Natural Treatments for Vaginal Thrush
There are two main ways to treat vaginal thrush. One is to use natural remedies and the other is to use over the counter medication. A lot of women like the idea of using natural remedies as they feel they have more control over what they are putting into their bodies.
The most well known home treatment is using a tampon dipped in natural yogurt and inserted into the vagina. See Using Yogurt to Treat Thrush for more details. But there are other useful remedies that you can use but it has to be said the natural products tend to work best in the early stages of an infection so prompt action is necessary.
Vinegar
One way to cure a yeast infection is to acidify the vagina. This is done to restore the vagina to its usual slightly acidic state as yeasts thrive in the slightly alkaline conditions that occur during an outbreak. Use 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 1 pint of water. Lemon juice can be used instead of the vinegar.Dip a tampon into the solution and leave in overnight. You may have to dilute the vinegar solution still further if you find it causes discomfort and some women find they just can't tolerate it. You can also try adding vinegar to your bath as an alternative.
Bicarbondate of Soda
Another method does the complete opposite to the above and aims to make the vagina more alkaline so it becomes too alkaline for the thrush to survive. If you find you can't tolerate vinegar tampons then this is quite a good alternative. Try a tablespoon or two of bicarbonate of soda in a pint of warm water and leave to cool before use.Garlic
Some women swear by garlic although it may be better at curing bacterial problems rather than thrush. Peel the papery casing off a large clove. Try not to damage the clove itself as the juice will sting once inside the vagina.You can wrap it in a piece of muslin or gauze tied up with a long length of dental floss so that you can retrieve it later or if you're not squeamish you can simply insert the garlic clove straight into the vagina. If you use the latter method you'll find that it naturally works its way out after a few hours (once you're up and out of bed) if you don't want to fumble around trying to hook it out. Leave it in overnight. One drawback is that you will smell of garlic!