Guide to candida: types of infection, how to detect, prevent and treat them
Candida is the scientific name of a very popular yeast. It is a type of fungus that lives in practically all tissues and surfaces, and also commonly in different parts of our body.
That is to say, the majority of candida live with us regularly and does not cause unpleasant symptoms nor is it necessary to eradicate them from our body. Of course, if these begin to grow in number, they can end up causing discomfort and even serious problems.
If the human immune system works well, it is capable of keeping the growth of these fungi in our body at bay. Only in cases where the immune system is less effective, these fungi can proliferate and cause a candida infection. This is called candidiasis or moniliasis.
It is one of the most frequent diseases that affect humans, both men and women. And it could be said that practically everyone will suffer from it throughout their life at some point.
Vaginal candidiasis, for example, affects up to 3 in 4 women at some point in their lives.
The one responsible for most of these infections is the subspecies called Candida Albicans. Its uncontrolled proliferation causes alterations, especially in the different mucous membranes of the human body.
Types of candidiasis
Thrush
It can occur in the oropharyngeal area, where it manifests itself in the form of white spots in the mouth. It is called Muguet.
Candidiasis in the esophagus
It can also appear in the area of the esophagus, causing pain or difficulty swallowing.
Candidiasis on the skin
It can appear on the skin and cause itching and rashes, especially in large folds – armpits, groin, fold between the buttocks, fold under the breast or around the neck – as well as between the fingers and toes or on the nails.
Invasive candidiasis or candidemia
It can even appear in vital organs (heart, brain, spleen, kidneys or eyes...) or in the blood, something very unusual and much more dangerous than other candidiasis. These more serious types of candidiasis are known as invasive candidiasis, when it affects other organs, or candidemia, when it affects the blood.
Genito-perianal candidiasis
But, without a doubt, despite representing only 20-30% of cases, the most talked about among women is genito-perianal candidiasis. The proliferation of fungi in the vagina ends up causing a really annoying and even disabling vaginitis.
Vaginal yeast infection is not considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, it is not recommended to maintain relationships while the symptoms last because they could aggravate the symptoms. In addition, there appears to be a higher risk of vaginal yeast infection after the first sexual intercourse.
What there does seem to be more evidence of is the possible contagion between individuals when practicing oral sex, potentially spreading the infection to other parts of the body. In this case, the infected person could in turn transmit the infection to another person sexually, orally or vaginally.
How to detect candida
For its diagnosis, most of the time an analysis of the symptoms is sufficient. However, it is best to go to a healthcare professional who can analyze the extent of the infection. In addition, a gynecological examination with tissue sampling will also help in the diagnosis.
Samples of vaginal discharge can be examined directly under the microscope for a quick and more accurate diagnosis. Or a sample could be taken to perform a culture for a few days to confirm the infection. Furthermore, today there are molecular biology tests that not only detect whether or not there is presence of candida, but also. It tells us the subtype and informs us of all the microbiota in the environment, such as these tests. molecular biology LINK
Although results are usually ready within a few days, some yeast infections develop slowly and results may take several weeks.
There are also some more rudimentary systems to carry out at home, with which you can guess if there is a candida infection. Even so, it is always advisable to go to a specialist:
1. Check the color of the tongue
A whitish color, especially in the background, could increase the chances of suffering from some type of candidiasis or fungal infection.
2. Perform the saliva test
You can use saliva first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking anything, to do this test. You only need a glass of water on which you will have to spit. Then you should observe what happens to the saliva over the next hour. The saliva should float during this entire period of time. If there was excessive colonization of candida, the saliva would form a type of thread that would sink until it accumulated at the bottom of the glass. Or it could also be particles of saliva suspended inside the glass.
3. Analyze the symptoms of candidiasis
The vast majority of the time, it is the symptoms that best guide us in detecting a candidiasis.
This is a list of the most characteristic symptoms so that you can identify them:
- Intense itching or itching in the vagina and vulva.
- Burning sensation, especially when urinating or having sex.
- Vaginal pain and discomfort.
- Vaginal rash.
- Excess thick, white but odorless or watery discharge.
- The scales can be analyzed through a smear or through a mycological culture of the vaginal sample taken.
