3 out of 4 women experience a yeast infection at some point in their lifetime.
Yeast is a type of microbe that lives on your skin and genitals and in your mouth and intestines. Vaginal yeast infections are very common and they are caused by a type of fungus called Candida.
Usually, small amounts of this microbe can be found in the vagina. But in normal circumstances, there is a good balance of bacteria and yeast in the vagina. However, due to several reasons, yeast may grow out of control and result in yeast infection also known as candidiasis.
There are a number of at-home tests that can help you identify yeast infections. In this blog, I will be telling you How to use Yeast Infection Home-Test Kit? But if this is the first time, or you are having severe symptoms, then you must consult a doctor immediately.
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Should you try a yeast infection home test?
You can try the yeast infection home test kit that’s easily available in commercial pharmacies. If you have prior experience with a yeast infection, then it becomes easy for you to understand the symptoms, but if this is your first time experiencing such symptoms, then you may consider consulting a doctor.
Common symptoms of yeast infection
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Painful urination
- Painful sex
- Itching or irritation in your genital area
- Vaginal pain, redness, and swelling
How to use Yeast Infection Home-Test Kit?
At-home yeast infection test is a very easy and accurate way to detect an infection. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Wash your hands and dry them well.
- Open the test kit and take out one vaginal pH test strip and the swabbing tool.
- Take the swab and gently insert it into your vagina up to about 2 inches inside.
- Rub it against your vaginal wall and slowly rotate it to collect the samples.
- Slowly remove the swab from your vagina and smear it on the pH test strip.
- Rub it several times until the color on the test area starts to change.
- Wait for 30 seconds and compare the colour on the test area to the colour chart on the test kit.
- You will get an idea of your vaginal pH levels and know if you are dealing with an infection.
Ideally, the pH value of your vagina should range between 3.8 to 4.4. This is moderately acidic. But if your vaginal pH is more than 4.4 and you are experiencing any of the symptoms of yeast infection then you must consult a doctor.
Benefits of At-Home Vaginal Yeast Test
Privacy and convenience: At-home yeast test kits allow you to test at your home giving you complete privacy.
Easy sample collection: You can easily collect the sample using a swab that’s present in the tool kit.
Low Cost: The at-home yeast infection test kit comes at a low cost which makes it very affordable for you to conduct a quick test.
Treating a Yeast Infection at Home
Yeast infection is a very common problem that can be diagnosed and treated easily at home.
The first step to treating yeast infections at home is by following good hygiene practices. Wipe your genitals from front to back always and dry off completely before wearing your panties. Wear cotton panties and loose-fitting clothes.
You can also apply coconut oil to your vagina to ease the itchiness and irritation. Another effective remedy for yeast infection is apple cider vinegar. Add half a cup of apple cider vinegar to the lukewarm bathtub and soak for 20 minutes. In addition to this, you can add garlic to your diet.
Precautions and considerations
While taking a yeast infection test is harmless, you should not consider the test results as a diagnosis of yeast infection. Since the infection test kit only tells about the pH balance of your vagina, it does not directly indicate a yeast infection. Your vaginal pH balance can be influenced by a number of factors. Also, many symptoms of vaginal yeast infection are the same as that of STDs.
So, even if you do the test, do not start any medicines without consulting a doctor.
It’s very important to take all your medicines as prescribed. Usually, yeast infections get better after a few days or weeks of treatment. But at times, it may need months to treat severe infections.
Also read: Home remedies for white discharge
Your Takeaway
If you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms of yeast infection, then you may conduct an at-home yeast infection test. This will help you understand a change in the pH levels of your vagina.
You can try natural home remedies to treat mild cases of yeast infections. But for severe cases, you must go for prescription medication only.
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