If you have a yeast infection, is it okay to scratch or does that make it worse?

I haven’t had to deal with a yeast infection (knock on wood). This baffled my girlfriends who were all gushing about yeast infections and vaginal issues the other night. So when it comes to yeast infections, I am completely oblivious and ignorant. It’s hard for me to admit that, especially when I can’t provide the least bit of information that can help. Hopefully Dr. Molly can provide some insight and better advice on the subject.

The itching can seem unbearable, can't it? I wouldn't recommend scratching. Your body is reacting to the infection and it might be inflamed and irritated; scratching might just make things feel worse. Instead, try using an external itch relief cream designed for feminine use. In fact, the last time I had to buy yeast infection medication the box of medication actually included a little bottle of the anti-itch cream. It really helped!

The more you scratch, the more you'll itch! Once you start scratching, more irritation and inflammation will happen and you'll feel like you need to scratch even more. It won't make the actual yeast infection worse to scratch but you will feel worse nonetheless! Use a cold damp washcloth and topical yeast creams to soothe, rather than scratch, that itch!