112 chapter 5: Taking care of your body
Yeast can often be cured using natural remedies. One natural treatment is to mix
3 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 liter (1quart) of boiled and cooled water. Soak a
piece of clean cotton in the mixture and insert it into the vagina every night for 3
nights. Remove the cotton each morning.
Medicines for yeast infection
Soak a clean piece of cotton in gentian violet 1%. Insert the cotton into the vagina, every
night for 3 nights. Remove the cotton each morning. Or use any of the following medicines.
Creams made of the medicines below can also be used on any red skin outside the vagina
or on the buttocks or legs. Rub the cream in gently to the affected areas.
Medicine
How much to take
When to take
miconazole
put one 200 mg insert
or nystatin
put one 100,000 Units insert
or clotrimazole
put two 100 mg inserts
high in the vagina, each
night for 3 nights
high in the vagina, each
night for 14 nights
in the vagina, each night
for 3 nights
If it is available, you can also use an antifungal powder such as nystatin. Apply the powders
lightly to the affected areas.
Prevention of yeast infection
Yeast grows best in areas that are warm and moist. The best way to
prevent yeast infections is to keep your vagina, the skin
around it, your buttocks, and the skin under your
breasts, clean and dry. Here are some suggestions:
• If you leak urine, change your underclothes as often
as you can. You can use clean cloths or pads (like
those used for monthly bleeding) and change them
often during the day.
• If you sit most of the time, try to change your position
at least once every hour—more often if you can. Also, try to get out of your
chair and lie down with your legs open for 15 minutes at least 2 times a day.
This will also help prevent pressure sores (see page 114).
• If you have no feeling in your lower body, use a mirror to look and see if
there is any unusual redness in or around your vagina. If you cannot do this
yourself, ask someone you trust to do it for you, especially if you notice an
unusual smell from your genitals.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007