Men, women, children, the elderly, almost anyone can contract a yeast infection. Most times yeast infections are only associated with women but yeast, particularly Candida yeast, are found on the skin of every human being. When conditions on or in your body change to Candida’s ideal growing environment, the population of Candida increases in that area and you get a yeast infection. Yeast particularly like warm and moist areas to live, so areas like the mouth and inside your body are ideal yeast environments. Vaginal yeast infections, nail bed infections, skin infections, diaper rash and mouth and throat infections are the most common types of yeast infections.

For women, yeast infections are associated with the vaginal area as this area has ideal conditions for yeast growth. A vaginal yeast infection is associated with burning, itching and discharge. There are many causes of vaginal yeast infections for women that can be traced to menstruation, antibiotics, pregnancy, sperm, diabetes, steroids and birth control. All of these factors cause your vaginal are to change which in turn can promote Candida growth resulting in a yeast infection.

Individuals with weakened immune systems are also more likely to get a yeast infection. It is this type of yeast infection in which the body can’t fight that can cause death. When your immune system is weak form cancer treatment, steroids, AIDS and other diseases the yeast infection can occur anywhere in the body and infections that occur in the blood, brain, eye, kidney, heart, lungs, liver and spleen can be hard to overcome.

Systemic illness from yeast infections mainly develop in about 15% of those that have weakened immune systems. The yeast can access your blood stream from cuts and needle punctures from shots, catheters and IV drips. Candida can survive in your blood stream because your medical treatment would have killed the bacteria that would control Candida, so your body no longer has a natural defense to the yeast.

Thrush, otherwise know as an oral yeast infections is associated with have a thick, whit , lacy pattern on top of bright red patches. Scraping away the white patches may result in bleeding and quite a bit of pain. There is the danger of dehydration with thrush as it may become very painful to eat or drink.

Diaper rash and skin yeast infections occur because the outer layer of your skin is breaking down. Most of the time we do not get yeast infections on the skin because it is kept exposed and dry. However when some areas of the skin are moist, like diaper areas and in skin folds, yeast infections can occur. Skin yeast infections are red and sometimes have sharp scalloped edges and are usually associated with itching and pain.

There are three types of treatment for yeast infections, over the counter medication, holistic healing treatment and prescription medication. The type of treatment you need, will depend on the type of yeast infection you have, although natural remedies have proven to very beneficial. Also if you find that the over the counter medication isn’t working or that your yeast infection is recurring you may need more effective treatment that only a doctor can prescribe.

Those with weakened immune systems need to keep close watch of any symptoms particularly if they are already undergoing treatment for a yeast infection. You need to be vigilant and frequently consult your doctor to monitor your progress and stop any major issues from occurring.