Wellness Tips from Josef Schenker, MD
Welcome to our Wellness Tips blog series, brought to you by Dr. Josef Schenker, the Medical Director at Centers Urgent Care. In this series, Dr. Schenker shares his extensive knowledge and experience in internal medicine and emergency medical services, including yeast infection treatment and management, to help you lead a healthier life.
Dr. Schenker will cover a range of crucial health topics, offering expert advice on how to avoid common ailments. With a focus on prevention and practical tips, each blog post is designed to empower you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your health and well-being.
Yeast Infection Treatment and Management
Itching, burning, and a clumpy discharge can derail your week fast. Vaginal yeast infections affect three out of four women, and almost half have two or more episodes over a lifetime. About 5% experience recurrent infections that keep coming back. These numbers call for simple steps that work.
Let Dr. Josef Schenker set the stage for symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention. If you want to know more, read on.
Dr. Josef Schenker Explains the Symptoms of a Yeast Infection
Vulvovaginal yeast infections show up in a few consistent ways. According to Dr. Josef Schenker, paying attention to early signs helps you decide when to try safe self-care and when to see a clinician for testing. Take a quick look at the symptoms many people notice first:
- Vaginal or vulvar itching: Itching is the symptom people report most. The feeling can range from mild to intense and may worsen at night or after exercise.
- Thick, white discharge without a strong odor: Many notice a thick, white discharge that can look like cottage cheese. The smell is usually minimal compared with other vaginal infections.
- Burning or soreness around the vulva: Stinging or burning can occur at rest and with daily activities like wiping or wearing tight clothing. Irritation often comes from inflamed skin and tissue.
- Painful urination that feels “on the skin” (external dysuria): Burning may feel worse when urine touches irritated vulvar skin. That pattern points to surface irritation rather than a bladder infection.
- Redness and swelling (erythema and edema): The vulvar area can look red, puffy, and inflamed. Severe irritation can lead to small cracks or raw spots.
- Pain with sex (dyspareunia): Inflammation can make penetration and friction painful. Lubricants rarely fix the pain while an active infection is present.
- Skin changes such as excoriations or tiny fissures: Repeated scratching can leave shallow breaks in the skin.
It’s important to know that not everyone has all of these symptoms, and none of them are specific to yeast alone. Other conditions like bacterial vaginosis or some STIs can look similar, so testing is useful when symptoms are new, severe, or keep coming back.
What is a Yeast Infection? (Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Overview)
Vulvovaginal candidiasis describes an overgrowth of Candida in the vagina and on the vulva. As Josef Schenker, MD explains, clear basics help you decide when self-care is reasonable and when testing is the smarter next step. If you want quick clarity, scan the essentials below before moving on.
Here are the key facts about vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC):
- Cause and microbiology: Candida albicans causes most vaginal yeast infections. Candida normally lives in small amounts in the vagina without causing illness. Overgrowth creates infection and symptoms.
- Colonization vs infection and pH: Candida can be present without causing disease, and treatment is not needed when there are no symptoms. Typical vaginal pH remains in the normal range (under 4.5) with VVC, which helps distinguish it from other causes of vaginitis. Microscopy of vaginal discharge or a positive culture confirms infection.
- Clinical categories: VVC falls into two groups based on severity, recurrence, species, and host factors. Uncomplicated VVC is mild to moderate, sporadic, and likely due to C. albicans in otherwise healthy patients. Complicated VVC includes recurrent disease, severe inflammation, non-albicans species, or infection in people with diabetes or immunocompromise.
Who is more likely to develop it? Antibiotics, pregnancy, diabetes, and conditions or medicines that weaken the immune system increase risk. Some people have episodes without an obvious trigger. Good control of blood sugar helps reduce risk in diabetes.
Non-albicans Candida (for example, C. glabrata) appears more often in recurrent cases and may respond less well to common azole medicines. Culture and, when available, susceptibility testing help guide therapy in complicated or persistent infections.
Can You Stop a Yeast Infection From Getting Worse or Coming Back?
When symptoms start, two goals help most. Calm the irritation now and lower the chance of another episode. As Josef Schenker, MD notes, a simple plan works best: confirm the cause, treat fully, then address triggers early.
- Confirm the cause before repeating OTC treatments: Symptoms can look like other vaginal conditions, so testing prevents missed diagnoses. Self-treatment that fails or symptoms that return within two months should prompt a checkup. Wet mount or culture confirms yeast and guides the next step.
