Although vaginal yeast infections may be the more common type of yeast infection, there are several types of yeast infections which can affect a person. These include mouth yeast infections, penile yeast infections, and skin yeast infections. Each of these types of yeast infections are contagious and may be passed from person to person if contact is made with any portion of the infected area. For penile and vaginal yeast infections this normally occurs as a result of sexual intercourse with an infected person. Skin yeast infections may also occur in a similar way although not as a result of sexual intercourse. If you do come into contact with a person who has skin yeast infections there is a very good chance that the infection will be passed to you. The same applies to using the same towel as a person with skin yeast infections. It is highly recommended that you keep your towel separate from all other towels while you have skin yeast infections and until you are cured.
Your clothes must also be kept separately and all personal items. When your infection has cleared, you must continue this vigilance and launder your clothes and towel separately. Always dry your clothes in the dryer for at least 20 minutes. Although it may sound old fashioned you should first soak your infected clothes in boiling water prior to a full laundering as well to thoroughly eliminate all signs of the skin yeast infections.
Another thing that you can do if you suffer from skin yeast infections is to gently pat yourself dry instead of rubbing, the places where you have skin yeast infections. This should prevent the abrasion of the towel and if you have a rash or irritation which is tender, this will help to minimize the pain you might otherwise feel. Just as there were no over the counter medications available for vaginal yeast infections until a few years ago, there are no over the counter medications available for skin yeast infections at the time of this writing.
For skin yeast infections treatments you will need to ask your doctor what options are available to you. There will be a few, but they will for the most part be prescription medications not over the counter as are available for vaginal yeast infections. You may also compliment these medications with such things as herbal teas, tinctures and oils. Always ask your doctor beforehand to make sure that they do not react adversely with your medication.
Skin yeast infections are also relatively easy to diagnose, although it's not recommended that you do so yourself. Always go to trained medical personnel to get a diagnosis. This can save you a lot of time and wasted effort and will make sure that you get the necessary treatment.
A complete resource section on Yeast Infections may be found at our website http://www.healthguides4u.com.
