The Autoimmune syndrome is called APS-1 or autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome and researchers looked at 33 patients. In these patients the researchers found the immune proteins called cytokines were being attacked by antibodies. There are several types of cytokines but the ones in the blood in this study were those that are known to help humans’ immune systems by protecting against bacterial infections.

Head of the Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at Rockefeller University and leading the research is Jean-Laurent Casanova. He says,

“These cytokines, particularly the family comprising interleukin 17A, 17F and 22, have recently been implicated in defending against yeast overgrowth, but this is the first time it has been shown in humans. The next step is to find genetic mutations in these cytokines in patients with Candidiasis, as only this will prove the causal relationship.”

There are already drugs available to treat APS-1 patients that are designed to lower B cells that make the antibodies that attack the cytokine, thus taking then out.

Source:ScienceDaily.Com

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100410140439.htm

Birth control pills are a very common cause and it is the hormone in them called Proestogen that is the cause. In fact anything that upsets the hormone and chemical balance of the vagina can lead to an infection. Coming off the pill can help reduce the chances of another infection occurring.

Another main cause is the consumption of too much sugar and sweets in your diet. Candida albicans feed off of the sugar and then are able to multiply further, when there is an excessive amount of sugar in your system its like an all you can eat buffet for the yeast!

Wearing tight underwear that is made of synthetic materials can provide the ideal breeding grounds for the yeast as they trap the heat and moisture there. Then the damp material rubs at the skin around the vagina and the recurring yeast infection grows. Wear cotton or other materials that allow the skin to breathe, change underwear often and do not stay in wet or damp clothing.

Diabetics are at greater risk of a recurrent infection as well since the yeast feeds on sugar. So if you are a diabetic that allows your blood sugar to rise too high often, yeast infections can keep returning.

A weakened immune system sometimes caused by prolonged use of antibiotics or other medications can also leave you open to infection. HIV and other diseases can also affect your immune system.

Finally for this article, if you are having sex and are too dry and not lubricated enough the vaginal membranes can be injured. This can lead to a yeast infection also. It is worth noting that though not classed as an STD a yeast infection can be passed back and forth between sexual partners so practice safe sex, or abstain until you are completely cleared up.

The micro-organism responsible for a yeast infection is a fungus called Candida albicans. It is a persistent thing that means if you do not fully and effectively treat the first bout of yeast infection, it will return again and again. This is because it has the ability to live in small numbers waiting on the body for the right trigger or conditions, and then can grow rapidly when they come along.

Often a person turns to anti fungal treatments as a means to deal with a candida infection but this does not get to the root cause of the problem. These treatments should be used alongside some lifestyle changes as well as natural therapy in order to be successful. In a lot of recurring yeast infection cases, the infection returns because the original infection was never really cured, just masked. So when another trigger factor comes along, like stress or something that affects the immune system another infection occurs.

A low immune system is another causing factor and antibiotics can make this problem worse. In a healthy person the fungus that causes the infection is kept under control by healthy bacteria. Antibiotics kill that healthy bacteria which enables the fungus to grow.

Another thing to watch out for is unprotected sex. Even at very low levels a yeast infection can get passed back and forth between partners during sex. So it is nearly impossible to be completely rid of it and a person has increasing spikes of infection that happen when stressed or ill. Therefore both partners should treat themselves to ensure this cycle does not happen to them.

Changes to make in your lifestyle include eating more probiotic yogurt, eating less yeasty foods, using tea tree oil, garlic and other natural anti-fungals to help reduce the Candida in your body and therefore minimize the chances of an outbreak.

Some women have some success with those treatments but a large propertion of yeast sufferers find that these are not designed to be a permanent solution. After all the drug companies want you to keep coming back to buy their product, it means more profit for them. To permanently cure the infection you need to make lifestyle changes and diet changes. While you are doing this there are natural remedies that are cheap and easy to use that will help the fight and take care of the symptoms.

Each person has a different lifestyle so you need to look at your own, not use another’s example. Check your diet for foods you should not be eating like sugar, carbohydrates, yeast, fermented products, processed and refined foods. Foods you need to eat more of are vegetables and fruits, grains and fibre. Other things you can look at are wearing loose clothing made of natural fibres, and having a good hygiene routine that includes proper drying. Pay close attention to the genital area and any folds of skin. The yeast loves warm and moist and dark environments.

Curing the yeast infection and treating the symptoms naturally from the comfort of home is easy, cheap and comes with no side effects. Tackle the root of the problem and you will finally stop that cycle of itching, burning, pain, swelling, redness and discharge. You will also free yourself of the headaches, the fatigue, the aching muscles and mood swings.

A bonus to these steps is that not only will it take care of your yeast infection, it will make you healthier in general.

In recurrent yeast infections the problem is that these treatments are just taking care of symptoms not the core problem. Also if you keep using a treatment the yeast learns how to fight it and become resistant to it so each time you use an over the counter treatment it works a little less successfully. When this happens it is not surprising that women become depressed about their situation.

The thing is all of that stress is completely unnecessary. Women should stop the vicious cycle of over the counter treatments and learn about natural methods. There is no point continuing using products that only treat symptoms, that stop being effective and ignore the root cause.

The fungus that leads to yeast infections is in everyone’s bodies but it is only when it overgrows and spreads that it is a problem. It is called Candida Albicans. This can happen if the immune system is weakened, if the pH changes, or if it is given moist and warm environments to grow in. Causes of this can be taking antibiotics, they kill all bacteria, good and bad, and it is the good bacteria that fight the fungus. Also diet with a lot of sugar in. Sugar is a food for it. Hormonal changes such as pregnancy and menstruation and even just stress.

It is important that you know why it happens you so you can better treat the root cause and stop it becoming a chronic problem. Natural remedies tend to be far more effective long term cures. When used properly in line with important life style changes and an improved diet the yeast infection is treated and the cycle is stopped.

An added benefit to natural options are that they do not have the side effects that pharmaceuticals have, they are just as effective (if not more so) take far less out of the money jar to get, and in actual fact when taken your overall health improves, not just the symptoms of an infection.