Okay, So What’s Up with Yeast Infections Around Menstrual Cycles?

So, since reportedly 3 out of 4 women will have at least one yeast infection in their lifetime, I’m thinking that most of y’all have “had the pleasure” — NOT — by now at some point. This means that you probably know what causes yeast infections to transpire in the first place: an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your vagina to the point where the good kind isn’t able to prevent it from becoming an infection.

Although things like pregnancy, weight gain, diabetes, certain medications, poor diets, sleep deprivation, and even stress can play a role in making you more susceptible to getting a yeast infection, one thing that can be the culprit behind all of these is a set of imbalanced hormones. And when do your hormones find themselves moving all over the place the most? In the days leading up to your period.

There was even a study that stated that for more than half of the women who had a significant imbalance between good and bad bacteria, it was right when they were about to start their cycle. So, when you take all of this into account, it makes a lot of sense when periods and yeast infections seem to like to hang out with each other a lot.

How to Treat a Yeast Infection During Your Period

So, what should you do if you happen to get a yeast infection during your menstrual cycle? To tell you the truth, for the most part, you should do what you’ve always done in the past when it comes to healing from one. If an over-the-counter product (like Monistat) has always worked for you, you can still use it (although you should go with pads instead of tampons until the treatment is completed). If you’ve always taken an oral med like Diflucan, you still can. The main thing that I wanted to bring up here is since both your estrogen and progesterone levels tend to be at their lowest when you are on your cycle and since some studies say that progesterone can help to keep certain strains of candida under control, you might want to consume more cruciferous vegetables, kale, and nuts.

Why? Well, although there aren’t really any foods that contain progesterone, there are some that help to stimulate the production of it — and the ones that I just mentioned qualify. It’s also a good idea to keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for the changes that a period brings to actually make you think that your yeast infection went away during your cycle (it’s happened to me before); that usually isn’t the case, so keep treating it, as usual, whether you’re on your cycle or not.

6 Ways to Prevent a Yeast Infection Before Your Cycle Comes in the Future

You know the saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, now that you know what causes a yeast infection around your cycle, here are six things that can help to prevent one around that time of the month.

1. Use organic products.

If you’re someone who uses tampons (especially), it’s important to go with an organic brand. The reason why is that they don’t contain the dyes, fragrances, and other chemicals that many popular commercial brands do. This is relevant because anything that is going to be inside your vagina for hours on end needs to have as few chemicals on it as possible. Otherwise, it could throw your pH balance off, and — voila! You’ve got a perfect breeding ground for a yeast infection. For leads on some of the best organic tampons that are currently on the market, check out Health’s “The 8 Best Organic Tampons, According to Experts.” For a referral for organic pads, check out Cosmo’s “11 Organic Pads Your Bathroom Cabinet Needs.”

2. Load up on probiotics.

All of us have live bacteria and yeast in our system; probiotics are the good kind of bacteria that our body needs —including our vaginas. The short answer why (you can read a more detailed one here) is when your vagina is full of probiotics, it helps to fight off the bad bacteria that can throw off your pH balance and lead to some type of infection, including a yeast infection. This is why it’s smart to take a probiotic supplement on a consistent basis and you consume foods that are high in probiotics like fermented ones, including yogurt, raw cheese, and sourdough bread.

3. Get plenty of rest.

Since your hormone levels are all over the place in the days leading up to your cycle, you might find it difficult to sleep soundly throughout the night. Still, it’s important to be as intentional as you can about keeping your anxiety levels low and getting as much rest as possible. The (main) reason why is research reveals that you’re more likely to get a yeast infection if your body is stressed out or sleep-deprived. So, if you’re craving processed sugar or caffeine, try and curb that with natural sugar like fruit and go with decaf while you’re PMS’ing in order to keep your anxiety levels low so that you can remain calm and relaxed. And if you need to take a (power) nap to get more sleep in, do that. A lot of women end up with yeast infections because they’re not getting enough rest — and they don’t even realize it.

4. Protect your labia with a mix of coconut and olive oil.

An itchy labia (the outer part of your vagina) can be a telling sign that a yeast infection is either present or on its way. If you’re looking for a natural way to bring some external relief and healing (whether you’re on your cycle or not), apply a combination of coconut and olive oil to it. Coconut oil contains powerful antifungal properties while olive oil is actually an oil that candida can’t stand. (By the way, the purest form of olive oil is extra virgin if you want to get the best — and quickest — results.)

5. Shed a few pounds.

If you heard somewhere that being overweight can trigger a yeast infection, that would be true. The backstory is having extra pounds on your body can also play a role in your hormones not being as balanced as they need to be — and as you’ve already seen, hormones that are in influx can definitely cause a yeast infection. So, although it is important to not stay in your workout clothes for too long (due to all of the moisture in them that yeast enjoys thriving in), do make sure that you exercise. Aside from burning calories, it’s also been proven that exercise can keep your estrogen levels from getting out of wack — and as far as avoiding yeast infections is concerned, that is always a good thing.

6. Use condoms.

Especially if you’re about to have sex with a new partner, you need to use a condom. There are multiple reasons why; however, when it comes to this particular topic, although sperm/semen itself doesn’t exactly “cause” a yeast infection, what it can do is alter the pH level in your vagina to where it creates an environment for a yeast infection to occur. So, if you don’t want sexual activity to result in a yeast issue up the road — condoms, it is, sis. Condoms, it is.

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Is it guaranteed that doing all of this will prevent a yeast infection around your cycle? Bodies are a tricky thing, so I can’t make those types of failsafe assurances. What I will stand on is, now that you’re aware of what yeast infections and periods have in common, you can be intentional about taking preventive measures that will make getting an infection less of an issue — and hell, even one less yeast infection experience will make that all worthwhile, don’t you think? Hell, I do.

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