Yes, the following factors increase risk:

• Using antibiotics can kill healthy bacteria in the vagina and cause a yeast infection
• High estrogen levels
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Weakened immune system
• Being aged 20-50

Adopting these habits can help:

• Wearing loose underwear with a cotton crotch
• Limiting use of scented feminine products, such as tampons, or bubble bath
• Not practicing vaginal douching
• Avoiding taking very hot baths
• Reducing reliance on antibiotics when not necessary
• Quickly changing out of wet clothes

There are a number of over-the-counter medication options for treating a yeast infection. These include anti-fungal creams, ointments or suppositories which take between 1-7 days to eliminate the infection.

It’s also important to avoid having vaginal or oral sex until the infection has cleared and try not to scratch.

You may wish to see a doctor if one of the following applies:

• You have not had a yeast infection before
• Symptoms are not clearing with over-the-counter medications
• Symptoms are worsening
• You are pregnant
• You have already experienced 3+ yeast infections in the last 12 months
• You have a weakened immune system due to a different condition or medication

An online physician can assess your yeast infection symptoms and if necessary, they may refer you to a specialist or prescribe medication. You can have your prescription delivered for free or sent to a pharmacy of your choice for pick-up.

Yeast infection symptoms, if untreated, can get worse and result in other health problems. Some side effects include infections, fatigue, oral thrush or thrush, gastrointestinal problems, and invasive candidiasis. This is when the yeast infection spreads to other parts of the body like the brain, eyes, or blood, and needs to be treated quickly.

For mild to moderate yeast infection symptoms a doctor might choose one of the following treatment options:

• Prescription of fluconazole, an anti-fungal single-dose pill.
• Prescription of anti-fungal medications

For more severe yeast infection symptoms, they may choose the below options:

• Prescription of anti-fungal medications to be taken for a more sustained period
• Prescription of multiple doses of fluconazole
• If these methods are proving ineffective, they may prescribe a boric acid capsule to be inserted into the vagina.

To ensure the physician can provide an accurate medication prescription during your appointment, you can help by noting down any concerns and answers in advance, how long you have been experiencing yeast infection symptoms for, and any allergies they should be aware of.

Appointments usually take between five to thirty minutes depending on the individual need. The online doctor will ask for a description of your symptoms. This will allow them to determine the best course of treatment. If necessary, they may recommend a follow-up appointment or a visit to a physical clinic.