"Vaginal thrush affects millions of women during their lifetime and many women will have several bouts of thrush every year. Some women suffer from thrush on a monthly basis, which can be enormously uncomfortable, inconvenient and even embarrassing.

What is vaginal thrush?
"Thrush is an infection caused by a yeast (fungus) called candida albicans, which occurs naturally in the gut, in the skin and in the vagina. Under normal circumstances, it is kept under control by other ‘friendly’ bacteria in the body, but occasionally it overgrows, which is when problems start.

What symptoms could you experience?
"With vaginal thrush you usually get a thick, white, sticky discharge with soreness and irritation. The discharge can often look like cottage cheese and can have an unpleasant smell. If you are suffering from thrush, you may experience pain during sex and when passing urine. The outside of the vagina may also feel sore and swollen.
"The most irritating symptom is an intense itching around the outside of the vagina, which is definitely worse in some cases than in others.
"Men are also susceptible to thrush, which appears as a discharge from the penis, with soreness and/or reddened skin.

What is the cause?
"Because the yeast candida albicans occurs naturally in the vagina and other parts of your body, something has to happen in order for it to grow out of control.
"There are a number of factors that can do this ..."