Yeast infections can affect people of all ages and sexes and the symptoms can differ according to the location. Yeast infections, as they are commonly known as, are a fungal infection of the Candida species.
Whilst there is some debate over what exactly causes yeast infections, it is generally believed that an imbalance of bacteria in the gut or on the skin plays a big part. It is estimated that around one thousand different types of bacteria are present in healthy individuals and controlled by the “friendly bacteria” that also exist.
Certain species of bacteria have the ability to kill and effectively eat other microorganisms, and these might be considered as the ‘bad guys’ or scientifically referred to as predatory bacteria.
Some bacteria are also known to produce methane and a curious experiment was carried out to confirm this. A group of people were interested to know what gave the sea its distinctive smell (that we are all familiar with when we go to the beach). Apparently, the ‘aroma’ is created by the ‘gas’ released by the bacteria after they have eaten various substances in the sea. It was an interesting revelation, but maybe something we would have been happier not to have known?
As we already know, yeast infections can affect men and women, and in men the infection can cause red patchy sores near the head of the penis or on the foreskin and a person may experience a burning sensation or severe itching. A white discharge may also appear, but this is uncommon.
The treatment of male yeast infections is fairly straightforward, depending on the location and severity.
How do you treat a male yeast infection?
The most popular way of treating male yeast infections usually involves antibiotics or creams and ointments, but there is a growing belief that special diets can help with this process and reduce the risk of it returning.
As an excessive amount of yeast in the body is obviously a factor with this infection, it seems to make sense that reducing the intake of foodstuffs that contain yeast themselves is a good idea. If this is true, then alcohol, chocolate and cheese should be high on your list of things to avoid. Fermented products like bread, soy sauce and vinegar (which also contain yeast) should also be avoided if possible.
By avoiding such foodstuffs, there is a good chance that you will be helping your “friendly bacteria” to do their job more effectively, creating a natural solution to the treatment of yeast infections. Plain yoghurts are also beneficial and contain some of the ‘good guys’ (healthy bacteria).
Whilst the treatment of male yeast infections in healthy individuals is not a serious problem, there is a danger that the infection could be as a result of some underlying disease (like diabetes for example), so it is important for a doctor to explore these possibilities in order to rule them out. In most cases a doctor will carry out special tests to determine this if he suspects some other disease may be present.
