Symptoms

Itching
Vaginal discomfort
A thick, white discharge with a ‘cottage cheese’ appearance and yeasty smell
Redness or swelling of the vagina or vulva
Splits in the genital skin
stinging or burning while urinating or during sex
Redness

What To Expect

The main symptoms of vaginal thrush are severe itching and a burning sensation in the vaginal area (vagina). In most cases, the symptoms also appear in the pubic area (vulva). They can increase before menstruation. By the way, itching is the first sign of vaginal thrush. It often occurs long before other symptoms. A characteristically altered vaginal discharge is another sign of vaginal thrush: women always have some discharge. This is often so small that it is hardly noticed. Its amount changes during the menstrual cycle. It is usually transparent to milky and odorless. An increased, crumbly-white discharge is one of the characteristic symptoms of vaginal thrush. Like the healthy discharge, it is odorless. Possible symptoms of vaginal mycosis are also pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia). If the vaginal mycosis has spread to the urethra, pain during urination (dysuria) is often added.

Made Worse By

If you want to prevent vaginal thrush, you should avoid or reduce known risk factors as far as possible. Avoid synthetic clothing and clothing that is very tight in the genital area and may even rub. Only wear underwear made of breathable materials such as cotton. This prevents heat and moisture accumulation in the genital area. Do not use plastic-coated panty liners and pads. They can also cause moisture and heat to build up in the vaginal area. Perfumed bandages are also unfavorable: The perfumes can irritate the sensitive mucous membrane and thus make it more susceptible to infections. Tampons dry out the vaginal mucosa and can thus promote vaginal thrush in sensitive women. In such cases, it can be helpful to change tampons frequently or to switch to breathable bandages (bio-bandage). Pay attention to careful but not excessive intimate hygiene. Only use lukewarm water or at most pH-neutral or slightly acidic products (syndets) to clean the genital region so as not to disturb the vaginal environment. Avoid intimate sprays and vaginal rinses. When going to the toilet you should always wipe from the front (vaginal entrance) to the back (anus). If you do it the other way round, fungi from the intestine could get into the vagina. According to some experts, this can cause a vaginal thrush infection.

How Common

It is estimated that three out of four women get a vaginal thrush at least once in their lives. The infection can occur at any age.

Diagnosed By

If there is a suspicion of vaginal thrush, a gynaecologist is the right contact person. He or she will first talk to you in detail to take your medical history (anamnesis). After the anamnesis a physical examination will take place. The doctor will proceed in the same way as for the regular gynaecological examination. A vaginal fungal infection can often be recognized by a whitish to grayish coating on the mucous membrane. If it is carefully wiped away, an inflammatory reddened vaginal mucosa is revealed. To determine which pathogens are responsible for the infection, the doctor takes a smear of the vaginal mucosa. This can be examined under a microscope. Thread-like structures in the microscopic image (so-called hyphae) indicate a fungal infection.