Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms of a Yeast Infection?

• Painless white patches in your mouth or throat that may come off when you eat or brush your teeth; this indicates oral thrush, most common in infants, the elderly, and AIDS patients.
• White patches in the mouth and throat, sometimes associated with painful swallowing; these are symptomatic of esophageal thrush, a potential complication of AIDS.
• Peeling skin on the hands, especially between the fingers and swollen nail folds above the cuticle; possibly painful, red and containing pus.
• Itchy or burning shiny, pink rash with a scaly or blistered edge in the folds of the skin. This indicates intertrigo, a yeast infection in the folds of skin.
• In women, vaginal itching and irritation; redness and swelling of the vulva; unusually thick, white discharge; pain with emptying the bladder; and pain during intercourse. These are signs of a vaginal yeast infection, also known as moniliasis.
• In men, red patches and blisters at the end of the penis and around the foreskin, possibly accompanied by severe itching and pain.  These are symptoms of balanitis.

Call Your Doctor If:

• You have any of the symptoms for the first time; you need a professional evaluation before beginning treatment.
• The infection does not respond to treatment or recurs; you may have a more serious disorder such as diabetes or an HIV infection.