Garlic
Garlic has strong antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, and may help stop thrush in some women. Peel a clove of garlic (be careful not to nick it), wrap it in muslin, to make sure you can remove it, and insert it into your vagina. Leave the garlic in overnight. Be prepared to smell quite strongly of garlic while you are using this treatment.
Tea tree oil
Some women find tea tree oil helpful in stopping thrush. Its effectiveness in fighting candida albicans is also supported by scientific studies. To use tea tree oil for thrush:
- put tea tree oil on the tip of a tampon and insert it into your vagina
- put tea tree on a panty liner or towel
- dampen cotton wool with tea tree (mixed with water) and gently wipe around the vaginal area
Some health food stores carry ready-made tea tree oil pessaries and manuka oil salve (manuka is another type of tea tree). Look in the women?s health section or ask the sales assistant. Be aware that tea tree may sting at first, but it should stop after a short while.
Lactic acid wash
This is a relatively new product now available at larger chemists. The wash, to be used externally, contains lactic acid that helps maintain the natural pH balance in the vaginal area. This prevents yeast from taking hold. It can be used as a daily wash instead of soap, or as a treatment when you feel thrush may be developing.
Vinegar
Some women find vinegar can help stop thrush but, as with garlic, the smell is quite strong. Vinegar is acidic and may help restore the pH balance of the vaginal area to give the friendly bacteria a better chance of successfully fighting off yeast. Never use vinegar on its own ? it must be diluted with water (1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 pint of water). You can also add acidophilus to the mixture (see yoghurt below). Use the mixture to gently wash the outside of your vagina or dip a tampon in it and insert it over night.
Yoghurt
Natural live yoghurt can be used in two ways to deal with thrush: eating it and/or inserting it into your vagina. The key is not the yoghurt itself but the bacteria, lactobacillus acidophilus, in the yoghurt. This helps the body maintain, or regain, its natural pH level and keeps yeast under control.
Eating yoghurt may help keep yeast levels low throughout the body, but particularly in the stomach and intestines. Because candida in the bowel can easily make its way to the vulva and vagina, keeping your digestive system clear of thrush may help prevent vaginal thrush.
Inserting yoghurt into your vagina may also help restore your vaginal pH balance, but there is less scientific support for this method. If you want to give it a try, put one teaspoon of yoghurt in an applicator, a plastic syringe or on a tampon, and insert it high into your vagina. Repeat this every night for a week. It is important that you use only unsweetened, plain, live yoghurt.