If you’re a woman between the age of 18-65 then there’s a 75% chance that you will have a yeast infection in the next 12 months. According to most doctors, that number is expected to rise as high as 80% this year. Which means that 4 out of 5 women will suffer with at least one yeast infection by this time next year.

You know the symptoms:
- vaginal irritation; discharge and discomfort
- mild to moderate bloating of the stomach
- foggy thoughts and poor memory
- mood swings
- constipation

That’s the bad news. However, most women are not aware that there’s anything that they can do to assist them in preventing yeast infections. Now let’s talk about some good news.

Here’s a few tips to remember that will go a long way in preventing yeast infections altogether:

* Change your underwear often. If you regularly exercise, you need to be even more vigilant. Use cotton (or silk) panties and not nylon or other synthetics. Avoid wearing your wet bathing suit for too long after swimming. Remember, wet is bad. Dry is good.

* Make sure that you expose your vagina to open air at night. You don’t have to necessarily parade around in the nude, but you want to make sure that you’re getting in some contact with fresh air.

* Eat more yogurt. There’s a healthy bateria in yogurt that we need to keep a yeast infection at bay.

* Take a relaxing bath. Soaking in a bathtub for 20 minutes and then toweling off will actually dry off your skin, preventing yeast infections from forming in the moist areas that they target.

* Avoid antibiotics when appropriate. We all know that we, as a society, have overdone antibiotics in recent years. This can lead to depleted defenses for your body’s natural immune system against yeast infections. Only take antibiotics when it’s the best treatment and don’t take any more than you’re prescribed.

There are a lot more options to consider when talking about preventing yeast infections. A book I recommend is from a professional nutritionist and the author of a best-seller book on yeast infections!