Vaginal Yeast Infection
What is a Vaginal Yeast Infection?
At any given moment, a woman’s vaginal area is populated by both good and bad bacteria as well as various fungi. Sometimes, however, this area of the body winds up becoming imbalanced and therefore hospitable to harmful fungal infections.
Most specifically, Western medicine cites a proliferation of the fungus Candida albicans, and when this or other Candida fungi overpopulate, the vagina becomes infected and inflamed. The reason that this fungus can sometimes increase to an unhealthy level is that certain conditions in the woman’s body can promote its growth including the woman being pregnant, having diabetes, having a diminished immune function, douching, or her balance of good and bad bacteria has been disrupted by the intake of antibiotics.
When a woman has a yeast infection, she will possibly feel a variety of symptoms including itching and burning sensations, irritation, redness, pain, and either a thick, white vaginal discharge that resembles cottage cheese or a thinner, more watery discharge.
As there are women who are celibate yet still experience these infections, this condition is not considered a sexually transmitted disease; the infection can be spread, however, as a result of oral sex.
Vaginal yeast infections are very common, and are reported as affecting up to 75-percent of women at some point in their lives.
In the West, women often self-administer treatment of their vaginal yeast infections through the use of antifungal medicine in the form of creams, ointments, or orally administered tablets. More severe conditions, however, are treated with a more intense and prolonged pharmaceutical intervention. Western patients are often advised to take probiotic supplements to sustain a healthy balance of good bacteria and therefore diminish and even prevent symptoms. They are also advised to wear cotton underwear, avoid tight fitting underwear, and to stay out of particularly hot baths.
How Does Ayurveda View a Vaginal Yeast Infection?
The fundamental Ayurvedic process for resolving disease in the body is to identify the root cause of the illness and eliminate it so as to prevent further disease from taking place. When addressing a vaginal yeast infection, and yeast overgrowth in general, an Ayurvedic practitioner will identify the imbalance of the patient’s doshas and prescribe a regimen that balances it through standard practices (dosha-balancing diet, herbs, etc.). In addition, it is the goal of the practitioner to specifically help the patient to relieve her of the fungus and harmful bacteria that are specifically causing the infection. Though identifying the root cause of the ailment is a necessary step, it is also important for the vaginal yeast infection sufferer to more precisely relieve the associated symptoms.
Vata-related vaginal yeast infections are characterized by severe pain, dryness, and sticky discharges. These infections are likely to be accompanied by insomnia, constipation, and dryness of the skin.
Pitta-related vaginal yeast infections are characterized by burning sensations, irritation, redness, and foul odor. These infections are likely to be accompanied by sweating, hyperacidity, and a general feeling of heat in the body.
Kapha-related vaginal yeast infections are characterized by itching sensations and excessive amounts of white mucus discharges. These infections are likely to be accompanied by respiratory congestion and feelings of lethargy.
How Does Ayurveda Treat a Vaginal Yeast Infection?
Along with balancing whichever dosha is imbalanced as defined by the patient’s symptoms through a dosha-balancing diet, herbs, and other therapies, an Ayurvedic practitioner will treat the vaginal yeast infection sufferer by prescribing her remedies specific to symptoms associated with the infection. These remedies will include herbal douches that act as a natural antiseptic in relieving the vaginal area of infection as well as other methods.
Use the essential oils of lavender, oregano, tea tree, or cinnamon bark for an herbal douche. Mix one drop of oil to half a cup of water. Boil the water and then let it cool before mixing with the oil and using it.
If there is a burning sensation from the douche, increase the amount of water relative to the drop of oil. Ultimately, these proportions will be unique to the individual and will depend on the thickness or sensitivity of the vagina’s inner lining. The douche can be administered with a ‘douche flush’ bought from a pharmacy.
The goldenseal herb can also be used for a douche. Prepare the goldenseal as if making tea with it. Let it cool and use it as a douche. Use one tea bag for one cup of water.
Lifestyle Changes for Vaginal Yeast Infection
When we neglect to establish the root cause of one illness, it can turn into another, stronger illness in the future. The first step in resolving a specific ailment or disease in the body is to assess the nature of our lifestyle and make general modifications. Living our day-to-day life with a deliberate intention to improve our health will help us to both resolve the disease we are suffering from and prevent further incidence of it and other diseases in the future. Regardless of the medical system used, it is ideal to minimize the number of stimuli that may create a stress in someone and then enhance well-being through an Ayurvedic lifestyle. The following list of tasks can help to generally treat vaginal yeast infections as well as balance each of the three doshas as based on the nature of the infection’s symptoms:
General
- Conduct an herbal douche with either goldenseal or witch hazel, both of which have antiseptic properties. Make tea with either herb, allow the tea to cool to room temperature, and administer with a standard douching device.
- Take acidophilus tablets daily.
- Avoid products with yeast as an ingredient, refined sugars, white bread, dairy, sweet fruit, and raw foods.
Vata
- Favor nourishing foods such as white basmati rice, barley, and cooked vegetables.
