Some women find taking preventative measures doesn’t seem to help much, but others find they do make a difference. So it makes sense to try the following:

• Change underwear daily and wash underwear in hot water (this destroys fungi).
• Candida likes moist, warm places. So avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing like jeans and pantyhose, and underwear made from synthetic fibres and panty liners.
• Avoid douching, or taking baths with bubble-bath, soap and bath salts, as these can upset the natural balance of the vagina.
• Keep your immune system strong and healthy by eating a well-balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, and not smoking.
• If you are prescribed antibiotics for any reason, ask your doctor whether you should take anti-fungal medications as a precautionary measure.

There isn’t any good evidence that changing your diet will help prevent thrush, although some women find that eating yoghurt or other products containing lactobacilli (so-called ‘good’ bacteria), will help. But applying plain yoghurt directly to the vagina won’t be much help in treating or preventing thrush.