Male Yeast Infections
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Although they are far less common than in women, men do
get yeast infections. In males with HIV, thrush is
common, but Candida can also infect the penises of all
males.
Sources of male yeast infections
The main source of male yeast infections is sexual
transmission between heterosexual couples. Candida is
not classified as a sexually transmitted disease because
it occurs naturally in all humans. However the bacteria
is easily passed from human to human and if you or your
partner have an active infection, you need to be very
careful not to pass it on. For more information read
this yeast
infection transmission resource.
Another less common cause is prolonged antibiotic use.
The antibiotics kill good organisms in the body as well
as bad, and after some time, the bacteria that keep
Candida levels in check in the body are reduced in
number. In this way Candida levels increase to unhealthy
levels and an infection results.
Yeast infections just love sugar. For this reason, men
with diabetes are prone to get yeast infections. Someone
with type 2 diabetes may not be aware that they have it,
so if you get a male yeast infection, look for other
signs of diabetes such as thirst, and frequency of
urination, or have your blood sugar levels measured.
Symptoms of a male yeast infection
One
difficulty in diagnosing a male yeast infection, is that
there may be no symptoms at all. The most common
symptoms that do appear are:
-
irritation, soreness, or itching on the head of the
penis.
- a
discharge, usually white and with a cottage cheese
texture.
- a
reddish colour change or blisters on the penis
Reports from male readers suggest that when symptoms do
appear they can be very painful.
Treatment of a male yeast infection
Normally a visit to the doctor is required and the
usual prescription is for either Diflucan or for Nizoral.
While both are effective, the can have some nasty side
effects.
We
have heard from people who have been recommended by
doctors to try applying an OTC vaginal cream, rubbing it
on the penis, and this is usually an effective
treatment.
Pictures of a male yeast infection
Here
is a link to a medical site, where
photos of male yeast infections are available.
For
a full range of
natural cures for yeast infections, visit this
website by Jessica Ridgeway.
For
examples of natural
yeast preparations and remedies click here.
More
yeast articles
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