These medications may bring relief temporarily, but the indications are that they have no lasting effect on yeast infection. It is a learned reflex to try using over-the-counter medication for vaginal yeast infections and this dates back many years. However, recent research now suggests that there is no effectiveness in such medication for really curing yeast infection.
Attacking the Candida organism that causes yeast infection is not the same as removing the underlying cause, which led to the uncontrolled multiplication of this otherwise harmless fungus. Notwithstanding, there are several different versions of medications available over-the-counter for vaginal yeast infection. Pills, lotions and creams can all be bought giving a choice to the typical victim of ways to relieve vaginal yeast infection. Most of these medicaments use at least one of the four main types of products following: clotrimazole, tioconazole, miconazole and butoconazole nitrate. Each of these products can destroy the cell wall of the Candida microbe very effectively, which then gives temporary alleviation from the infection. Other common types of medicaments that can be bought over-the-counter include antihistamines, also referred to as topical anesthetics. They too can reduce symptoms, but despite using such products to combat yeast infection of the vagina, the real underlying causal agent is never targeted. Therefore these medications are ineffective and really survive only because of the concentrated marketing and advertising that is done for them.
Over-the-counter medication: the drawbacks
Medication purchased over-the-counter for yeast infection of the vagina can be unsatisfactory for a number of different reasons, including:
1) Too accessible: It is all too easy for people to buy these medicaments, which can do more harm than good if there is no yeast infection anyway. Many people diagnose their condition incorrectly and jump to the conclusion that they have a yeast infection without even consulting a physician.
2) Secondary effects: over-the-counters may put your liver and kidneys at risk if you prolong their use. Long-term application is therefore to be avoided.
3) Symptoms-only way of working: these medications only work on symptoms such as inflammation and pains, but have no effect on the veritable cause of the yeast infection of the vagina.
Over-the-counter medication for yeast infection of the vagina is therefore based on short-term effects and does not act for long-term remedy. If you really want to resolve yeast infection, other solutions going beyond those of the pharmacy will be necessary. The holistic approach to tackle yeast infection of the vagina goes much further and is far safer than any over-the counter medication. As such, the holistic approach gets to the root of the problem without any secondary effects. Therefore should you be a victim of vaginal yeast infection, improve the situation by avoiding over-the-counters and by adopting a healthier holistic approach.