- Apply ghee to foods and mix the ghee with a pinch of ginger, licorice, black salt, and/or triphala.
- Take a tablespoon of ghee or sesame oil with half a cup of warm water.
- Obey all urges to move bowels as soon as possible.
- Avoid dry foods such as chips, cold cereals, cookies, crackers, granola, and nutrition bars.
- If possible try to get into a squat when defecating so as to emulate a more natural position for passing stool. This would mean the feet would need to be lifted onto the rim of the toilet.
- Enlist the help of an Ayurvedic practitioner to administer oil enemas and other treatments so as to stimulate the functionality of the colon.
- Create more stillness through the practicing of calming yoga postures.
- Avoid being in the wind.
- Avoid excessive movements through strenuous exercises
- Avoid over thinking or talking.
- Favor sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
- Favor calm and peaceful television or reading material, which brings harmonious thoughts to the mind.
- Avoid excessive travel.
- Avoid continuous hours of computer or cell phone use.
- Take many breaks from these machines.
- Avoid excessive amounts of sex.
- Favor showers over taking a baths.
Pitta
- Avoid eating spicy, hot, sour, and greasy foods.
Avoid using too many hot spices such as garlic, hot peppers, and onions. - Avoid drinking alcohol and other stimulants.
- Avoid frequent, continuous, and excessive amounts of eating.
- Avoid eating fewer than three or four hours before going to bed.
- If the body is strong, take 1 teaspoon of castor oil in a cup of warm water, or adjust the amount to be more or less as needed. This is a good purgation to relieve excess heat from the system. (This is best to do before bedtime or in the early morning, but not if you have to leave the house within 3 hours.)
- Avoid laborious movements, lifting large objects, and aggressive exercise.
- Avoid speaking too much and emotionally investing in too many conflicts.
- Avoid the hot sun and letting it shine directly on the head and body.
- Avoid too many selfish and self-indulgent thoughts.
- Avoid excessive amounts of sex.
- Use the cell phone and computer sparingly.
Kapha
- Wake at the time of Vata, which is before 6am. This early activity will help dry up the mucus.
- Eat light foods and soups to help purge congestion in the body.
- Follow eating with a half cup of hot water.
- Keep meals to once or twice a day, without snacking. This will quickly relieve the body of excess food to digest and bring it back into balance.
- Take light walks and stretch the body daily so that it can release the excess, stagnant Kapha energy.
- Avoid eating dinner as it will create more mucus in the system as food remains undigested until the early morning.
- Avoid heavy foods and drinks at night, which will create more stress on the digestive fire.
- Avoid food until later in the morning, after 10am. This will help digestion become stronger.
- Avoid sitting around too much, which will make the body stiff.
- Avoid being out in heavy, rainy weather.
- Avoid sleeping in excess.
- Avoid too many emotional moments and thoughts that bring on attachments.
- Favor creative and inspirational reading or television, as it will bring a sense of movement to the mind.
Better Foods For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
Ayurveda teaches us that disease and sickness are derived from poor digestion and inappropriate food choices. We then have the opportunity to make deliberate and more conscious decisions as to what foods we do and do not put in our body which increases the chance of resolving the body’s imbalance.
Food needs to be in season, in moderate combinations of one or two food groups, not too hot or cold, in a modest enough quantity to allow for room in the stomach later, consumed without too much liquid which hinders digestive power, and should be fresh and not left over for more than a few hours. The general intention of responding to vaginal yeast infections with food is to eat items that help to reduce the aggravation of whatever dosha is manifesting in associated symptoms (constipation for Vata, etc.).
Ghee
Berries
Apricots
Figs(Fresh)
Peaches
Plums
Carrots
Beets
Zucchini
Sweet potatoes
Asparagus
Whole wheat (unbleached)
Rice (white basmati)
Mung beans
Ghee
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Asparagus
Barley
Oats (cooked)
Rice (white basmati)
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Prunes
Raisins
Cherries
Pomegranates
Figs(Dry)
Radishes
Onions
Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts
Vegetable soup
Barley
Millet
Ghee
Mustard oil
Foods To AVOID In Response To a Vaginal Yeast Infection
While some foods can help to balance an aggravated dosha, other foods can cause further imbalance. Dry and cold foods as well as pungent, bitter and astringent tastes will dry out the body and aggravate the Vata dosha. Sour, salty and pungent tastes as well as spicy foods will add more heat to the body and aggravate the Pitta dosha. Sweet, sour and salty tasting foods will add heaviness to the body and aggravate the Kapha dosha.
The following foods are organized generally and by dosha and should be avoided in response to whichever type of symptoms manifest along with the vaginal yeast infection:
General (avoided by all sufferers)
Sweet
Dairy
Foods with yeast
Raw foods
Apples
Pears
Watermelon
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Celery
Eggplant
Corn
Oats (dry)
Barley
Raw and cold foods
Most legumes including green lentils and garbanzo beans
Grapefruit
Bananas
Cherries
Pineapple
Tomatoes
Garlic
Carrots
Spinach
Rice (brown)
Corn
Nuts
Lentils
Corn oil
Almond oil
Spicy foods
Salt
Meat
Sour foods (like yogurt, sour cream, and pickles)
Bananas
Melons
Papayas
Avocado
Plums
Sweet potatoes
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Wheat
Rice
Nuts
Seeds
Sweets and candies
Allergy-causing foods
Cold foods
Beverages For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
Generally, Ayurveda discourages the consumption of too many cold beverages, as doing so hinders the strength of the body’s digestive fire. Instead, favors room temperature or hot beverages to encourage the strength of the digestive fire.
