Before using any over-the-counter medicine to treat a yeast infection, see your doctor or OB/GYN to confirm the diagnosis. They will likely do a physical exam and ask you questions about your health history. They will rule out other causes of vaginal discomfort before diagnosing a yeast infection. They can also advise you on how long to use boric acid and warn you of any health effects. Alternate treatments may be more effective for you based on your personal health history. Your doctor can give you a prescription to take to your pharmacy to have capsules made. When you go to your doctor, be ready to discuss the history of your symptoms and how they have evolved, including how many yeast infections you've had in the past and what is similar and different this time. If you decide not to make your own boric acid capsules you should be able to get them from your pharmacy. The pharmacy will have to make them because they're not currently sold pre-made. Call in advance to ask, because some pharmacies will not make them. If necessary, call around to find a pharmacy able and willing to help. It will help to tell them what you intend to use it for, so they don't think you're trying to poison someone! Boric acid is also used to kill rats. properly. Wash your hands and the outside of your vagina using mild soap and water just before bedtime. Lie down on your back and gently bend your knees with your legs slightly apart. Use your finger or an applicator to insert the boric acid suppository as far up into your vagina as it will comfortably go. Wait several minutes for the suppository to dissolve before sitting or standing up, or just thoroughly wash your hands then go directly to sleep. If you're using a reusable applicator, clean it as directed by the manufacturer. Otherwise, throw it away. If it's hard for you to insert the suppository while lying down, try standing with one foot propped up on the edge of the bathtub or a chair. It's normal to have some discharge when using suppositories. Wear a panty liner to bed to avoid staining your underwear. To get rid of a current yeast infection, insert one-two suppositories per day for two weeks, based on the instructions from your doctor. One should be inserted before bed. Do not use them for longer than two weeks. The first time you use this method, it's best to consult with your doctor or OB/GYN. After you treat the yeast infection you currently have, use boric acid to prevent future infections. Use one suppository two nights out of the week for instance, every Tuesday and every Friday. Do this for 6-12 months, or as long as your doctor recommends. Boric acid is good at killing both fungus and bacteria, so consider taking a probiotic daily while you're using boric acid suppositories to help promote "healthy" bacteria in your vagina. You can get probiotic capsules at the pharmacy, or eat yogurt with "live cultures." You can alternate using lactobacillus acidophilus suppositories during the day and boric acid at night.

Summary: Talk to your doctor before using any treatment. Get the capsules made at your local pharmacy. Insert the suppository Do 14 days of treatment to cure a yeast infection. Prevent recurring infections with biweekly use. Take a probiotic during your treatment.

Mind and heart don't have to be mutually exclusive. That is, you can find ways to make them work together. Start with your values. The heart often speaks to a sense of deep-seated values that don't always get included in your rational thought process. The reconciliation starts here. You need to be able to identify what your deepest values are and let them guide your rational thought. Try to deconstruct your values, if you have never really thought about it before. How were you raised? Ask yourself what values your parents emphasized wealth, education, status, appearance? Were you rewarded for high achievement in school, for instance? How do you live now? You should be able to see how your values have shaped your life. Do you live in the city, the suburbs, or the country? What led you there? What do you do for a living? Someone who teaches probably values money less than someone who is a banker. On the other hand, a banker may put less importance on education than a teacher. What do you spend your money on? This more than anything else says a lot about what values drive your behavior. Do you spend money on cars? Travel? Clothing? Or perhaps the arts and charity? The aim of thinking in terms of your values is not to tame your rational mind, but to work with it. Since values usually lie behind your heart, you should try to harness them and use them within your rational thought process. Who should you marry? Where should you work? These are things that need rational consideration, but that should also align closely with your most cherished values. Gain as much information as you can about choices. What is the probable benefit of a decision? Will it be something you'll ever regret? Your rational mind and heart may be giving you conflicting thoughts about a decision, and you will need to seek out all possible detail and evaluate it. Identify problems: what might go wrong? Say that you are thinking of getting married and really want children. However, your girlfriend has said she isn't interested in having a family. While your rational mind may say that you love her, you should also listen to your heart and recognize that the importance you place on family does not align with her values. Explore options: think carefully about what's best for you. Sometimes, your first intuition will be right. However, at other times your heart needs to be balanced with a rational decision. One way to help you come to a good decision is to consider the problem in terms of your highest values. How do the possible solutions relate to your values? You may have to make a map of your values going from most important to least in order to see where they land in your personal hierarchy. Back to the problem of marriage. If family is a make-or-break issue for you, marrying someone who doesn't want children could be a disaster, even if you love her. But if you value close bonds with your partner more than having children, there might be room to negotiate. It seems strange, right? Thinking rationally about the heart? Just remember that the two are not contradictory. You only have to learn to listen to your heart and discover what lies behind it. Think carefully and let your values play a big role in decision-making, but do so rationally. Make choices that best serve your values and that prioritize the ones that are most important to you. Keep practicing. Eventually, you'll start to find personal power in your decisions and create a marriage of your heart and mind. By listening to your heart, you can train your mind to work in harmony with it.
Summary: Identify your core values. Think about decisions in terms of your values. Consider your highest values before deciding. Make a decision based on a rational look at your intuitive values.