Pregnancy is a wonderful state of waiting for a baby, but this joy can be overshadowed by some diseases, one of which is thrush or vaginal candiosis. Unfortunately, a yeast infection during pregnancy is not uncommon. The disease is caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida.
Symptoms of thrush during pregnancy
Most often, vaginal candidiasis during pregnancy is manifested by itching of the external genitals and the appearance of abundant thick secretions from the vagina. The discharge resembles cottage cheese in appearance and has a characteristic sour smell. However, a woman should know that such clinical symptoms may indicate other gynecological diseases that have a similar picture with candidiasis. To make a correct diagnosis, a woman should regularly visit her doctor and immediately inform him of any non-characteristic discharge. After all, during pregnancy, a woman is responsible not only for herself, but also for the life and health of her unborn baby!
Risk of disease for the baby
Although gynecologists are sure that thrush does not harm a growing child in the womb, but it is still worth treating. One of the symptoms of thrush is itching of the external genitals, which occurs as a result of irritation of the mucous membranes and skin of the genitals. Sometimes itching is so pronounced and unbearable that the expectant mother becomes nervous and irritable, and often complains of insomnia. Nervous stress and irritability lead to increased levels of adrenaline in the mother’s blood and spasm of large blood vessels. This chain of factors leads to the fact that the fetus in the womb is deficient in oxygen and nutrients due to the stress of the woman, and the original cause of this is thrush.
Causes of candidiasis during pregnancy
Yeast-like candida fungi live in every organism. Under the influence of certain environmental and internal factors, fungi begin to multiply actively. In the process of their rapid life activity, the level of acidity of the mucous membranes changes, which contributes to the appearance of symptoms of a disease called thrush.
Predisposing factors of active reproduction of yeast-like fungi during pregnancy include:
- Wearing linen made from non-natural synthetic materials – due to the inability of the skin to “breathe” on the mucous membranes of the genitals, bacteria begin to proliferate, which is an excellent nutrient medium for a yeast-like fungus. To maintain women’s health, it is better to wear underwear and underwear made from natural materials, such as cotton. It is especially important to take care of your health during pregnancy, as a woman has a responsibility for the well-being of a growing fetus.
- Rough sexual contacts – too vaginal penetration can not only lead to trauma to the vaginal mucosa, but also contribute to the development of threatening abortion or premature birth. Injuries of the mucous membranes of the genital organs are the entrance gate for the penetration of pathogenic flora, including for the active reproduction of candida fungi.
- Weak immune function – pregnancy is undoubtedly a big burden on a woman’s body, and with the slightest decrease in its protective forces, the immune system can no longer resist the attack of bacteria. In addition, during pregnancy, women often exacerbate all chronic diseases, which also contributes to the active reproduction of the fungus that causes thrush.
- Uncontrolled intake of certain medications – sometimes a woman takes antibiotics or hormonal drugs to cause thrush. Yes, sometimes a pregnant woman is forced to take medicine while bearing a child, but you need to remember that in no case should you choose your own drugs or change the number of doses and the dose indicated by the doctor.
- Vitamin deficiency – a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body of a pregnant woman provokes a decrease in immunity and susceptibility to various gynecological infections, including thrush.
- Diet – very often the reason for the development of candidiasis during pregnancy is the abuse by the future mother of sweets, chocolate and fresh pastry. Such products are rich in sugar and yeast, which is an excellent nutrient medium for candida fungus and causes their increased growth.
- Hormonal bursts – due to changes in the microflora of the vagina due to the increased production of female sex hormones, the growth of pathogenic flora is activated.
- Infection during sexual intercourse – gynecologists say that you can safely become infected with thrush during sexual contact. If your spouse is a carrier of candidiasis, it is very likely that infection occurred during sexual intercourse. Carriage of a fungus by a man can be determined only with the help of special medical studies, since clinically thrush in men does not manifest itself.
Methods of diagnosis of thrush
If a pregnant woman complains to the gynecologist about the appearance of curd discharge from the vagina and severe itching of the external genitals, the gynecologist directs the expectant mother to undergo a bacterioscopic examination. This procedure is characterized by the study of the vaginal microflora under a microscope (for this purpose, take a swab from the vagina of a pregnant woman).
