Vaginal yeast infections are caused by a fungus called Candida albicans . Yeast infections can be very uncomfortable, but are usually not serious. Half of all women have more than one infection in their lives. If you have symptoms of a yeast infection, your doctor will probably want to talk to you about your symptoms and examine you to make sure a yeast infection is the cause.
Yeast are tiny organisms that normally live in small numbers on the skin and inside the vagina.
The acidic environment of the vagina helps keep yeast from growing. If the vagina becomes less acidic, too many yeast can grow and cause a vaginal infection. Moisture and irritation of the vagina also seem to encourage yeast to grow. Yeast infections are usually treated with medicine that you put into your vagina. This medicine may be a cream that you insert in your vagina with a special applicator, or it may be a suppository that you put into your vagina and allow to dissolve on its own.