Yeast infection vs chlamydia – what are the differences and similarities between the two conditions?
These conditions can sometimes get mixed up. Although they both affect your sexual health, knowing how to differentiate is crucial. This is because it shapes the treatment method, period, and also tips to avoid these infections in the first place.
Yeast infection vs chlamydia – what are the differences and similarities between the two conditions?
These conditions can sometimes get mixed up. Although they both affect your sexual health, knowing how to differentiate is crucial. This is because it shapes the treatment method, period, and also tips to avoid these infections in the first place.
What is a Yeast Infection?
Yeast infections come in different forms. However, when we highlight a healthy sex life devoid of unusual clumpy vaginal discharge or irritation. The primary yeast infection to consider is vaginal candidiasis, also known as a vaginal yeast infection.
Commonly experienced by more than 2/3 of women worldwide, vaginal yeast infections can be classified as a minor health problem that can easily be treated. However, before diving into some beneficial information on yeast infections, we’ll consider the other side of this article.
What is Chlamydia?
Chlamydia is among the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases reported in men and women. In women, however, chlamydia can threaten the reproductive system if it’s not treated.
Untreated chlamydia can lead to a pelvic inflammatory disease that can cause long-term abdominal pain. However, it doesn’t lead to cancer like HPV (human papillomavirus, a member of the virus family causing genital warts). Women are seriously affected by infections like chlamydia and bacterial vaginosis more as they are among the highest risk factors for infertility.
Yeast Infection vs Chlamydia
Because yeast infection symptoms are similar to those of chlamydia and bacterial vaginosis, they can be easily confused.
One of the most significant differences between yeast infection and chlamydia is their spread. Candida overgrowth causes vaginal candidiasis, while chlamydia is among the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infections. The two also have different symptoms. They differ in the vaginal discharge they cause, the itchiness level they create, and come with other various symptoms interchangeably.
Chlamydia and Yeast Infection: How Do You Get Infected?
While yeast infections result from the unbalanced ph levels of our body, you don’t “get” one from anywhere. Instead, vaginal candidiasis occurs due to leading a life with poor hygiene and overuse of antibiotics that mess up your metabolism, while chlamydia is mainly transmitted sexually.
Having multiple partners for those who are sexually active puts one at higher risk of getting chlamydia. Alternatively, if you had chlamydia in the past, it can recur even if you have undergone successful treatment.
Yeast Infection vs Chlamydia Symptoms
Symptoms of chlamydia and yeast infections have some differences in between. Although similar to a urinary tract infection, they both cause pain when having sex and a burning sensation during urination. Symptoms of yeast infection vs chlamydia mainly differ regarding the vaginal discharge they create.
While chlamydia causes a scanty discharge that is either colorless or whitish, vaginal candidiasis creates a clumpy, white, and abundant discharge. And although they both cause itchiness around the vaginal area, chlamydia causes minimal to no itchiness, while vaginal candidiasis comes with a level of irritation.
Symptoms of Chlamydia Differing from Vaginal Candidiasis
Some symptoms of chlamydia differ from the symptoms of vaginal candidiasis. These can be listed as:
- Risk of bleeding during intercourse
- Developing into PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
Treatment for Vaginal Candidiasis and Chlamydia
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics, while vaginal candidiasis requires antifungal treatment. Unlike genital herpes, which requires copious amounts of rest, taking good care of yourself, and refraining from spreading the disease by reducing sexual contact and surfaces you come into contact with.
Chlamydia is commonly treated with antibiotics azithromycin or doxycycline. To treat chlamydia, you can also be prescribed one of the other common alternatives like ofloxacin, levofloxacin, or erythromycin.
vaginal candidiasis treatment, on the other hand, requires antifungal medication. Therefore, vaginal candidiasis is usually treated with antifungals such as Fluconazole or Miconazole.
Diagnosis for Yeast Infection vs Chlamydia
To get diagnosed with vaginal candidiasis or chlamydia, you must showcase the specific symptoms that suit these conditions.
Looking at them individually, vaginal candidiasis and chlamydia have crucial differing symptoms that help professionals diagnose you properly. Proper diagnosis is vital to get the appropriate treatment and be prescribed the correct medication. So here’s a “do I have vaginal candidiasis or std quiz.”
The main difference to check for is the discharge. Do you have a discharge with an unpleasant odor and a green color? Do you rarely see it coming off, rather than regularly and abundantly? If yes, then you might have chlamydia and not vaginal candidiasis.
On the other hand, if your discharge has a cottage cheese-like texture and is white and thick, you might have vaginal candidiasis and not chlamydia. Chlamydia does not cause a discharge with the listed characteristics.
Can Condoms Protect Against Vaginal Candidiasis and Chlamydia?
Condoms can not guarantee protection against vaginal candidiasis as yeast infections are caused by imbalanced ph levels in your body. However, as a condom is a protective measurement against STIs, it can protect you from contracting chlamydia.
Condoms are typically 98% effective in preventing an STI; chlamydia remains one of the easiest ones to avoid.
Can You Have Chlamydia and Yeast Infection At The Same Time?
Yes. Because chlamydia and vaginal candidiasis are transmitted in different ways. Chlamydia is an STI, and vaginal candidiasis can be caused by lifestyle and nutritional choices. Therefore, you can have vaginal candidiasis and chlamydia simultaneously.
Make sure you get tested and promptly start the proper treatment to prevent each worsening.
