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Best yeast infection treatment

Which yeast infection treatments are best?

If you have any vaginal itching, burning with urination, thick, white vaginal discharge or redness around the vagina, you might have a vaginal yeast infection. The Monistat One-Day Yeast Infection Treatment is convenient, powerful and simple to use and relieves your symptoms fast.

What to know before you buy a yeast infection treatment

Cause of yeast infections

There are candida and other yeast species all around us. Also known as vaginal thrush or yeast vaginitis, vaginal yeast infections happen when too much yeast grows in the vagina and lead to irritation in the surrounding tissue. 

You might have an increased risk of developing yeast infections if you struggle to control your diabetes or you’re taking oral antibiotics. Yeast is not typically transmitted through sex, but your partner should also be examined if they have symptoms as well.

Diagnosis

The symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include pain with sex, thick, white vaginal discharge, redness around the vagina, burning with urination and vaginal itching. If you have any of these symptoms, you must see your doctor to undergo an exam and get an accurate diagnosis. Self-diagnosis, based on a history of previous infections and your symptoms, is typically wrong more than half of the time, which is why you should get an exam if you have any symptoms.

There are three ways that yeast infections can be diagnosed accurately, including DNA-based testing, a lab culture and examining vaginal fluid under a microscope.

  • Examining vaginal fluid under a microscope offers immediate results, but only finds yeast about 60% of the time when it’s present.
  • Lab culture. A skin sample from the vagina is sent to the lab, where it’s incubated for a few days. It’s then examined to identify any possible yeast. It can take up to 7 days to see results with this process.
  • DNA-based testing can be used when a lab isn’t able to incubate yeast. It’s more expensive but can accurately identify the kind of yeast that’s present.

Treatment

As long as your yeast infection is not complicated, you can treat it with either a prescription or over-the-counter antifungal yeast infection treatment, which has a success rate of about 80% to 90%. If your infection is complicated, meaning it has severe symptoms or continues coming back, is a rare strain of yeast or is present in a pregnant or diabetic patient, you will need longer treatment, including two to four rounds of oral medication or over a week of vaginal cream. 

If you have a rare type of yeast, your doctor might prescribe vaginal boric acid suppositories, which are used every night for seven to 14 days or made in a compounding pharmacy.

What to look for in a quality yeast infection treatment

Formula

Yeast infection treatments come in various formulas, including oral pills, creams and suppositories. Suppositories are usually only used for rare kinds of yeast, while creams and pills are used for less complex types of yeast.

Number of days

Yeast infection treatments come in various lengths of treatment time, including one day, three days and seven days. One-day treatments are the quickest and most convenient, but they can also be strong, which often leads to side effects.

Accessories

Many of the top treatments come with additional accessories, including applicators and itch creams.

How much you can expect to spend on a yeast infection treatment

Yeast infection treatments typically range in price from about $10-$25, depending on the quality, quantity, ingredients and formula of the treatment.

Yeast infection treatment FAQ

Can you get a prescription for a yeast infection treatment over the phone?

A. Vaginal symptoms tend to be misdiagnosed at home, so you need to see a doctor to confirm that your vaginal symptoms are caused by yeast to avoid misdiagnosis. If you have recurring yeast infections, your vulva can become easily irritated and sensitive over time, which makes it difficult to know if your symptoms are from a yeast infection or mere inflammation.

How can you prevent future yeast infections after completing treatment?

A. There are several things you can do to prevent future yeast infections. If you typically have less than four yeast infections per year, then you can prevent future infections by changing out of tight, wet clothing as soon as possible and avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use. 

If you have four or more yeast infections per year that have been proven with cultures or exams, take a weekly dose of oral medication for a full six months to prevent the recurrence of yeast infections.

Is hormonal birth control associated with yeast infections?

A. Some research has shown an increased risk of yeast infections in people using oral birth control pills, but no one has researched whether that risk falls when you stop taking the pill. Don’t stop taking your birth control method due to recurrent yeast infections until you have made an alternative pregnancy prevention plan first.

What’s the best yeast infection treatment to buy?

Top yeast infection treatment

Monistat One-Day Yeast Infection Treatment

What you need to know: Results are effective and fast for most users with this powerful yeast infection treatment by one of the most trusted brands.

What you’ll love: This product comes with an external itch relief cream and an applicator, as well as 1,200 milligrams of miconazole nitrate in just one application. The treatment is convenient, powerful and simple to use and relieves your symptoms fast.

What you should consider: This strong, one-day treatment comes with more risk of side effects than lower milligram treatments, including itching, pain and burning.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top yeast infection treatment for the money

Amazon Basic Care Miconazole 1 One-Day Treatment

What you need to know: This effective, one-day treatment comes from a lesser-known brand but will save you a few dollars.

What you’ll love: This product costs less than top brand treatments and comes with an applicator and external itch cream. The insert form is simple to use and cleaner than creams. It also provides 1,200 milligrams of miconazole nitrate, which works well for quick relief.

What you should consider: You might get itching, pain or a burning sensation because of the high level of medication in a single dose.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Monistat Three-Day Yeast Infection Treatment

What you need to know: Select this three-day treatment if you like a mild dose each time or usually get side effects after using a one-day treatment.

What you’ll love: This product is a simple-to-use ovule insert form that comes with three applicators and cream that soothes itching on the outside. This three-day treatment delivers 200 milligrams of miconazole nitrate in each dose, which makes it an ideal option for mild or moderate infections.

What you should consider: It’s possible to get side effects, including burning and pain, with this product.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

 

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Alex Kilpatrick writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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