In part because many feminine hygiene products are marketed aggressively toward women, many men don’t understand that Candida can be a male problem, too. Unfortunately for men, yeast infections aren’t just a female problem. On the positive side, Candida in men is relatively simple to diagnose and treat.
Another name for male Candida is „balanitis.“. Your doctor may use this term to refer to your infection. In fact, balanitis actually refers to inflammation of the penis tip of any cause, including Candida, but also including other causes, such as a local allergy. The word balanitis is most commonly used interchangeably with Candida yeast infection in men, however, and so that is how the term will be used in this article.
In both men and women, yeast infection are caused by Candida albicans. Candida is not always the enemy, and actually is present in small amounts in most people who don’t suffer from a yeast infection. However, when the natural environment of the body becomes unbalanced, Candida can overgrow, invade, and cause infection.
If you have a male yeast infection, you will probably notice that the skin around the tip of your penis appears red and swollen, and it may feel painful or itchy. Some men wll have a whitish discharge. If the infection is not treated properly, it may progress, caused tightness and scarring of the tip of the penis and the penis shaft. This is why it is especially important to get your infection treated as soon as possible- or else complications may result.
The most common cause of balanitis is poor hygiene. Because it can be more difficult to maintain good hygiene habits under the foreskin, yeast infections are more common in uncircumcised men. If you’re uncircumcised, it doesn’t mean you are doomed to getting yeast infections! As long as you keep the area under the foreskin clean and dry, you should not have an increased risk of developing a yeast infection.
A well-known risk factor for male Candida is diabetes. Candida eats sugar as its main food source, so when there is too much sugar in the bloodstream, Candida will overeat and overgrow. As discussed earlier, Candida is always present in small amounts in and on the body, which is perfectly healthy. Only when this natural balance is disrupted does Candida overgrow and cause infection. When the blood glucose goes too high, this is what happens. As a one-two punch, diabetes also can make the immune system weak, making it so that your body doesn’t have the strength to fight off the infection on its own .
Fortunately, male Candida is usually uncomplicated to manage using antifungal creams. Many of these medications are available at your local drug store of pharmacy without a prescription. These creams are meant to be applied to the affected area up to twice a day or at least a week. Your doctor can also offer you Diflucan, which is an oral antifungal only available with a prescription.
As you are treating the infection, make sure you continue to keep the area clean and properly dried. Moisture is a breeding ground ground for yeast. If you notice that you get yeast infections frequently, make sure to see your doctor, who can check to see if you have an underlying medical condition that is weakening your immune system and making you susceptible to the infection. Remember- male Candida isn’t necessarily a big problem, but it could mean there is something going on that you don’t know about!
