at what you could be eating instead of those two chocolate sandwich cookies.  Those cookies have the same amount of calories as 1 ½ cups of melon or 2 cups of strawberries. 

Those types of servings will not only make you feel full, but they also provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs.  But the greatest aspect of fresh fruit is that it’s energy food.  You’ll feel a little more energized after eating fruit.  After you finish the cookies, your body feels more drained and lifeless.

If you think you can’t live without ice cream, then replace it with a puree of frozen fruit with just a dash of fruit juice concentrate.  You might also want to make a smoothie with frozen sliced bananas and diluted peanut butter or even almond or cashew butter.  Put all this in a food processor or a blender.  You’ll want about one tablespoon of the nut butter.  Add a tablespoon of water and one-quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract.  And here again, it’s an energy-giving food instead of an energy-depleting one.

There are plenty of ways to kick the sugar habit.  You just need a little determination and some imagination.  In no time at all you’ll feel healthier and more energetic.  And decrease your chances of developing a whole host of health problems in the process!

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There are two more natural sweeteners that deserve your attention as well as an herb that can help reduce your cravings for sweets.  The first is Rapadura.  This is the commercial name for a whole organic sugar and is an unbleached and unrefined sweetener.  It is native to South America, the Caribbean as well as India where it has been used this for thousands of years. 

Rapadura is the only sugar in which the sugar stream is not separated from the molasses.  This means that Rapadura retains most of its essential nutrients.  It has a mild, caramel-like flavor making it a perfect sweetener for baking as well as for sweetening foods and drinks.

It’s laden with minerals – especially silica and iron.  If you plan to replace unrefined white sugar with Rapadura you would use the same amount.  One cup of Rapadura equals on cup of white sugar.

Another natural sweetener you might want to look for is stevia.  This, too, comes from South America, where it has been used for more than 1,500 years.  It’s difficult for us to imagine, but it contains no calories.  On top of that it’s 300 times sweeter than sugar.  With all of this, you might think that it’s as bad for your system as refined sugar, if not worse.  But, research has shown that stevia can actually regulate your blood sugar.  Across the continent of South America, this natural sweetener is sold to those individuals with diabetes and hypoglycemia to help normalize their conditions. 

You can find it in liquid, tablet and even powered form. But, who won’t find it labeled as a sweetener. Instead, you’ll find it called a "dietary supplement" thanks to the maneuverings of the Food and Drug Administration.  Many people use stevia as a coffee sweetener instead of table sugar.

You may also want to consider using the little known herb gymnema sylvestre.  This herb’s active ingredient, legendary in India and parts of Asia as a natural treatment for diabetes, is culled from the leaves and the roots of the plant.  It helps to balance blood sugar levels.

Scientifically speaking, the unique contour of the gymnemic acid molecules is similar to those of the glucose molecule.  This allows it to fill cell receptors in the lining of the body’s intestines.  And this prevents the uptake of sugar molecules.

Gymnema sylvestre is an extremely useful herb even if you don’t have diabetes, but you just want to stop those uncontrollable sugar cravings that come over you.  Some experts say you should take this herb with a high-carbohydrate meal – or even a meal that contains plenty of sugar.  In this way it can help the body by passing through the sugars. This makes the carbohydrates in your body burn more quickly.  Otherwise they would be stored and would quickly turn to fat.  The other advantage is that it helps your body build lean muscle mass.

[Source: www.wisegeek.com]

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