Updated: Aug 11, 2021
Having a doctor on call can be a great feeling; it gives you peace of mind knowing that you can access sound medical advice at any time, regardless of what it is. However, you may not want to call your doctor for every little thing, including a common yeast infection.
Many women have had a yeast infection at some point in their lives, and it wouldn’t be unusual if you reached for an over-the-counter remedy if you’re starting to itch down there and have a bit of discharge. In most cases, that’s pretty much all you need, but it’s still important to keep an eye on your symptoms. If they don’t clear up in a reasonable amount of time, you want to seek medical advice.
The doctor might confirm the diagnosis or find another issue you don’t want to linger. Here are some conditions that you might easily mistake for a yeast infection:
STI
A yeast infection is a relatively minor condition to manage, but part of the reason you want to ensure it clears up is the symptoms might be indicating an STI instead. Yeast infection symptoms can often overlap with STIs like herpes, genital warts, and trichomoniasis, all of which won’t respond to over-the-counter treatment and need medical attention.
Hemorrhoids
Believe it or not, hemorrhoids can cause itching in the vaginal region and will not respond to antifungal treatments typically used on yeast infections. However, if this is the issue, you usually only need to use home remedies to ease the symptoms.
Low Estrogen
With age, it’s normal for hormone levels to drop in both women and men. When a woman’s estrogen levels drop low enough, though, the skin around the vagina can thin out, causing discomfort that can resemble yeast infection symptoms, including itching and discharge. For that reason, it’s usually a good idea to contact a doctor since a simple estrogen shot can often relieve the problem quickly.
Think you know how to discern a yeast infection from other conditions now? Take our quiz to find out!
To find out more about yeast infections and other conditions that can resemble them, or schedule an appointment with a virtual doctor to go over your symptoms, contact BreezeFast Medical today!
