Oftentimes, these symptoms aren’t solely resigned to itching and redness, but also contain a range of wider issues.
Some of you, if you’re currently experiencing a yeast infection may be wondering whether or not it will affect your period in any way.
This is a sensible question, considering our menstrual cycle is so closely tied to many of the functions in our body.
Below, we’re going to be taking a deep dive into the subject, and will be taking a closer look at the subject of yeast infections, within the context of menstruation.
To find out more, simply keep reading below, as we take a closer look.
What Is A Yeast Infection?
Now, before we jump straight into the question at hand, and check out whether or not a yeast infection can delay your period, first of all, we’re going to be covering what exactly a yeast infection is.
During their lifetime, around 75 percent of women will experience a yeast infection. It’s an incredibly common problem, to the point where you don’t even need to go to the doctor’s office to grab a prescription anymore.
You can simply purchase the tablet to fight off the infection over the counter at your local chemist.
There is a very delicate PH level demonstrated by the female vagina. A yeast infection occurs when this balance is disrupted, and there’s more bacteria found surrounding the area.
This causes a yeast overgrowth, which in turn, causes a bunch of unpleasant symptoms for those suffering.
Some of the most common symptoms include redness, itchiness, a thick, white discharge, and swelling of the vulva.
Can A Yeast Infection Delay My Period?
Now that we’ve covered what a yeast infection actually is, we can move on to discuss whether or not it can delay your period. The simple answer is no, a year infection cannot delay your period.
If you notice that your period is late this month, then the cause is something else. There has been no medical documentation that yeast overgrowth can disrupt the menstrual cycle.
Despite this, when you’re experiencing your period, and simultaneously have a yeast infection, this can be an incredibly uncomfortable experience.
Yeast is known for thriving in most conditions, and because you’re experiencing your period, it can be incredibly difficult to keep the area dry.
Make sure that you’re changing your sanitary pads frequently, and that you’re washing your hands every time you do so.
In addition to this, make sure that you’re applying your anti fungal cream in order to prevent the infection from worsening.
If you’re finding it too difficult to apply the anti fungal cream because you’re on your period, then you can take over the counter oral tablets to fight the infection too.
The only trouble is that these take a little bit longer to take effect than the previous method.
Most of us will naturally jump to the conclusion that we might be pregnant, but this often isn’t the case. Below, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the key reasons why you might still be waiting for your period to arrive.
Stress
One of the key reasons behind a delayed period is stress. Stress can actually cause us to miss our period and cause a hormonal imbalance within our bodies.
It does this by signalling to a particular area of our brain that’s responsible for regulating our periods. Take a look at your life situation at the moment, and see if there’s anything that could potentially be causing you an irregular amount of stress(see also: Can Stress Cause Ovarian Cysts?).
PCOS
Another thing that’s worth considering is whether or not you might have PCOS. It’s an incredibly common condition that many women suffer from, and one of the key symptoms is irregular periods.
Other symptoms include difficulty losing weight, and an overgrowth of body hair, which might appear on the face.
Weight
Another thing that might disrupt your period is if you have a particularly low body weight. This is because once we reach a certain weight, our bodies will stop ovulating, and not release an egg for fertilisation.
As a result, we could miss our period for that month. This is a common occurrence for those suffering from eating disorders which may cause them to reach an unusually low body weight.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, having a yeast infection, although uncomfortable, can not delay your period.
If you are experiencing a period whilst you have a yeast infection, make sure to change your pads frequently in order to keep the area dry, and make sure that you wash your hands after doing so.
In addition to this, take care to continue applying your antifungal cream. If this is too difficult, then we would recommend that you purchase over the counter medication in order to help rid yourself of the infection.
We hope that you found this article helpful, and that you got the answers you needed.
I'm Clare, the owner and operator of Off The Couch, where I serve as a qualified Nutrition & Health Coach.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, I offer coaching services both locally and globally, providing personalized strategies in nutrition, stress management, sleep quality, and fitness.
My journey into this field began as I navigated my own chronic illnesses, including early menopause, Interstitial Cystitis, Lyme Disease, and hydrocephalus.