Chlamydia and vaginal candidiasis Healing Signs
After diagnosis and getting the proper treatment for your specific needs and lifestyle, you will want to know if the treatment you went through actually worked for you.
Understanding whether your vaginal candidiasis or chlamydia treatment will need different approaches. Here’s what to check for to see if your chlamydia or vaginal candidiasis has healed.
Signs Your Chlamydia is Healing
Chlamydia is quick to respond to the proper treatment. You should be able to see an immediate improvement in your condition if you start receiving treatment.
These signs can be listed as:
- Pain or discharge is seen when urinating decreases
- Bleeding outside of your periods or getting heavier periods will lessen in number
- For men, pelvic pain or testicular pain will diminish. This pain can take up to two weeks to get resolved entirely.
Signs Your vaginal candidiasis is Clearing
A mild yeast overgrowth infection can go away on its own. But if you are going through an episode that can be classified as moderate or severe, you might need medical attention.
If you have started treating your infection and want to be able to tell if there is any improvement, here are things you can see when your vaginal candidiasis is clearing:
- Your vaginal discharge goes back to normal (it’s not clumpy and white anymore),
- Itchiness around the vaginal area will subside,
- Redness, irritation, and inflammation will clear out.
How Long Does It Take To Treat Vaginal Candidiasis and Chlamydia?
The amount of time it takes to treat vaginal candidiasis and chlamydia is different. Depending on the success of the treatment you are getting or the severity of your condition, how long vaginal candidiasis or chlamydia lasts can vary.
For vaginal candidiasis, if your condition is mild, it can go away on its own without treatment in as little as three days. However, suppose it needs to be taken more seriously and classified as moderate to severe. In that case, vaginal candidiasis can take one to two weeks to get cured with the proper treatment.
If appropriately treated, chlamydia, however, goes away in two weeks. Antibiotics are crucial when treating chlamydia while also practicing abstinence during the treatment, not passing it to your sexual partners, or putting yourself at risk of being reinfected.
Can You Treat Vaginal Candidiasis and Chlamydia At Home?
You can treat candidiasis at home. Home remedies for vaginal candidiasis come in different shapes and sizes. At-home treatments for candidiasis rarely align with what doctors advise you to seek as treatment.
Still, suppose your condition is not severe, and you want to try solutions that might work without getting the opinion of a medical expert. In that case, there are remedies that you can try out.
Here are at-home remedies for treating vaginal candidiasis:
- Probiotics (eating yogurt or applying it directly to your vagina),
- Tea tree oil (diluting it with coconut oil and inserting it into the vaginal area via a suppository applicator),
- Boric acid (diluting it with water and inserting it into the vaginal area through a suppository applicator- not recommended during pregnancy).
Chlamydia, though? No. Chlamydia can’t be cured with at-home remedies.
Chlamydia needs medical treatment, and the best way to get treated for chlamydia is to get diagnosed by a doctor first. If an STI is untreated, it can cause significant health problems, and it’s never recommended to lead a life ignoring such severe conditions. Check-in with a medical professional to be put on the proper medication if you have chlamydia and need to be treated for it.
Are There At Home Kits To Test For Vaginal Candidiasis or Chlamydia?
There are no at-home test kits to check for vaginal candidiasis, unlike bacterial vaginosis, but there are kits that can test your ph levels. As candidiasis breeds from the imbalance of the pH levels of yeast that are already there in your body, it can give you an idea of if you have the infection or not. But there is no home kit to test and confirm if you have vaginal candidiasis.
On the other hand, home kits can test if you have chlamydia.
Because it can be uncomfortable for some people to be open about STIs. Home test kits are available for those who want to get tested discreetly and in the comfort of their homes. There are many online options where you get your result by sending in a sample of your urine to the test kit provider, and they take up to 5 to 7 days to send you your results.
What is The Best Medication for Treating Vaginal Candidiasis and Chlamydia?
Chlamydia treatment is usually done with commonly used drugs like:
- Azithromycin,
- Doxycycline
- Ofloxacin,
- Levofloxacin,
- Erythromycin.
Vaginal candidiasis can be treated with various drugs. The most used treatment for it is the seven-day treatment pill Miconazole and the generic prescription pill Fluconazole.
Fluconazole is prescribed to be taken once. It can be repeated for the 2nd time if symptoms don’t improve after two days.
There are one-and-done or quick-fix treatment solutions for vaginal candidiasis. Still, proper treatment commonly takes a minimum of 3 days.
No matter the research you do at home, it’s always best to get the opinion of a medical professional before self-diagnosis. Make sure you don’t start using the medication without being sure if it’s the one that will suit your needs, your health condition, and your lifestyle.
When To See a Healthcare Provider?
If none of the symptoms listed can help you determine if you have bacterial vaginosis or an STI like chlamydia, you should see a doctor.
And even if you precisely find out what you have, the treatment methods don’t help you see any improvement in your health. For example, suppose you are experiencing allergic reactions to the treatment you opted for. In that case, you should get checked and get the proper treatment for your health condition.
Get Professional Help With Doctor Alexa
Getting expert help can be life-changing if your condition doesn’t seem to get better with following online information. You might require the opinion of a healthcare expert.
At DrAlexa, we let you completely control your health and provide stress-free ways to access healthcare services from the comfort of your home. We aim to provide affordable, world-class healthcare services and excellent patient experiences because you deserve nothing less.
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