Vaginal Garlic For Yeast Infections? Here’s What Really Works

Traditionally garlic was thought to have many properties. Usually it is the species Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and from antiquity was heralded as a prophylactic as well as therapeutic medicine. Using Garlic suppositories placed in the vagina, although commonly recommended, doesn’t work for treating yeast infections. Dietary imbalances can predispose you to yeast infections. However, you can’t always eat your way to a clean vagina either. Even if your daily diet consumes high amounts of garlic, not much gluten, or sugar (all good general strategies), the rate of yeast infections are not really changed.. Dairy poor diets really haven’t changed the rate of yeast infection in most women.

If you have struggled with chronic yeast infections there are a few new options you may want to consider: a new improved probiotic medication and a new antibiotic medication. It is good news for these patients as they typically try many medications and the good news is that they have brought back a sulfonamide cream for chronic yeast.

One in 20 women with a yeast infection will develop chronic and recurrent infections. As our prior post said: gynos define recurrent and chronic as more than 4 a year. We want to help you avoid these.

Most yeast infections are due to pesky and pervasive Candida albicans. Some experts say albicans are 95% of those infections we see, others knock that percentage down to only 75%. And random healthy women sampling find that 25% of those women walking into any office at any time will culture positive for yeast. So you may harbor yeast and it’s important to try to avoid yeast colonization from becoming a yeast infection.

If you try to self diagnose, you’re probably right somewhere between 1/3 and 50% of the time.

So if your symptoms don’t resolve promptly with your over the counter treatment of choice, inaccurate diagnosis or co infection with bacteria can be the culprit as often as inaccurate treatment. I like to point out that hormone levels and cycles are related to the numbers of infections. Women are more likely to get yeast infections in the second half of the menstrual cycle, when estrogen is lower, and progesterone is more dominant.

Douching doesn’t cause yeast infections. In some studies receptive oral sex causes more yeast infections, and in some studies not, but few studies really culture the partner’s mouths!

What works the best is overall healthy pH balance. And your own body’s pH balancing nature is the best. So avoid unnecessary antibiotics, treat any actual infections promptly, and stay well hydrated!

For more information, see us for a gyno check at Women’s Health Practice.