TYLER TOLMAN BLOG
Vaginal Thrush Treatment | Natural Home Remedies vs Antibiotics
Vaginal Thrush Treatment | Natural Home Remedies vs Antibiotics
This week I’m talking about vaginal thrush treatment and how to naturally treat it at home.
Vaginal thrush is something that many women deal with. I have worked with a lot of women who have this issue and it’s thought nearly half of all women will experience thrush in their lifetime. It’s an uncomfortable situation to be in and an issue many cannot get rid of. I believe there are many home remedies for vaginal thrush that work immediately and there are some lifestyle changes that can help eliminate it completely.
Secret Sources of Sugar May be the Cause
As with any health condition it’s always good to start by looking at lifestyle and diet. Eating a lot of processed sugar is a common cause of thrush and many of us aren’t aware of how much processed sugar we are actually consuming. Ask the average woman how much chocolate she eats? There could be a clue in that answer!
Many of us like something sweet at night and chocolate is a popular choice. The problem with regular chocolate is that it contains not only high levels of processed sugar but high levels of fat which together really are a spell for disaster. If you need something a little sweet at night I urge to you switch to fruit. A slice of watermelon, some mango, papaya or a couple of dates are all good choices which satisfy me.
Your body reacts much differently to fruit compared to processed sugar. The later gives you a quick hit and provides a feeding ground for yeast and fungus. Fruit is a completely different story, it contains fibre to slow the release of sugar into the blood stream. It’s also full of vitamins, nutrients and is alkalizing to the body.
Natural Ways to Treat Vaginal Thrush
There are a variety of natural treatment options to treat thrush. Old paradigm ways would have us believe antibiotics are the first port of call, but the problem with them is that they clean out bad AND good bacteria. Therefore a lot of times antibiotics can actually worsen the body’s internal environment making it more susceptible to fungal, viral other types of bacterial growth and thus creating a vicious cycle.
A natural treatment to consider if you already have thrush is a vaginal douche using apple cider vinegar. When using apple cider vinegar mix about half a cup with one litre of warm water (close to body temperature). I know heaps of women who haven’t done a douche before freak out about doing one. However once they try it and experience the benefits they see how clean and how great they feel. Please be open minded to doing this! An apple cider vinegar douche is a great way to maintain pH. The vagina & uterus are acidic by nature (around pH 4-5) and the acidity of the apple cider vinegar can help maintain this pH state which kills bad bacteria. The washing action of the douche also helps to clean out the environment in general and create a flow. This is important as a stagnant environment is more susceptible to high growth of bad bacteria.
Another good option for a douche solution is to use juice from sauerkraut. The sauerkraut contains many good bacteria to help re-establish balance in the internal environment.
Bacteria to Balance Inner Environment
Good bacteria are essential in helping the body maintain it’s defences against the growth that causes thrush. Start consuming more probiotic rich foods in your diet with ferments such as sauerkraut and yoghurts. If you’re vegan I suggest you try nut yoghurts. Coconut yogurt is a favourite of mine and great with fruit added in also. The fruit gently ferments in the digestive system creating more probiotics! Garlic and onions are good foods to include also as they are ‘prebiotics’ in that they feed the good bacteria you’re introducing.
Topical Treatments
Yoghurts can be used topically as well as in your diet. Apply either on the actual area or even inside the area itself. For this make sure you use an organic/biodynamic yoghurt that is high in Lactobacillus strains of bacteria. The good bacteria help fight off bad bacteria, fungus and things of that nature.
If your symptoms are really bad a douche or yoghurt applied topically could be used everyday in the beginning until you notice an improvement. Otherwise if your symptoms are less severe the dietary changes may be enough.
Holistic Approach
It’s important to take a look at what else in your life could be altering your inner bacterial balance. Consider the washing detergents you are using, the material of your underwear and the type of tampons you buy. All these products can contain chemicals which might be affecting your inner bacterial balance. Look for natural organic cotton products and organic types of soap. By following these changes I think you’ll find yourself in a really good place!
Thanks for reading!
