Most yeast infections are curable at home: an OTC antifungal like miconazole (Monistat, 1 to 7-day courses) clears the majority. If it is your first one, keeps coming back, or comes with unusual discharge or odor - it might not be yeast, and that is when to get checked.
What works: OTC azole antifungals - miconazole or clotrimazole creams/suppositories (1, 3 or 7-day courses; the 7-day is gentler, the 1-day is stronger but can burn), with the external cream for the itch. Fluconazole (Diflucan) - the single oral pill - is prescription in the US but a telehealth visit can send it to your pharmacy same-day, often $10 to $20 cash generic. What does not work: yogurt (eating or otherwise - no decent evidence), garlic, tea tree oil (can burn badly), douching (worsens it - disrupts the protective flora), and apple cider vinegar. While treating: breathable cotton underwear, skip tight clothes, avoid sex during treatment (it irritates and creams weaken condoms), and finish the full course even after symptoms fade. When it is not yeast - the crucial part: bacterial vaginosis (thin gray discharge, fishy odor), STIs like trichomoniasis (yellow-green, itching plus odor), and dermatitis all mimic yeast. First-ever infection, pregnancy, fever or pelvic pain, 4+ infections a year (that is recurrent - needs a workup for causes like diabetes), or no improvement after a full OTC course: those all mean a clinician visit, and telehealth handles most of them. Emergencies skip this list: chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding, or thoughts of self-harm mean call 911, or 988 for a mental health crisis in the US.
What to do
Common questions
How do I know it's a yeast infection and not something else?
The classic yeast picture: intense itching and burning, thick white cottage-cheese discharge with no strong odor, redness and soreness. The mimics: bacterial vaginosis - thin gray-white discharge with a fishy smell and less itch (needs different antibiotics); trichomoniasis - yellow-green frothy discharge with odor and itch (an STI needing prescription treatment); and plain irritant dermatitis from soaps or detergents. Guessing wrong wastes weeks - if it is not the textbook picture, or it is your first, get it checked rather than cycling through creams.
Can I get fluconazole (Diflucan) without a doctor visit?
In the US it is prescription-only - but the visit can be a 10-minute telehealth consult for about $33 to $89, with the pill sent to your pharmacy same-day; generic fluconazole itself runs about $10 to $20 cash. For a classic recurrent yeast infection in someone who knows the pattern, this is often faster than the pharmacy aisle - one pill, done, versus 7 days of cream.
Why do I keep getting yeast infections?
Recurrent yeast (4+ a year) has drivers worth finding: recent antibiotics (they kill the protective bacteria - the classic trigger), uncontrolled blood sugar (yeast loves glucose - recurrent infections occasionally lead to a diabetes diagnosis), tight synthetic clothing, hormonal changes, and steroid or immunosuppressant use. The workup is usually a swab to confirm it really is yeast (resistant species need different drugs) plus a glucose check - then a longer or suppressive treatment plan.
Can men get yeast infections, and can I pass it to my partner?
Men can get them (itching, redness, rash on the penis - treated with the same OTC creams) though it is less common. Yeast is not classified as an STI, but it can pass between partners - if a partner has symptoms, treat both. Sex during treatment is worth skipping anyway: it irritates inflamed tissue, and oil-based antifungal creams weaken latex condoms. Emergencies skip this list: chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding, or thoughts of self-harm mean call 911, or 988 for a mental health crisis in the US.