Alternative causes of chronic yeast infections

DEAR DR. GOTT: I’ve noticed in the past there have been more letters from females about reoccurring yeast infections. My wife had that problem for several years before her doctor had her A1C checked and found she was type 2 diabetic. Once her diabetes was under control, she had no more problems.

DEAR DR. GOTT: A while ago, you had a column about a lady with a chronic yeast infection. Many years ago, I had a recurring problem in the same area. For months, my OB/GYN and I tried a variety of pills and ointments, but the irritation always returned. I discovered the cause by accident. When we were traveling in our motor home, I had no problem. But it came back as soon as we returned home. The culprit was the extra-soft toilet paper we used at home. I have been using the simple septic-tank-friendly paper ever since and have no more irritation.

DEAR READERS: Diabetes increases the risk of developing skin and yeast infections. Undiagnosed, uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes increases the risk. It also increases the chances of nerve and kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, cancer, foot damage, brain problems and more. Diabetes can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

Now to the extra-soft toilet paper. I have never heard of this causing a problem so this is completely new to me. I chose to print your letter because switching toilet-paper brands/types is a simple, inexpensive change that may be extremely beneficial to many people.

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