Look around your kitchen; you’d be surprised at the usefulness of some of the ingredients in your cabinets. When you have a minor cut or rash or even a yeast infection, you will find that many of the spices and other cooking essentials can be used to treat these conditions. Yeast infections are caused by candida albicans, a micro-organism that is a type of fungus. You don’t need harsh drugs, however, to get rid of a yeast infection; home remedies based on some common kitchen ingredients can be just as effective.

Any healthy woman has the presence of candida in her body. An infection occurs when something changes within our bodies that causes the candida, or fungi, to begin growing rapidly. Several changes can make this unwanted growth happen, like not eating right or developing an imbalance between the acidic and alkaline properties in our bodies. Some medications, like birth control pills or antibiotics, an increase in the amount of sugar you eat, or anything that causes a hormonal change can create an unwanted growth in the candida in your body. The symptoms of a yeast infection include a yellow or whitish discharge, itching, and burning; when your body chemistry changes because of one of the factors listed above, or a combination of two or more of them, an infection can occur.

You can find over-the-counter products to treat yeast infections in your local drugstore, but they can be a bit expensive, and if the store isn’t open and you need relief immediately, those preparations don’t help much. Some research has indicated that the candida fungus can become resistant to the treatment offered by these over-the-counter remedies also.

These homeopathic and safe home remedies can be effective in treating symptoms of yeast infections: kali bichromicum will ease a burning and itching discharge, borax will help if the discharge has the consistency of egg white, calcarea carbonica will help tame the burning and itching that can be common around menstrual periods, and sepia, sulphur, natrum muriaticum, and pulsatilla can also relieve symptoms.

Good micro-organisms can be used to relieve the symptoms of or eliminate bad micro-organisms. Probiotics are good micro-organisms that are found in the vagina and digestive tract of all healthy women. It is an over-growth of candida that causes yeast infections; probiotics will keep the candida from growing too much. Basically, the candida and probiotics fight each other for control.

Perhaps your home doesn’t contain all of the ingredients listed above for the remedies suggested; they aren’t exactly common. More natural and readily available home remedies are out there for you to try, however.

Some people have found that garlic can do a nice job of relieving the symptoms of yeast infections. Take two garlic cloves and make a paste of them by crushing and mashing them. Put this paste around the vaginal area to relieve the itching and burning. The candida fungi do not do well in the presence of garlic since the garlic has antibacterial properties. The garlic smell, however, might make this treatment unattractive for you.

Honey works also, especially Manuka honey from New Zealand, and doesn’t have the odor of garlic. Honey is sticky, however, and this could be quite inconvenient at times, although you won’t have the lingering garlic smell. Honey has been reported to be quite effective in relieving the discomfort of yeast infections, despite the stickiness, when applied to the affected areas. Put the honey on the affected areas and leave it there for about half an hour, then remove with a warm water rinse.

Vinegar is a well-known ingredient that has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Don’t use the vinegar straight but dilute it in warm water for a successful treatment. After mixing the vinegar with warm water, soak the affected area for 20 minutes at least. While all vinegars have the necessary properties to work, apple cider vinegar is supposedly the better choice.

Vinegar, honey, and garlic are only a few examples of effective home remedies to treat yeast infections. Before trying any other home remedy, however, be sure to do the research to make sure that the treatment is safe; just because a treatment is natural doesn’t always mean it’s safe, so read carefully, and when in doubt, check with your nutritionist.