What are the symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection? The root cause of a yeast (or candida) infection is from excessive yeast levels in the body.
While yeast infections can be in many places, the most common is in the vaginal area.
Approximately 75% of all women experience a candida infection at one point in her life - there are also many that experince chronic or recurring yeast infections.
This article will describe the signs and symptoms of a yeast infection of the vagina.
Usually, the first thing that a woman will notice is itching in the genital area.
The itching is caused by a yeast rash which looks red and has raised bumps.
And - even with the itching - if a woman does scratch the area that is causing the discomfort, the scratching does not help - it actually can make the rash and infection more irritated.
This rash can be found outside of the lips of the vagina, however it can also spread into the inner vaginal lips and further into the opening of the vagina.
Many women also have a white cheesy discharge and odor as symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection.
The discharge can have the look of cottage cheese and the smell can be very fishy (and despite attempts at proper hygiene , the smell does not go away).
The discharge can be fairly constant - with the woman needing to wear a sanitary pad to keep her underwear (and outer garments) from becoming wet and stained.
Painful and uncomfortable signs and symptoms of candida include burning, redness and swelling in the vulva area.
Women can also experience pain and soreness when having sexual intercourse or urinating.
In severe cases of a vaginal candida infection, painful sores, blisters and lesions can appear - and if the case is extreme, bleeding can also occur.