Yeast Infections: MedlinePlus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

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Yeast Infections: MedlinePlus

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

07/22/2012 08:00 PM EDT

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ►

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 
 
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Yeast Infections

Also called: Candidiasis, Moniliasis 

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Candida is the scientific name for yeast. It is a fungus that lives almost everywhere, including in your body. Usually, your immune system keeps yeast under control. If you are sick or taking antibiotics, it can multiply and cause an infection.
Yeast infections affect different parts of the body in different ways:

• Thrush is a yeast infection that causes white patches in your mouth
• Esophagitis is thrush that spreads to your esophagus, the tube that takes food from your mouth to your stomach. Esophagitis can make it hard or painful to swallow
• Women can get vaginal yeast infections, causing itchiness, pain and discharge
• Yeast infections of the skin cause itching and rashes
• Yeast infections in your bloodstream can be life-threatening

Antifungal medicines eliminate yeast infections in most people. If you have a weak immune system, treatment might be more difficult.

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Cutaneous candidiasis
• Endocervical gram stain
• Thrush
• Vaginal yeast infection
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Related Topics

• Fungal Infections
• Female Reproductive System
• Infections
• Mouth and Teeth

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Yeast Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases