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Yeast Infections - Candida0

Yeast infection causes

Yeast infections are caused by yeast-like bacterial organisms known under the general name of candida.

Many kinds of candida bacteria may found in harmless amounts, especially in the bowels, mouth, skin, digestive tract, and in the groin area. Under altered conditions, such as a change in membrane pH balance or a course of antibiotics that kills off other bacteria that keep candida in check, people can suffer from an overgrowth of candida and develop a full blown yeast infection.

Other names for yeast infections include intertrigo, balanitis, moniliasis, thrush, and Uvula-vaginal candidiasis. Fungal growths and yeast infections develop in a wet environment such as permanent folds of skin, finger and toenail beds, and in the creases of of fingers, toes and genitals.

Yeast Infection Symptoms

Yeast infections are usually characterized by painful burning, itching or redness on the affected mucus membrane. Yeast infections can happen to anyone and at any age, but are often easily preventable by the maintenance of other naturally occuring and necessary bacteria.

The most common form of yeast infection is genital, due to the high moisture and usual restriction of ventilation endemic to this part of the human body. Symptoms of this form of yeast infection vary from mild to extreme and include burning sensation in the affected area, burning sensation during urination, pain after or during sexual activity, repulsive odor in the genital area, genital irritation, painful urination, swelling and redness of the genitalia and painful intercourse.

Yeast infections may develop in anyone,

and do not develop only due to sexual intercourse, though they are spread occasionally from one partner to another. Because of the candida bacteria’s common presence in the human system, yeast infections that are spread through sexual activity not usually considered as a sexually transmitted disease per se. Yeast infections can also spread through touching of a mucus membrane, such as the eye, with an infected hand or finger. The candida bacteria is very hardy and may even be spread from one person to another by the sharing of eating utensils or common playground activity.

First Time Yeast Infection?

If you’re undergoing your first yeast infection it’s a good idea to have it checked out by a doctor in order to rule out any more serious health problems.

After performing some simple tests, the doctor will probably either prescribe a course of antibiotics or may recommend one of the many over the counter yeast infection remedies, depending on location and severity.

Fortunately, candida infections are relatively easy to cure with modern antibiotics and shouldn’t trouble you for more than a few days.

 

Yeast Infection Recurrence and Relapse

Once you’ve had problems with yeast infections, you need to be on the lookout for a whilesince it can recur any time thereafter.

Fortunately, there are quite a few easy home care techniques available to reduce the chances of recurrence.

Whether you’re taking prescription antibiotics or are using one of the over the counter medications, remember to use the full course of them even after you feel better.

Making sure that you take the full course of antibiotics ensures that the infection is completely killed off and keeps you from breeding an antibiotic-resistant strain of candida.

Eat a balanced diet specially designed to restore “good” bacteria and regulate your body’s pH balance, keep mucus membranes clean and dry them well after baths or showers, and avoid sharing washcloths and towels with other household members until you’re absolutely sure the infection is no longer affecting anyone in the house.

Wash clothing carefully in warm water or have your garments dry cleaned as appropriate.

In addition you may want to wear loose cotton underwear and clothing instead of tight or synthetic materials.

Change all of your clothing every day, especially after exercise or swimming, and avoid personal contact with anyone else until you and anyone else infected has completed antibiotic treatment.

Donald edits, writes and owns several web sites and blogs, such as Yeast Infections, Down Syndrome and Cholesterol

Posted: Yeast Infections - Candida

The Circulatory System and Hemorrhoids0

How the circulatory system works

Gaining a basic understanding of the circulatory system is integral to understanding where hemorrhoids come from and how they work.

The circulatory system feeds oxygenated blood to the entire body through arteries, and conveys cellular waste to the kidneys and blood back to the heart through veins.

While a small amount of the entire body’s supply of blood is moving quickly, under high pressure, through the arteries at all times, blood frequently remains in veins for an extended period of time as a storage mechanism.

Due to this, most veins have the ability to swell and contract much more than arteries do, in addition to being much nearer the surface of the body.

Between arteries and veins blood flows through a dense network of tiny arterioles and capillaries, which are both sufficiently numerous and small enough to ensure that every living cell in the body recieves the nourishment that blood provides and has the chance to eliminate cellular waste.

The area right around the anal sphincter, both inside and directly outside of the anal canal is one of the most vein dense areas of the body.

In addition to performing the basic function of blood circulation, the veins in this area also help with bowel control and bodily cushioning by swelling or contracting the hemorrhoidal cushions.

Due to the high volume of blood hemorrhoidal and anal veins are capable of holding, in addition to their location below the heart, these blood vessels both dilate to a proportionally large degree and can hold relatively unmoving blood for quite a long time.

If one of these veins is stretched beyond its capacity to contract due to muscular strain on the blood vessel itself, lack of upward support from the muscles of the pelvic floor, or loss of elasticity due to age or poor lifestyle, a hemorrhoid is caused.

If the vein in question lies within one of the hemorrhoidal cushions,  an internal hemorrhoid is caused, while if the vein in question runs below the anal canal to the exterior of the body prior to returning to the heart, an external hemorrhoid is caused.

Because this area is so incredibly dense with various sizes of blood vessel, hemorrhoids come in quite the array of sizes, ranging from the size of a pea to closely resembling a large grape.

Because blood moves so slowly through this area, and any hemorrhoid represents an extra bend in a vein where blood tends to sit for long periods, hemorrhoids are particularly prone to developing blood clots.

Any blood clot internal to the circulatory system is known as a thrombosis, and these can have some quite unfortunate side effects.

They are created by platelets, the same blood factors that create beneficial scabs on a wound.

When blood clots are created in inappropriate places, such as inside a working vein or withing a hemorrhoid, they can block local blood flow. If a clot is large enough to block or impede the heart, the result is a heart attack.

However, even when a thrombosis does not cause problems on such a severe and immediate scale, they’re still problematic when they block off smaller veins elsewhere in the body. If a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a hemorrhoid, while the smaller veins surrounding the clot may be able to keep up for a while, inflammation, pain, and local toxicity are sure to result.

The blocked vein is not doing its job to carry away cellular wastes, which instead just sit there, seeping back into tissues and causing great aggravation.

If a hemorrhoid develops a thrombosis, a doctor needs to see it immediately so it can be adequately dealt with before causing irreparable harm to the body.

However, to help prevent thrombosis in a current hemorrhoid, do things to get your circulation going again such as frequent walks, eating well, drinking enough water, doing stretches and so on.

By increasing your circulation, you’ll stand a better chance of avoiding thrombosis and will give your hemorrhoid a chance to heal without further complications. In addition, contributing to your overall circulatory health may help you live a longer, happier, hemorrhoid-free life.

Posted: Hemroid Health, Hemroid Related Information