How To Cure A Yeast Infection At Home

When you get a yeast infection, you often want the quickest treatment possible. It’s completely understandable. The itchy feeling down there is never comfortable. You also usually want to be able to cure it at home without visiting your doctor. So can you use home remedies for a yeast infection?

The good news is there are a lot of options at your fingertips. You may not have to visit your doctor, especially if you’re pretty familiar with the symptoms at this point. Here are some ways you can treat your yeast infection at home.

Effective Home Remedies For Yeast Infections 

We hear you—they are annoying, uncomfortable, and just another thing you must deal with as a woman. Learning how to identify your yeast infection and when you can treat it at home is important. 

Here are some top natural at-home remedies that you can try to get that yeast infection gone in the snap of your fingers!

Apple Cider Vinegar 

The most prominent strain that causes yeast infections is candida albicans. Apple cider vinegar has been found to inhibit the growth of this particular strain. To use this as a natural remedy for your yeast infection, run a bath and add a half cup of apple cider vinegar to it and soak in the bath for a minimum of 20-minutes. 

Keep in mind: You should NEVER use apple cider vinegar at full strength. Due to its ability to kill bacteria and fungi, it can harm the healthy bacteria in your body as well. 

Dilute the apple cider vinegar prior to using it. 

Additionally, VeeGentle pH Balancing Wash has apple cider vinegar as a main ingredient. It’s diluted at the perfect strength to provide all of its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and pH-balancing properties. You can use it as a great option to maintain your vaginal health.

Boric Acid 

Boric acid vaginal suppositories are an excellent remedy for yeast infections. They can be used to treat recurrent and hard to treat yeast infections by reducing and controlling yeast. Boric acid can be rather potent, so mild treatments should be used first before increasing the frequency in which you use them. 

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has natural fungus-fighting properties that can help inhibit that candida bacteria. Remember, that is the cause of most yeast infections. Simply add coconut oil to the affected area for this remedy for your yeast infection. 

Garlic 

Garlic and garlic-oil are well known for being antifungal agents and are especially effective against candida albicans. Traditional approaches advise inserting a garlic clove directly into your vagina.  However, you should really avoid placing anything like this directly into your vagina. A less invasive, much safer approach could be to simply up your garlic intake in foods.

Oregano Oil 

Oregano oil has been shown to inhibit the growth of candida albicans. If you decide to try oregano oil for your yeast infection, use a couple of drops in a carrier agent. (Coconut oil or olive oil are great options.) Apply it directly to the affected area, but NEVER ingest it!

Probiotics 

Probiotics can help with BV (bacterial vaginosis), UTIs, and yeast infections. All probiotics contain live bacteria that help develop a healthy balance of bacteria in your vagina. 

Probiotic supplements can be purchased online or in stores and are oral supplements. Eating a probiotic yogurt can also help increase your probiotic intake. You can also actually apply yogurt topically to your vaginal area. Just make sure to use unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt. Sugary yogurt can actually feed the yeast and make your infection worse.

Tea Tree Oil 

This is an essential oil that has antifungal properties that have been claimed to cure yeast infections. What the tea tree oil does is kill the cell walls and membranes of the yeast. Just a few drops of tea tree oil with your choice of carrier oil can be used on the body, or tea tree oil suppositories are an option as well. 

Not So Effective Home Remedies

While there are plenty of natural solutions that actually work there are also quite a few natural solutions that don’t. Here is a list of what you shouldn’t be trying when it comes to treating a yeast infection at home.

Cranberry Juice or Pills

This one isn’t actually bad–it’s just not for yeast infections. It’s best geared towards urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice has been found to be a huge aid in alleviating urinary tract infection. Cranberry juice and pills are high in vitamin C which can also help aid in preventing infections. 

Douching

While over-the-counter douches were once popular, most are finding that they’re no longer an ideal solution. Many doctors recommend that women do not douche because it can lead to increased infections. This even includes increasing your risk of contracting an STI.

Hydrogen Peroxide 

This strong antiseptic has been known to kill yeast, however, it has not been specifically studied on vaginal infection strains of yeast, so you’re probably better off not trying to play scientist!

Want to ditch yeast infections? Prevention is key! 

If you are browsing and looking for remedies for your yeast infection, we have shared quite a bit. However, once you have taken care of it, it is time to start thinking of prevention. 

Let’s be honest, you do not want another one of those infections creeping up on you again. 

So, what is the easiest way of preventing yeast infections? 

• – Good hygiene—it matters. Wash often, wash well, and keep your lady parts clean! (Pro tip: Using a pH balancing feminine wash can do wonders.)
• – Wear the right clothes—we like to suggest loose fitted, cotton clothing. 
• – Avoid douching, it generally does more harm than good.
• – Avoid artificially scented washes and bath products.
• – Maintain a balanced diet, proper sleep, and regular exercise.
• – Keep your vagina clean and dry.

You should also be mindful of risk factors for yeast infections. Now that we know how to quickly cure a yeast infection, we want to do what we can to keep them from coming back. 

Consider these risk factors and how you can avoid them:

• – Things that alter your hormones—pregnancy, birth control pills, estrogen therapy. They aren’t bad, but you should be working with your doctor to reduce yeast infection risks while using these things.
• – Obesity is a risk. This is mostly because obesity is linked to diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can increase the number of yeast infections you have. Work with your doctor to maintain a healthy blood sugar level and weight, especially if you’re diabetic.
• Tightfitting and synthetic clothing.

Do home remedies actually work for yeast infections?

The biggest problem is that self-diagnosis is often inaccurate. This is especially true if you have never had a yeast infection before. If you are unsure about your symptoms, or if this is the first time you’ve had symptoms, work with your doctor first.

However, there is no reason that you cannot talk through your home remedies with your healthcare professional. Many doctors are embracing natural methods. They know kmany people are increasingly cautious about the ingredients they put in and on their bodies.

While there may be no hard evidence to support every home remedy out there, home remedies do work. Many are safe to use and will help with yeast infections. Just make sure you’re using options that are good for your vaginal health. The remedies discussed here will help make sure you’re avoiding any remedies that will do more harm than good.