A Yeast infection is caused by candida albicans, which is basically a group of microscopic yeast and fungi. While these fungi are present in all of us in limited and restrained quantities, when they rapidly multiply due to causes such as hormonal changes it is termed as a yeast infection.

Yeast infection can affect both children and adults and common manifestations of yeast infections are:
Newborn Children: In newborn children, the diaper area and the mouth is most prone to yeast infection, which occurs due to lack of cleanliness and sanitation.

Preteen Children: Children between the ages of three to nine can be afflicted with oral candidiasis in and around their mouth, which is also known as thrush. It generally manifests itself in the form of white patches around the mouth.

Women: Yeast is found in the vagina of most women.

However only they turn into an infection or an overgrowth due to excessive growth and start to cause vaginal burning, discharge and itching. Rampant use of antibiotics and steroids is also blamed and is generally found to be the cause of yeast infections in women. However yeast infection can be caused by many contributing factors such menstruation, pregnancy, sperm, birth control pills and diabetes. Women are more prone to yeast infections during the duration right after menopause.

Men: Yeast infections in men is generally caused by routine use of steroids and antibiotics and maybe further amplified by ailments such as diabetes. Though yeast is present in areas such as armpits, groin and anus, yeast infections generally affect the groin area causing itching at the head of penis, thick white discharges, small blisters on your penis, thus making it a generally itchy area.

However, yeast infections are known to be tricky and many doctors not too familiar with yeast infection can ignore signs such as abnormal weight loss or weight gain, joint pain, bloating, indigestion, craving for sweets – are all symptoms of yeast infection. Yeast infections also have the nasty habit of reappearing over and over again if proper treatment isn’t undertaken.

In extreme cases, generally affecting people with weakened immune systems – when the yeast sprouts roots that perforate the gut wall it can allow harmful toxins to enter the bloodstream and diminishes the chances of survival of the victim to less than 25%.