Yeast is a fungus that is almost present everywhere—or ubiquitous. In fact, you will also find yeast growing inside the human body. The most common yeast that is present in humans is the Candida albicans. When this yeast multiplies to larger proportions and becomes highly infectious, the infection is called as Candidiasis. The Candida albicans fungus is commonly found in the following areas of the human body:

o    Genital areas such as the vagina

o    Mouth

o    Digestive or the gastrointestinal tract

There are many reasons for the spread of the Candida yeast infections. One of the main reasons is the weak immune system. Other reasons include: use of antibiotics, exposure to cancer drugs, and bad personal hygiene. Candida yeast infections must not be taken lightly as there are certain possibilities that the infection can spread to other parts of the body—including the kidneys. Both men and women are prone to the Candida yeast infections and can affect humans during any phase of the life cycle.

Very often it is seen that the older people get the oral form of the Candida yeast infections, which is called as oral Candidiasis. The oral yeast infection is also called as thrush. As we all know that prevention is better than cure, you must take good care of your body especially the moist parts of your body. Keeping the moisture away will ensure minimum possibility of the Candida yeast infections.

If you are suffering from diabetes, then you are also prone to Candida yeast infection. So, you may need to keep the blood sugar levels under control to keep yourself away from Candida yeast infection. There are various ways for the yeast infection treatments and you may even get confused to select the best one for you and your body type. Most over-the-counter yeast infection medications are considered to be the best way of killing the Candida yeast infection. Most over-the-counter yeast infection medications are available as anti-fungal creams.

There are one or more active ingredients that may be present in these anti-fungal creams. Some of the active ingredients are clotrimazole or miconazole. Most of these over-the-counter anti-fungal creams have to be applied two times in a day for approximately 10 to 14 days. During the treatment of over-the-counter anti-fungal medications, you may have to refrain from sexual activity such as sexual intercourse. Candida yeast infection is highly contagious and during a sexual intercourse, the infection can spread from an infected person to a healthy person.

If the symptoms of the Candida yeast infection are persistent even after the use of over-the-counter medications, then without losing any time, you need to seek medical advice. The best person to give you advice on the Candida yeast infection is the doctor or a medical professional. Most of the times, the doctor or medical professional may prescribe oral anti-fungal medications. Before prescribing the oral anti-fungal medications, the doctor may ask if you are pregnant. He reason why the doctor asks this question is because there are some anti-fungal medications that can harm the fetus.

Common oral anti-fungal medications are Ketoconazole (Nizoral), Fluconazole (Diflucan), and Itraconazole (Sporanox). Nizoral is available in the form of tablets and is very effective in curing the yeast infection, including oral thrush. You need to be a little patient with this medication as it may take anywhere between several days to a couple of months too. Like all the other anti-fungal medications, there are side effects of Nizoral. Some of the common side effects of Nizoral are dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, skin rash, sensitivity to light, dry mouth, and in some extreme cases sexual impotency.

It often advised that you must not take Nizoral for longer durations because it may have adverse effects on the liver and some other organs of the body. When you are taking Nizoral, you need to make sure that you drink plenty of water and other fluids. This will prevent the symptoms of dry mouth and abdominal pains. When you are taking the Nizoral oral anti-fungal pills, you need to avoid the consumption of antacids. These antacids reduce the quantity of acids in the stomach, which reduces the effectiveness of the Nizoral drug.