Hot water, especially during meals and first thing in the morning.
Avoid cold and frozen drinks.
Avoid sugary or fizzy drinks that blend with the digestive juice and make it weak.
Avoid alcohol, coffee, and black tea.
Avoid fruit juice from concentrate.
Herbal tea of ginger, pippali, trikatu, and triphala.
Herbal tea of coriander, fennel, and turmeric.
Herbal tea of cardamom, ginger, trikatu, and triphala.
Herbs For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
Herbs are used in the Ayurvedic system much like Western medicine utilizes drugs and vitamins and can be taken like tea 2 to 3 times a day. Herbs aid in the digestion of food, the breakdown and elimination of toxins, and help to strengthen the cellular structure of our system for greater vitality. Herbs become more potent once mixed with other herbs of similar properties. Mix together 2 to 4 different herbs from the below list by adding a quarter to a half teaspoon full of each, for a total of 1 teaspoon. Drink these in half cup of hot water.
Ginger
Triphala
Trikatu
Pippali
Mugwort
Prickly ash
Vidanga (for only one or two weeks)
Musta (for only one or two weeks)
Coriander
Fennel
Turmeric
Musta
Pippali
Golden seal
Witch hazel
Cardamom
Ginger
Triphala
Trikatu
Golden seal
Mugwort
Prickly ash
Musta
Witch hazel
Yoga Postures For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
When applied therapeutically to specific ailments, yoga postures provide an opportunity to strengthen the body, rid it of toxic matter, and restore balance. The postures included in this section can be practiced as part of a more general sequence or can be focused on in short sessions. When first exploring yoga postures, it is best to only practice them for twenty minutes or so per day and buildup from there once the body becomes more flexible.
Camel
Bridge
Plough
Shoulder stand
Knee to chest
Corpse
Easy seat
Cobra
Bridge
Shoulder stand
Knee to chest
Fish
Corpse
Hero
Boat
Bridge
Plough
Shoulder stand
Forward bend
Fish
Easy seat
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Aromatherapy For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
Aromatherapy utilizes the fragrances of essential oils when applied to the skin. Essential oils can burn the skin and therefore must be diluted with a base oil such as sesame, coconut, sunflower, canola, or mustard oil. Mix 1 fluid ounce of base oil with about 12 drops of essential oil before applying to skin. You can also just mix 5 drops of base oil to one drop of essential oil if using on one spot.
Vata-related vaginal yeast infections can be treated with basil, camphor, cedar, eucalyptus, frankincense, ginger, lavender, lily, lotus, musk, myrrh, patchouli, sandalwood, or cinnamon oil.
- Use a sesame oil base.
- Apply oil on the forehead or on the back of the neck.
Pitta-related vaginal yeast infections can be treated with sandalwood, tea tree, rose, honeysuckle, gardenia, lily, iris, mint, or lavender oil.
- Use a coconut or sunflower oil base.
- Apply oil in the center of the chest in front of the heart.
Kapha-related vaginal yeast infections can be treated with cinnamon, eucalyptus, sage, basil, musk, cedar, frankincense, or myrrh oil.
- Use a canola or mustard oil base.
- Apply oil on the skin between the navel and pubic bone.
Mantra Therapy For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
Ayurvedic tradition suggests that repeating certain words or sounds can help a person suffering from an ailment to restore subtle balance to nerve tissue and enhance one’s mental clarity. Different sounds are prescribed to either repeat mentally or chant outwardly. These sounds are also used and repeated in the mind for the purpose of spiritual growth.
For Vata-related vaginal yeast infections, repeat the syllable “Ram” (pronounced rahm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Vata-related disorder, it is helpful to inwardly repeat this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
For Pitta-related vaginal yeast infections, repeat the syllable “Aum” (pronounced ohm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Pitta-related disorder, it is helpful to both outward chant and inwardly repeat this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
For Kapha-related vaginal yeast infections, repeat the syllable “Ham” (pronounced hahm) for several minutes a few times a day and build more practice over time.
As a Kapha-related disorder, it is helpful to outwardly chant this syllable for the duration of time it is practiced.
Breathing Practices For a Vaginal Yeast Infection
Controlling the breath is a central practice toward developing peace and stillness in the mind and body. When the breath is under our control, we are no longer at the mercy of the senses that are stimulated by everything and lead to greater fluctuations of the mind. When applied to the context of resolving specific ailments, the breath is used as a tool for developing lung capacity, heating and cooling the body and resolving mental afflictions like anxiety and stress.
All Doshas
Vata
Pitta
Kapha