Could Your Clothing Be Causing a Yeast Infection?

[Kristine Mccormack]

The short answer is no, the longer answer is that there are many
reasons why a yeast infection occurs. Depending on how many of these
circumstances occur together influences the severity of the infection
and how likely it is to reoccur. One of those circumstances could be
the type of clothes you wear but in isolation it is unlikely that the
clothes you wear will actually cause a yeast infection.
So the clothing you wear may not directly cause the infection but it
can certainly make the problem worse and hinder your chances of
stopping it.
To understand this, you have to understand more about a yeast
infection. A yeast infection on the body develops when there is an
outgrowth of the Candida Albicans fungi on a part of the body. Candida
Albicans lives in and on the body and normally present no problems
when kept under control. There are many processes that go on in the
body that ensure the fungi does stay in check. If these processes
become compromised or affected in some way, the Candida Albicans
spores can grow rapidly. This rapid proliferation of spores can
irritate the skin or part of the body leading to the typical symptoms
of yeast infection such as a rash that is painful to touch or
intensely itchy.
Two conditions that encourage the growth of Candida Albicans is an
acidic body chemistry and an enclosed, warm, moist environment.
An acidic body chemistry can be caused by the foods we eat, the
general state of the body like if it is under chronic stress or
whether the individual is taking medication or drugs that can
interfere with the immune system.
Enclosed, warm moist environments are where clothes come into the
picture. So if the conditions are right for Candida Albicans to
develop, there is more chance of them growing even quicker on a part
of the skin that has the wrong type of clothes on.
Yeast infections commonly develop around the vaginal region. This is
because it can be warm and moist. Tight clinging clothing can make
this situation worse as it does not allow that part of the body to
breath. Another consideration is to wear underwear with a cotton
crotch as this is a fabric that allows the skin to breath and it may
absorb moisture that could develop in this region.