Yeast Infection Test - Find Out All About It
Did you know there’s a yeast infection test which can determine the presence of candida? This type of fungus loves warm and damp environments and thrive in the areas of the mouth, digestive tract, and genitals. In addition, its appearance in the blood, heart, and brain is less common but more serious than those in the other mentioned areas.
You may not know it but severe yeast infections occur more frequently in hospitalized people with weakened immune systems. The good news is there’s now a test that can detect and diagnose a yeast infection. Also, there are different methods used for applying it, depending on the place and the symptoms.
You may also be interested in: Causes of vaginal discharge disorders
Types of yeast infections
Firstly, symptoms vary depending on the infected part of the body. Candidiasis tends to appear in moist areas of the skin and mucous membranes. Even though they vary from person to person, the symptoms of the most common types of candidiasis, depending on their location, are as follows:
Skin folds
This includes the athlete’s foot and diaper rash. Some of the symptoms are a strong red rash, usually with redness, skin ulcers, itching, burning, and pimples.
Vaginal yeast infection
This is the most common type. In fact, almost 75% of women have at least one infection of this type in their life. Some of the most frequent symptoms are:
- Itching and burning
- A white discharge with a curd-like appearance
- Pain when urinating
- Redness in the vaginal area
Medications for the treatment of vaginal yeast infections don’t require a prescription. For this reason, you may be tempted to self-medicate every time you feel vaginal itching, burning, stinging, or irritation.
However, you must keep in mind that these symptoms may not be caused by candidiasis. Thus, you would be self-medicating incorrectly. A test would be the best way of knowing if you have a vaginal yeast infection or not.
Oral
The name for this type of yeast infection is thrush and is more common in young children. However, its presence in adults may be a sign of a weakened immune system. Furthermore, its symptoms include pain and white spots on the tongue and inside the cheeks.
If it affects the corners of the mouth, it may be caused by thumb sucking, dentures that aren’t the right size, or excessive licking of the lips.
A test to find out if you have a vaginal yeast infection
Currently, there’s a test that allows you to know the cause of your discomfort. You take a sample of the inside of your vagina with a small stick and it reveals if you have a vaginal yeast infection.
The way it works, if the stick doesn’t change color then it means you suffer from candidiasis. However, if the dipstick only turns slightly green and you have an abnormal vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor and painful urination, then you might have bacterial vaginosis.
Bacterial vaginosis may be due to an imbalance of the vaginal microbiota. If so, you can recover it with a supplement of Lactobacillus, either orally or vaginally.
Frequently asked questions about the test to find out if you have a yeast infection
- Can you use it during menstruation? No. The test result isn’t valid if you do it a day before or a day after menstruation, or if there’s still vaginal bleeding.
- What if there’s itching or discomfort after sex? You must wait a minimum of 12 hours after sex to do the test.
- How far do should you insert the stick? You must insert it up to the end of the stick, the spherical part is for holding it and shouldn’t enter the vagina.
- Can you do it if you’re pregnant? Consult your doctor if you’re pregnant and have vaginal itching. This is because interpreting the test results during pregnancy requires a professional as a positive result could, in fact, indicate loss of amniotic fluid.
- How to dispose of it after you’re finished using it? Don’t flush it down the toilet, and make sure you wrap the tip so it doesn’t come into contact with other surfaces.
Conclusion
This test lets you know if you have a yeast infection, which means you can follow the appropriate treatment. It also helps reduce self-medication errors when vaginal infections occur.
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