Think you may be suffering from a yeast infection? Read and check off the following symptoms below:

• Itching (particularly in the groin area)

• Soreness

• Burning

• Pain during intercourse

• Yeast-smelling discharge

• White, yellow, or greenish cheese-like "milk curds" in the mouth

• Inflammation of skin around finger and toe nails

• Diaper rash

• Increased craving for sugars and breads

And these are only some of the symptoms! If you suffer from any three or more of the above, chances are that you have a yeast infection. So just how did this happen to you?

If you're male or have a child with a yeast infection, you may be a bit confused as to why they have an infection as it is thought of to be a female problem. The reason why we can all have yeast infections is because we all have a fungus on our skin called "Candida Albicans". Though usually harmless (and actually helpful) if the fungus is able to grow beyond what is "healthy" for the human carrier, problems such as yeast infections may occur. This fungus is usually kept in balance by other microorganisms on our skin (bacteria in particular) but there are some things that do disrupt the harmonious environment. We will detail these below.

ANTIBIOTICS & STEROIDS: That's right; the medication that your doctor prescribed to make you better can end up making you sick. Chances are, you were suffering another infection (such as an eye or ear infection) so you began taking antibiotics to get rid of that. That antibiotic treatment was working hard killing off bacteria - bad AND good - so there was no good bacteria to keep the fungus in balance. The fungus was able to multiply and unfortunately the end result was a yeast infection.

HORMONAL & CHEMICAL CHANGES: Women in particular experience many hormonal and chemical changes in their body each month. Every month before a woman gets her period, or if she is pregnant, she is experiencing many different hormonal changes. If a woman is taking birth control, this too alters a woman's hormonal state and can cause a yeast infection.

PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Those with low immunities due to other ailments (such as HIV, AIDS and cancer) often develop a yeast infection as a side effect to their other treatments. If you have diabetes, this is also a common cause for yeast infections. Diabetics secrete more sugar, and sugar helps feed and grow the fungus on our bodies.

There are other reasons why you may be suffering from yeast infections. Be sure to explore all reasons why you may be experiencing a yeast infection to stop it from becoming a recurring problem.