Yeast is a single-cell organism that lives throughout the environment and it is responsible for causing yeast infection. In most cases, your body cells will be able to handle this fungus without any hassles.
However, when your body fails to deal with the fungus, you can suffer from yeast infection. It is one of the most common diseases, and anyone can develop it. Candida, or yeast, is the name of the culprit that causes vaginal yeast infection in women. Mouth yeast infection, better known as oral thrush, is widespread in babies, toddlers, older adults, and people who have weakened immune systems.
If you are suffering from a severe yeast infection, you should visit the doctor’s office and get a prescription without any hesitation. However, if it is in the initial stage, you can try some effective natural home remedies for yeast infections.
With a range of treatments at your disposal for yeast infection, including many self-administered home remedies, you need not worry too much. Here we will see some home remedies for yeast infection to help people find what works best for them.
Best Home Remedies for Yeast Infection
You need to treat yeast infection as soon as possible as it can spread disease. Your doctor can prescribe antifungal medications in the form of mouthwashes, pills, or tablets.
Mild cases of yeast infection may go away on their own. However, you should try these home remedies for yeast infection as they aim to reduce the risk factors for yeast infection and prevent the growth of Candida yeast.
Here are some of the effective natural home remedies to relieve yeast infection:
Use Boric Acid
You can try vaginal boric acid capsules as these pills effectively treat yeast infections in women. These pills are beneficial for women with recurrent infection problems.
The best way to use it is to insert a 600mg of boric acid pill in the vagina once a day for 14 days. However, before you purchase any suppositories, consult with your doctor.
When combined with antifungal flucytosine and applied topically, boric acid can work wonders and cure yeast infection and treat approximately 70 percent of women.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is full of antiseptic properties, and due to that, it can treat a yeast infection with aplomb. It is a natural healer, and if you have an oral yeast infection, rinsing your mouth with it can help you treat the infection.
This oil can kill a range of yeast and fungi and is rightly considered one of the best natural remedies for yeast infection. However, you will need to take extreme caution as it can irritate the skin and sensitive parts of the vagina.
Also Read: A Guide To Simple Health Benefits Of Essential Oils.
Salt Water
Nothing fancy and expensive – sometimes, only salt and water are enough to treat yeast infection. To treat yeast infection, rinse the area with saltwater, and you will start to see improvements. Not only oral thrush, but you can also even treat other body parts, as you can soak the infected area for several minutes, then rinse it thoroughly.
The antiseptic, cleansing and soothing properties of salt will help you deal with any kind of yeast infection and thus make it one of the most common natural home remedies for yeast infection.
To use salt water as a natural remedy for oral yeast infection:
- Combine ½ tablespoon of salt in one cup of warm water and mix them thoroughly to dissolve the salt.
- Now, swish the solution in your mouth for around 16 seconds.
- Spit it out and rinse it with warm water.
Over-the-counter Medications
This is one of the most effective treatments for any fungal infection. You will find plenty of medication available, from pills, topical creams, ointments, and suppositories for vaginal yeast infections.
You can also contact your doctor and request a prescription if you have a recurring yeast infection or when your infection is showing no improvements even after trying various treatments. However, you will need to make sure that you follow the instructions given on the label as there can be a host of different strengths and delivery methods for antifungal medications you have been prescribed.
You can purchase creams or pessaries for antifungal treatment as they are readily available without a prescription and are available to buy online, or can be found in:
- Pharmacies
- Drugstores
- Grocery stores
Treatments that involve internal application have been shown to cure more than 75% of vaginal yeast infections. Hence, if you are looking for effective home remedies for yeast infections, these OTC medications are the best options.
Add Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements can also help you with a natural solution to yeast infection. You can easily find these types of supplements in local pharmacies, health stores or can purchase them online.
Additionally, some brands of probiotic supplements offer specially formulated products that can protect and improve female reproductive health. The main aim of these products is to restore the balance of bacteria and yeast in the vagina. You can take them orally or insert them into your vagina.
According to a 2012 study, women suffering from a chronic yeast infection inserted these types of probiotic supplements into the vagina. Nearly 85% of women reported significant improvement in their vaginal yeast infection. This treatment also had a long-term effect on the yeast that causes vaginal yeast infection.
Another research suggested that lactobacilli – a type of probiotic can increase the effectiveness of antifungal medications taken by women with vaginal yeast infections.
Probiotics are lactic-acid-producing bacteria that can be naturally found in the gut, are believed to hinder the growth of Candida yeast, enhance the IBS-like intestinal symptoms and decrease the chances of yeast being transferred to the genital tract that causes vaginal yeast infection.
According to studies, taking both probiotics and antifungal medication fluconazole can greatly improve the response with less discharge from the vagina and lower presence of vaginal yeast. So, if you want to get rid of the vaginal thrush, you can use this one of the best home remedies for yeast infection.
Oregano Oil
The oregano oil is made using wild oregano, origanum vulgare, and it contains two of the most potent antifungal components – thymol and carvacrol. However, avoid purchasing oregano oil made using common oregano, origanum marjoram, as it has no unique properties.
The use of wild oregano oil can halt or hinder the growth of Candida Albicans. You can buy a capsule containing oregano oil and insert it into the vagina at night to treat vaginal yeast infection. You can also apply it on a tampon before insertion.
You can use it the same way you will use other essential oils. Add a couple of drops of this oil to a carrier agent such as coconut or olive oil, and then apply it to the affected area to deal with the yeast infection.
This oil will work wonders for you due to its antimicrobial and antifungal properties and can prove to be very effective in treating oral yeast infections as well.
To use oregano oil for mouth yeast infection:
- Add three drops of oregano oil to one cup of water.
- Now, add this water to your mouth and swish it around.
- Rinse and spit out the mixture with warm water.
Note: Never use a refined version of oregano oil orally or topically.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most used home remedies for yeast infection and many other health problems. ACV can reduce the growth and spread of the Candida Albicans, the fungus responsible for causing yeast infection.
However, ensure that you never use apple cider vinegar at full strength as it can even kill the healthy bacteria and harmful bacteria and fungi responsible for yeast infection. So, always make sure that you dilute it.
Oral yeast infection is prevalent in people who have dentures as they are hard to clean. This is the perfect environment for Candid to thrive and spread yeast infection. This type of yeast infection is often known as denture stomatitis.
According to a 2015 study, ACV is one of the best home remedies for yeast infections and people with denture stomatitis.
To use ACV:
- Fill a cup with water and add one teaspoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
- Now, pour it into your mouth and swish it in your mouth for around 10 seconds.
- Rinse and spit the mixture with warm water.
- Follow this process until oral thrush or mouth yeast infection goes away.
Along with this Apple Cider Vinegar also has many other health benefits.
Final Words
These natural home remedies for yeast infection will only help you relieve the symptoms, but they may not cure the infection. These home remedies are meant to support and not replace the prescribed antifungal medication.
