Yes, you can. A yeast infection is caused by an overgrowth of the fungal Candida albicans organism within your body. The organism lives naturally within your intestines and your body’s mucous membranes and is usually held in balance by the good bacteria that also lives in your body.
A hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus – or in some cases the fallopian tubes and the ovaries as well. If you’ve only had the uterus removed, your body will still produce estrogen and progesterone; though if you’ve had the ovaries removed as well, your body will produce less estrogen.
Estrogen is important, because it keeps progesterone levels lower. The lower your estrogen levels, the higher your progesterone – and as I’ve said before, Candida thrives on progesterone (amongst other things).
Truth be told, while your body has undergone a trauma and your estrogen levels may be altered, there is a more likely cause for your post-hysterectomy yeast infection. Most women end up taking a round of antibiotics to prevent infection after surgery, and antibiotics are a huge contributor when it comes to the development of yeast infections. Antibiotics, because they are non-discriminatory and kill off both the good and bad bacteria, allow yeast to thrive as well.
If you’re not generally prone to yeast infections, an OTC treatment will probably clear your infection up within a few days. Avoiding sugars, caffeine, and processed foods will help as well.
If you are prone to yeast infections, you may want to consider whether or not your surgery, antibiotic use (past and present), and other factors have contributed to the development of a systemic yeast infection.
Either way, you should make an appointment with your doctor to make sure you are recovering properly from your surgery and to ensure you actually have a yeast infection and not some other form of vaginitis.
