Sign and Symptoms of Yeast Infection in Men

Yeast is present in the human body without showing any positive or negative symptoms. But, it is the yeast infection (Candidiasis) that we are worried about. Initial recognition of yeast infection is harder in men, when compared to women. One may limit the yeast infection only to a thrush infection (oral infection), but it can easily turn more disastrous than that. There is another common misconception, that women are more prone to the yeast infections than men are. In reality, yeast infections in women are quickly identified, but both men and women are at equal risk of being infected. Let's take a brief look at the causes, treatment and the signs and symptoms of yeast infection in men.

Causes of Yeast Infection
Eating disorders are positively correlated with yeast infections. The excessive consumption of starch containing products, such as wheat, corn, peanuts and barley, overdose of alcohol, eating unhealthy food at odd timings, irregular food pattern etc. is likely to cause yeast infections. Yeast infection can also spread through sexual contagion. Having unprotected sex with a yeast-infected partner is another main cause of candida and can be recognized as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Condoms containing the spermicidal lubricant 'nonoxynol-9', are also known to cause yeast infections.

A weakened immunity system, for whatever reason, makes a person prone to yeast infections. If the immune system is damaged due to stress, nutrient deficiency, cancer, HIV/AIDS, any recent major illness or transplant surgery, deficiency of white blood cells, etc. the body is liable to get yeast infections. Another cause is diabetes. The yeast fungus lives on sugar, so diabetic patients are more prone to get infected as well. Also, the prolonged use of any antibiotic, destroys the bad as well as the good bacteria, which in turn, may lead to a yeast infection.

Symptoms of Yeast Infection
A systemic yeast infection has some easy to read symptoms. Men tend to dismiss the neurotic symptoms of this kind of infection. Excessive tiredness of body as well as excessive muscle pain, joint pain, high craving for starch and sugar containing foods, like bread, chips, cookies and beer, disturbed digestive functioning, diarrhea, increased heart beats, deficiency of white blood cells, etc. are its common symptoms.

Balanitis, or the swelling of the glans penis, is a hard to ignore symptom of yeast infections. Unbearable itchiness and burning sensation of glans, soreness and tenderness of the penis particularly after sex, red spots, extreme redness and white substance on the foreskin and glans, sometimes dripping of the foreskin and blisters as well, can be noticed when one has a yeast infection.

Candidemia is the term used to explain the presence of fungus in the blood stream. Its symptoms are very much like those of genital herpes. Signs of yeast infection appear particularly on the mucus membranes, like the penis, anus and urinary bladder. Infectious spots in the navel and armpits, are the most common. As the fungus uses the bloodstream for its spread, this kind yeast infection may be caused through an infected syringe as well.

Diagnosis of Yeast Infection
The self-examination spit test may show the early signs of the yeast infection. In this test, one has to spit in a water container and keep it aside for 20-30 minutes. But this has to be done right after getting up in the morning. If the spit dissolves totally in the water, then there are rare chances of you being infected.

If you get any of the above mentioned symptoms of yeast infection, it is high time for you to see the doctor. The doctors generally do the pH check. Yeast cultures are actually sterile swabs rubbed on the infected body areas. They are incubated under the same temperature as that of the human body. Tests of the stool samples include doing certain microscopic observations of the genital fluids, to know if the signs match to the yeast infection.

Treatment of Yeast Infection
The physicians generally prescribe certain medicines containing fluconazole, amphotericin B suspension, econazole, ketoconazole etc. which help in the total recovery of the patient. The most important thing, is to consult the doctor in the first place. The sooner you will consult the doctor, the faster will be the treatment.

Above all, prevention is the best way to avoid yeast infection. Healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, self-examination of any minor symptoms of the infection and avoiding unprotected sex with an infected partner, are the basic things to stay healthy and unaffected by any kind of yeast infection.