- Finish the full course and use longer “induction” for repeat episodes: Short courses work for many first infections, but recurrent cases need a longer start. A typical plan is 7–14 days of topical therapy or fluconazole on days 1, 4, and 7 to reach remission.
- Use maintenance therapy for recurrent infections: Weekly fluconazole for six months reduces recurrences, and intermittent topical options help when pills are not suitable. Suppressive therapy controls symptoms, yet cures are uncommon after stopping, so follow-up matters.
If recurrences continue despite these steps, ask about culture and susceptibility testing. That helps detect resistant strains and refines treatment, including maintenance options and specialist referral when needed.
How Long Does a Yeast Infection Last?
Yeast infection timelines depend on severity and the treatment used. Most uncomplicated infections start to feel better within 1–3 days after treatment begins, with full relief in about a week. If symptoms are not improving within roughly 72 hours, plan a check-in.
As Josef Schenker, MD reminds patients, time frames guide next steps but do not replace testing when symptoms linger or come back.
Recurrent yeast infections follow a staged schedule. Many plans start with 7–14 days of therapy to quiet symptoms, then step into maintenance (often weekly fluconazole) for six months. That schedule reduces recurrences while treatment continues.
Untreated yeast infections can last for weeks and sometimes months. Seek care sooner for fever, pelvic or abdominal pain, a strong odor, green or gray discharge, or if symptoms fail to improve within about 72 hours of starting treatment.
You can visit an urgent care facility like Centers Urgent Care for testing and same-day treatment. Our teams can check a sample, rule out look-alike conditions, and tailor a pregnancy-safe or diabetes-aware plan when needed.
Josef Schenker, MD, Explains Yeast Infection Treatment and Management
Yeast infection treatment works best when the plan matches the cause and severity. It’s best to start with proven options, finish the full course, and adjust when infections recur or look different.
Here are treatment and management essentials:
- Uncomplicated first steps: Most uncomplicated infections clear with a single 150-mg fluconazole tablet or short-course topical azoles used for 1–3 days.
- Severe symptoms need longer therapy: Marked redness, swelling, fissures, or widespread irritation lowers response to short regimens. Recommended options are 7–14 days of topical azole or fluconazole 150 mg in two doses 72 hours apart.
- Recurrent infections use a two-stage plan: Induction aims for remission with 7–14 days of topical therapy or fluconazole on days 1, 4, and 7. Maintenance then continues with weekly fluconazole for six months; suppressive therapy controls symptoms but is rarely curative after stopping.
- Non-albicans species call for alternatives: Longer courses with a non-fluconazole azole are suggested first. If infection returns, vaginal boric acid 600 mg once daily for three weeks achieves about 70% clinical and mycologic eradication.
- Pregnancy changes the plan: Only 7-day topical azoles are recommended during pregnancy. Oral fluconazole is avoided due to associations with spontaneous abortion and congenital anomalies in epidemiologic studies.
- Diabetes and immune conditions may require longer courses: Poorly controlled blood sugar and immunosuppression reduce response to short regimens, so 7–14 days is often needed. SGLT2 inhibitor medicines list higher rates of genital mycotic infections.
- When to culture and check resistance: Culture or PCR helps in complicated cases and when symptoms persist after guideline-directed therapy. C. albicans azole resistance is increasingly reported, and non-albicans species often respond poorly to common azoles.
- OTC care and product tips: Overuse of OTC treatments can delay the right diagnosis, so evaluation is advised if symptoms don’t improve.
Yeast infection care benefits from the right match between diagnosis and therapy. If symptoms are severe, keep coming back, or begin during pregnancy or while taking medicines that raise risk, schedule an exam for testing and a tailored plan.
How to Avoid Yeast Infections?
Prevention focuses on protecting the vaginal environment and reducing known triggers. As Josef Schenker notes, small daily habits make a real difference. Use the steps below to lower risk and feel more in control:
- Choose breathable underwear and keep moisture low: Cotton underwear and loose, breathable clothing help the area stay dry, which reduces yeast growth. Changing out of damp clothes after workouts or swimming prevents prolonged moisture on the skin.
- Skip douching and fragranced products: Douching disrupts vaginal microbes and is linked to more infections, so major guidelines advise against it. Scented soaps, pads, and toilet paper can irritate sensitive tissue and worsen itching.
- Use antibiotics only when needed, and plan ahead if you often get yeast afterward: Antibiotics can raise short-term risk for vulvovaginal candidiasis by reducing protective bacteria. If you commonly flare during antibiotic courses, ask your clinician about a preventive antifungal taken at the same time.
