Thrush is a common yeast-like fungus which causes symptoms when it grows beyond healthy limits for the genitals. Thrush is not specific to women, anyone can be affected.
Thrush in women is characterised by itching of the vagina and vulva, often accompanied by pain which worsens during sex and when peeing. Women often also experience abnormal creamy discharge and swelling or cracked skin.
Three quarters of women will suffer from thrush at some point in their lives, and more than half will then go on to experience it more than once.
Candida is naturally found in low levels on our bodies, including on our skin, in our mouths, and in the vagina. Changes to the microflora around the genitals can allow Candida fungus to multiply beyond its normal amounts and cause an active infection. This change can be due to antibiotics to treat other infections, a weakened immune system, and your risk can be increased during pregnancy.
Your symptoms may vary and these symptoms may be caused by a variety of conditions. This page does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Our test kits include a genital swab, a urine sample kit, or both. Your sample will analysed to detect the pathogens (bad microbes) which are causing your symptoms.
Our expertise allows us to pinpoint any abnormalities within your results which are most likely to be causing your symptoms, and recommend a treatment plan tailored to you.
Our lab tests for Candida routinely but if you would like a more in-depth speciation test please get in touch.
If you have recurring or constant thrush, we can help you to understand why it might be coming back, and devise a treatment plan with a life-style regime to help control or even eliminate the condition.
Anti-fungal creams, pessaries or other medications will be enough to effectively treat most women. Unfortunately, for one in twenty women, they will suffer recurrent episodes of thrush (classed as four or more occasions in a year), and 1% of women will experience it almost constantly. Due to elongated treatments, Candida fungus can become drug-resistant, making it increasingly difficult for these two groups to resolve the infection without a new approach.
If you don’t mind some medical language, and you’re interested in the detail of recent studies into recurrent UTIs, then you can find links to some relevant papers below:
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