Understanding Male Yeast Infection Symptoms

Yeast infections do not just occur in women but can occur in men as well. Yeast infections start with an overgrowth of yeast or Candida in the stomach. We all have this yeast in our stomachs but certain things can cause this yeast to get out of control and manifest itself in a variety of different yeast related problems. Understanding and identifying male yeast infection symptoms can help you catch the problem early before it gets to bad or from spreading the infection to others.

Because male yeast infection symptoms can be similar to other problems such as genital herpes you should always go to a doctor to have a complete exam the first time you get a yeast infection. While you can get a yeast infection from having unprotected sex with a partner that is already infected a yeast infection is not considered a sexually transmitted disease because you can get a yeast infection even if you have not had sex. Sexually active men however should be screened for sexually transmitted diseases even if they think it is a yeast infection.

Symptoms of a yeast infection will start with a burning or irritation of the penis especially when urinating. This irritation can also be accompanied by intense itching. Men may also get small red bumps in the genital area and the tip of the penis may appear red, inflamed and may have blisters on it. There may be a thick white discharge from the penis that may look somewhat like yeast.

Keep in mind that many of these symptoms are very similar to genital herpes, in particular the red bumps, blisters and irritation and itching. This is one of the reasons it is so important to get checked by a doctor before attempting to treat a yeast infection. Medications for yeast infections will not treat herpes and you could inadvertently pass the infection on to someone else if you are unaware that what you have is not a yeast infection.

Once you have seen the doctor and your yeast infection has been diagnosed, he will either give you a cream to use or will advise you to use the cream that is available for women’s yeast infections over the counter. They are both the same cream so it will not matter which way you choose to go, however be sure that if your partner has symptoms of a yeast infection they get treated as well or you will pass it back and forth. Yeast infection symptoms in men are a bit different from women’s symptoms however white discharge, burning and itching are common hallmarks of the infection.