Everyday Habits That Could Give you a yeast infection

Got yeast? Yes, you might—even if you’re not burning, itching, or noticing weird discharge when you wipe. Yeast, which is actually a fungus called candida, pretty much always hangs out in the vagina in small numbers. “Yeast likes warm, damp places,” says Nina Ali, MD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Most of the time, that's okay: It’s too acidic in a healthy vagina for yeast to multiply and cause infection. But it doesn’t take much to change a vagina’s pH level and give yeast the green light to take off, which might be why 3 out of every 4 women will have a yeast infection in their lifetime. And once you get one, you’re more likely to get others, though doctors aren’t quite sure why.

Whether or not you're naturally prone to this problem, you might unknowingly be raising your risk by making one or more of these common mistakes.

Letting sugar dominate your diet

You don't have to eat chocolate cake to flood your blood with glucose. Sugar seems to lurk in everything, from ketchup to bread to peanut butter and more. (Watch for these 6 secret sugar bombs you're buying at the grocery store.) And when you consistently take in too much, it can lead to a host of problems—including yeast infections. “If there's more glucose available in your body, that's an energy source for the yeast,” says Ali.

Burning the midnight oil
Are you a night owl? Do you sit up surfing channels or your smartphone until the wee hours? Your lack of sleep is likely doing a number on your immune system. When you don’t get quality shut-eye, your body isn’t well-equipped to fight off infections, and that includes yeast infections. In fact, any habit that keeps you from maintaining good health—staying stressed, not exercising, eating poorly—can wreak havoc on your body’s defenses, says Ali.

Squeezing into tight jeans

Any clothing that’s pressed up against your crotch creates a dark and damp haven for yeast to thrive. Your clothes should be breathable, so that any sweat you get can evaporate quickly. “Anything tight creates that situation where things can't get aired out,” says Cackovic.

Being very overweight can also be problematic. Yeast is a fan of skin folds, and if you have them in your nether regions and don't keep them dry it's easy to end up with infections both within and beyond the vagina. (Skin rashes are common.)