What You Need to Know About Yeast Infections in Hot and Humid Weather

Higher humidity and dampness make for the perfect conditions for one to contract a yeast infection easily.

Yeast is a type of fungus which is normally found on various parts of the body such as the skin, digestive tract and vagina. In the presence of warm and humid conditions, yeast can start overgrowing, leading to infections. Yeast infections can also occur in people with low immunity.

Not only women, anyone can get a yeast infection

Yeast infection can occur in anyone from infants to adults. Following people are at a higher risk of developing a yeast infection:

• Infants wearing soaked diapers for a long period of time
• Elderly people with dentures
• People who take antibiotics very often (antibiotics kill the healthy bacteria that keep the growth of yeast in balance)
• People with a low immune system such as the ones getting treated for cancer or HIV
• People with diabetes are also prone to yeast infections

Yeast infection can occur in various parts of the body

Most of us know that yeast infections occur in the vagina (vulvovaginitis candidiasis) but yeast infections can also be seen in the skin folds (armpit, groin, tummy), navel, penis, inside the mouth (oral thrush), corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis) and even in the nail beds.

Symptoms of a yeast infection

The symptoms of a yeast infection vary according to the site of infection. The different symptoms include:

1. Skin: Skin would have rashes and redness that itch and burn. There may be cracks on your skin or patches that ooze clear fluid.

2. Vagina: White or yellow discharge can be seen coming from the vagina along with itching and burning. There can be some redness in the outer region of the vagina (vulva).

3. Penis: There can be some redness, rashes and scaling on the underside of the penis. The rash can be painful.

4. Oral cavity: Oral thrush appears as white patches on the tongue and the inside of the cheeks. It can lead to bad breath and loss of taste.

5. Corners of the mouth: Angular cheilitis presents as painful cracks or tiny cuts at the corners of the mouth.

6. Nail bed: Nail bed may be swollen, tender, filled with pus and the nail may be seen separating from the nail bed.

You can prevent a yeast infection

Yeast infections can be prevented in the following ways:

• Consume probiotics to maintain the levels of good bacteria in the body.
• Wear loose cotton clothes during the summers.
• Wear cotton underwear or at least ones with a cotton crotch to prevent genital yeast infection.
• Change out of your swimwear or workout clothes as soon as possible.
• You may apply talcum powder to reduce friction in the areas where skin rubs up against the skin.
• Change babies’ diapers as soon as they get soiled as wet diapers can lead to yeast infections.
• Maintain good oral hygiene by brushing, flossing and cleaning your tongue.

For more information, read our article on vaginal yeast infection.

Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.