Everything You Need to Know About Candida Albicans
Thrush Treatment: A Gynaecologist Answers Your 5 Most Googled Questions
Has My Daughter Got Thrush?
Little girls are prone to getting infections with the fungus Candida (otherwise known as thrush) in their vulva particularly in hot weather or after a course of antibiotics. Your daughter's itchy soreness may be a result of this.
However other problems can also cause similar symptoms - she may have a urine infection which is burning her when she passes urine, the skin of her vulva may be infected with the same bug that causes sore throats (the beta haemolytic streptococcus), she may have diabetes and be passing urine containing sugar which makes thrush a persistent problem, she may have eczema of the skin in her vulva.
She has already been seen by several doctors, but the important thing is to find out if she has had the following tests:
1 A urine test sent to the laboratory to check for infection.
2 A swab test of her vulva sent to the laboratory to see if it is infected with Candida (thrush), the beta haemolytic streptococcus bacterium or another infection.
3 A urine dipstick test by the doctor to make sure there is no sugar in her urine.
If she turns out to have a urine infection this will need treatment with antibiotics and referral to a paediatrician for further tests to make sure her kidneys and urinary system are normal.
If the vulval swab grows thrush you will need to apply an anti-fungal cream to her vulva 2-3 times a day for at least two weeks and follow the advice you have already been given about not washing with soap (use aqueous cream instead). Also encourage her to eat more live yoghurt or milk products containing lactobacilli as these produce lactic acid which discourages the growth of candida.
If her vulval swab grows the streptococcus she will need treatment with penicillin or a similar antibiotic for at least ten days to eliminate the organism.
If her urine contains sugar your doctor will arrange a blood test to check if she is diabetic. This last possibility is unlikely but should not be missed.
We recommend readers seek personal medical attention in appropriate circumstances
{"status":"error","code":"499","payload":"Asset id not found: readcomments comments with assetId=76919, assetTypeId=1"}Gynaecologist Warns Of Common Condition Which Is Often Misdiagnosed As Thrush
A gynaecologist has warned women there's a common condition often that is confused with thrush, and when the treatment is administered, it doesn't shift the symptoms
Sometimes, the condition can be mistaken for thrush (Stock Image) (Image: Getty Images)
Intimate health is important to everyone, and women rely heavily on sexual health professionals and gynaecologists to check for certain conditions and to help diagnose things.
But a gynaecologist has warned that there's a health condition that many women haven't heard of, and it may be misdiagnosed as thrush because of the similar symptoms - but when the thrush treatment doesn't work, it becomes more obvious there's something else wrong.
Dr Susanna Unsworth, resident gynaecologist for INTIMINA spoke to The Metro, to explain that a lesser-known condition is called genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), and it used to be called vaginal atrophy.
"This is what occurs when there is a loss of oestrogen - such as at menopause, but sometimes seen around pregnancy and with some hormonal contraception too", she explained, saying that it's a chronic and progressive condition of the vulva, vagina and lower urinary tract, but doctors often label it as a yeast infection.
Women will then be sent away and told to get treatment for thrush, but their symptoms just don't get better - because it isn't thrush they're experiencing.
Symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic, include:
Dr Unsworth explained that thrush treatment or UTI (urine infection) antibiotics won't make it better, and "The treatment actually needed is some low dose vaginal oestrogen, which is safe to use for the vast majority of women, even after breast cancer."
She said that if you've been to the doctor and haven't responded well to the treatment you've been given, to go back and be examined, as the signs can be picked up and "easily treated."
According to the NHS, thrush symptoms are:
So it's clear to see why sometimes the conditions are confused.
If you're concerned about your sexual health, contact your GP.
Do you have a story to share? Email: danielle.Wroe@mirror.Co.Uk
Comments
Post a Comment