Treatment of thrush in pregnancy
To prescribe treatment to a pregnant woman, it is necessary, first of all, to make sure that the patient’s complaints really relate to candidiasis. Sometimes heavy discharge and itching of the genitals may indicate other gynecological infections. These same symptoms are characteristic of progressive diabetes.
Treatment of thrush in the early stages of pregnancy is necessary because, despite the fact that the yeast-like fungi themselves do not pose a special risk to the embryo, the symptoms of thrush significantly reduce the quality of life of a woman, making her irritable and nervous. And stress, especially in the first weeks of pregnancy, can have a very negative impact on the development of the fetus. It is in the first 3 months of pregnancy that all the organs of the unborn child are laid.
A pregnant woman should study her diet in detail. Maybe there is a large amount of sweet food in the diet, which contributes to the active growth and reproduction of yeast-like fungi. To get rid of thrush, a woman should exclude from the diet such products as muffins, sweets, cakes, cakes, chocolates. All this not only leads to an exacerbation of candidiasis and increased clinical symptoms of the disease, but also contributes to the rapid weight gain of women. Extra pounds can lead to sad consequences in childbirth: a large fetus can not pass through the birth canal, which leads to injuries and rupture of soft tissues in a woman.
Medical treatment of thrush during pregnancy is sometimes impossible, since most drugs are contraindicated for expectant mothers. To eliminate the symptoms of thrush, the gynecologist recommends the local use of vaginal candles and ointments with an antifungal effect.
Treatment of thrush in late pregnancy
Candidiasis of the vagina must be treated, this is especially important in the later stages of pregnancy. Not only that, abundant curd discharge can cause infection of the baby when passing through the birth canal, mushrooms and their spores cause loosening and softening of the soft tissues of the cervix and vagina, which significantly increases the risk of ruptures of the perineum and the vaginal mucosa.
Diet therapy in the treatment of thrush
Following a diet helps the expectant mother to significantly improve her condition and stop the progression of the disease. Medication alone is not enough to treat candidiasis during pregnancy, so you need to eliminate not the symptoms, but the cause of thrush. To avoid exacerbation of the disease after the course of treatment, a woman should follow a diet. The principle of diet therapy for vaginal candidiasis is the same as for intestinal dysbiosis.
It is recommended to include such products in the diet:
- Boiled meat of low-fat varieties (rabbit, chicken, Turkey, beef);
- Fresh vegetables and fruits;
- Boiled fish;
Dairy products (kefir, natural yogurt, cottage cheese, non-greasy sour cream); - Citrus fruits (especially useful oranges and grapefruits);
- Raspberries and cranberries (these berries contribute to the destruction of pathogenic bacteria in the body and strengthen the immune system);
- Cereals and porridge.
Thrush prophylaxis
To avoid the appearance of this disease during pregnancy, it is necessary to plan conception. To do this, a woman should contact a gynecologist. During the examination, the doctor will take the necessary swabs and examine them under a microscope. If the smear is found spores of Candida fungus, the woman will be prescribed competent treatment. After all, it is better to be treated before pregnancy, than then expose the growing embryo to unnecessary risk.
During pregnancy, a woman should strictly follow all the recommendations of a doctor to prevent an exacerbation of thrush. It has already been said above that candidiasis is a chronic disease.
A woman should pay special attention to her diet. No need to abuse various rolls, sweets and cakes. So you not only do not gain extra pounds, but also do not provoke an exacerbation of thrush. In addition, sweets and fresh muffins are “fast” carbohydrates, which contributes to the set of extra hundreds of grams and the baby. The large weight of the baby can lead to ruptures of the perineum of a woman during childbirth and birth injuries of the child.
It is advisable to examine the spouse for the presence of Candida fungi before planning a pregnancy. In men, thrush is asymptomatic, so if you find a man in the smears of fungal spores, both partners are treated. During treatment, it is better to use a condom during sex.
Getting rid of thrush forever is almost impossible, but you can minimize the number of exacerbations of the disease and quietly enjoy every day of pregnancy.