- Balance activity and skin care: Long hours in tight, non-breathable gear trap heat and sweat and can worsen irritation. Choose looser layers for exercise and change promptly after.
- Be cautious with probiotics and “natural” products: Evidence for probiotics as prevention is mixed and generally low-certainty. Some reviews show possible short-term benefit as an add-on to antifungals, but not as a reliable stand-alone strategy.
Prevention does not replace testing when symptoms are new, severe, or keep coming back. If you notice signs that don’t fit your usual pattern, or if OTC care has failed, schedule an exam so the cause can be confirmed and look-alike conditions ruled out.
What to Do if Someone Has a Yeast Infection
First steps focus on relief and the right diagnosis. Symptoms can look similar to other causes of vaginitis. Use the checklist below to move from “unsure” to treated:
- Confirm the cause, especially when symptoms are new or keep coming back.
- Start an appropriate antifungal and finish the full course.
- Pause sex until treatment is complete and symptoms resolve.
- Soothe irritation with short, warm sitz baths while medicine works.
- Keep the area cool and dry.
- Tell your clinician about recent antibiotics, diabetes, or immune conditions.
- Know when to seek prompt care instead of self-treating.
- Don’t treat partners routinely unless they have symptoms.
If you are unsure what you are dealing with, or if relief has not started within about 72 hours of treatment, book an exam. A clinician can check a sample under the microscope, send a culture when needed, and rule out other causes so you get the right plan the first time.
Josef Schenker, MD, Answers Frequently Asked Questions:
No drink can kill a vaginal yeast infection. Effective treatment requires antifungal medicine such as single-dose oral fluconazole or short topical azole courses. Vinegar, juices, or probiotic drinks lack proven benefit. Doctors do not recommend probiotics or home remedies alone as therapy for yeast infections.
Clean yourself during a yeast infection by rinsing the vulva gently with warm water, avoiding soap on the area, and patting dry instead of rubbing. Keep the area cool and dry by wearing breathable cotton underwear. Avoid douching, scented washes, or fragranced products that can worsen irritation.
Conditions commonly mistaken for a yeast infection include bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, contact or irritant dermatitis, and some sexually transmitted infections. These can mimic itching, burning, and discharge. Studies show two-thirds of people using OTC yeast medicine do not actually have yeast, making testing important.
Yeast is killed fastest by antifungal medicine. Uncomplicated infections clear with either a single 150-mg fluconazole tablet or a 1–3 day course of topical azole cream. Symptoms should improve within about 72 hours; if not, medical review is needed to confirm diagnosis or adjust treatment.
You can wear a pad with a yeast infection to catch topical medicine and protect underwear, but always use unscented pads and change them often to reduce moisture. Doctors usually recommend pads instead of tampons during infection. Keeping the area dry with breathable cotton underwear helps healing.
Yes, you can go to urgent care for a yeast infection. A clinician can examine you, check a vaginal sample under the microscope, and provide antifungal treatment. This ensures proper diagnosis, rules out conditions that mimic yeast, and allows faster relief with the right medicine.
Take Control: Address Yeast Infections Effectively
Yeast infections are uncomfortable but manageable when addressed early with the right care. From recognizing symptoms to following proper antifungal treatment and practicing prevention, each step reduces discomfort and lowers the risk of recurrence. Understanding when to seek medical help ensures you receive safe and effective guidance tailored to your needs.
For reliable testing and same-day care, visit an urgent care facility in New York where experienced clinicians can provide treatment and clarity. At Centers Urgent Care, our dedicated team, led by Dr. Josef Schenker, offers compassionate support, accurate diagnosis, and proven treatment plans to restore your comfort and prevent future episodes.
Don’t let symptoms linger or keep coming back. Locate a Centers Urgent Care near you and get expert care today.
About Josef Schenker, MD:
Dr. Josef Schenker, a board-certified expert in internal medicine and emergency medical services, brings extensive experience and compassion to his role as Medical Director and Partner at Centers Urgent Care. With leadership in SeniorCare Emergency Medical Services and as an Attending Physician at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Dr. Schenker oversees critical care and treatment protocols across varied medical needs. His dedication extends to chairing NYC REMAC, ensuring adherence to state standards in emergency medical procedures. At Centers Urgent Care, Dr. Schenker's expertise ensures prompt, high-quality emergency care for patients of all ages, supported by state-of-the-art facilities including a dedicated pediatric suite.
