Q: Dr. please how can one effectively treat toilet infection..,candida to be precise? I’ve tried using injections, drugs, all to no avail. Also what are the preventive measures? Thanks

A: This entity called toilet disease is a well-known one, especially in Nigeria, but does not exist anywhere except in our imaginations 😀 Seriously!!! I would love to meet that person who caught a Sexually Transmitted Infection from a toilet seat. The reasons are 1) these infections hardly survive for long outside of the human body and 2) the cold and hard toilet seat is not a great medium for the germs to really grown and multiply. They are also not found in urine. Theoretically, if this is deposited on the toilet seat and one sits down on it immediately and this person has cuts and abrasions on their buttocks, perhaps this can happen. But the odds of this ever happening is seriously negligible…particularly because so many conditions will need to be satisfied! I think that going into the toilet, we should be more worried about observing personal hygiene eg washing our hands and drying thoroughly before leaving.

Now, to candidiasis. This is caused by an organism called Candida, a fungus (yeast). This infection can result in cheesy white (like ground melon/egusi seeds) vaginal discharge and vaginal itching. This itching can lead to irritation in the vagina which can become further infected by bacteria.

Candidiasis is very common in diabetics (the sugar in their urine makes the vagina a rich culture medium for them) and pregnant women who have altered glucose tolerance. This infection is also common in people people whose immune systems are compromised and people who wear tight panties that do not allow their delicate inner selves to ‘breath’. Preferred materials for undies would be cotton and should be loose (I see my fashionistas frowning :D). It also happens in people who take a lot of antibiotics. Normally, some bacteria and fungi (yeast) co-exist peacefully 😀 in the vagina. To encourage this peaceful co-existence, the bacteria produce some acid that hold the yeast in check and prevent their over-growth. When antibiotics are abused, this leads to a situation where the yeast takes over 😉 (almost like a coup, right?). Though this infection can be passed on through sexual intercourse…especially oral-genital contact, it’s not really called an STI because women who are not sexually active can be infected with this.

Treatment is with anti-fungal vaginal tablets and/or anti-fungal cream which can be used for between 1-3 days depending on drug of choice. A single course dose of Fluconazole can also be taken orally. Any of these regimen may be extended if the infection is complicated…let your doctor be the best judge of that 😀

Prevention is targeted at causes:

Wear loose fitting cotton undies 😀

Stay away from or limit time spent in hot tubs or saunas

Stick strictly with the prescription for antibiotics in terms of quantity and duration

Change out of wet clothes eg swim suits as soon as possible

 Have a great day and hey! Remember that you can get your health tips on the go now by texting WELLNESS to 33118. This service is available on the MTN network in Nigeria only, for now. Other countries coming soon!

Here’s to a healthier you!