Symptoms of candidiasis in men
In men, penile candidiasis is more common in cases of diabetes or in men who retain the foreskin (has not been circumcised). And symptoms include redness in the genital area, itching and/or burning, and a rash on the head of the penis, which can be painful.
Additional indicators of the presence of fungi
Often, there are also a series of indicators that appear when there are fungi - whether vaginal, oropharyngeal or cutaneous - that are not localized ones. And they can serve to confirm a diagnosis. These are:
- Foggy mind or mental nebula: mushrooms produce neurotoxic substances such as alcohol, which make us feel slightly drunk.
- Rhinitis, stuffy nose, itching, eczema: due to another neurotoxic metabolite (acetaldehyde), the endogenous production of histamine increases and with it, allergy symptoms.
- Tiredness, chronic pain, headaches and migraines due to activation of the immune system.
- Irritable bowel, diarrhea, gas and repeated urinary infections.
- Premenstrual syndrome.
- Anxiety, depression and lack of concentration.
How to get a vaginal yeast infection
The main reasons why a person contracts a candida infection could be grouped into four:
Changes in the acidity of the tissues of the vagina.
It is known as vaginal pH and should always remain slightly acidic.
pH is short for “Hydrogen Potential” and indicates the acidity of a substance on a scale from 0 to 14. The lower the number on the scale, the more acidic the substance is.
When the vagina loses its usual acidity, the right environment is created for different types of microorganisms to proliferate, including fungi. This loss of acidity can occur physiologically just before menstruation, for example.
But it can also occur in a "not so physiological" way, due to the use of soaps and scented products or the use of vaginal douches. Too tight underwear or other conditions that increase humidity in the vaginal area also favor the change in pH.
On the other hand, proper hygiene prevents pH changes and limits the spread of bacteria in the anal area. It is important to wash your hands both after and before going to the bathroom. And, after urinating, you have to make sure you wipe from front to back and not the other way around.
If your symptoms increase after sex, semen may have something to do with it. It has a more alkaline pH than the vagina and can promote a temporary decrease in the acidity of the area.
Hormonal changes
Candidiasis is more common in women who have a higher level of estrogen. This can occur in women who take birth control pills with high doses of estrogen, who are on hormonal treatment with estrogen, or who use a hormonal IUD.
It must be taken into account that, naturally, the level of estrogen rises during ovulation or just before menstruation, as well as during pregnancy.
For other different reasons, although also hormonal, menopause is also a risk factor for suffering from candidiasis.
Loss of the natural balance of the bacterial flora
The use of antibiotics changes the normal balance of microorganisms in the intestine and also in the vagina. Antibiotics are intended to kill excess bacteria in the body. They kill the bacteria that normally live in the body and that compete with Candida and keep it at bay.
Therefore, its use weakens this self-control function between bacteria and allows the Candida fungus to proliferate in an uncontrolled manner.
For this same reason, digestive alterations maintained over time, which also affect the intestinal microbiota, can be the origin of repeated candida infections. And, similarly, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy also tend to alter these bacteria that control candida, making these patients more sensitive to suffering from them.
Decreased immune system
If the person's immune system is impaired, they will be more sensitive and prone to infections of all kinds, including candidiasis. Thus, situations that compromise the efficiency of the immune system can favor the appearance of candidiasis.
These situations may be the use of corticosteroids sustained over time; suffer from chronic infections (HIV and others), self-intoxication processes due to too much intestinal permeability or a habitually altered digestive system.
Other risk factors in candidiasis
As we said, the amount of candida, as well as many other microorganisms that normally live in the vagina, is naturally maintained in balance. This is thanks to the proper functioning of the body, which is designed for this.
Therefore, anything that can alter the body's natural way of functioning is a distorting element, which can favor the appearance of candida. Some of the most important:
Improper diet
Mushrooms “love” glucose and all those foods that raise blood sugar: from pastries, bread and pasta to candy, soft drinks or alcohol.
Eating these foods, rich in sugars and carbohydrates, stimulates the growth of microorganisms that alter the state of our mucous membranes. And with this, they also favor the development of candida in the vaginal mucosa.
Likewise, cereals – especially those containing gluten – have the ability to irritate and make our mucous membranes more sensitive. This slight but constant inflammation makes these tissues vulnerable to attack by different types of pathogens.
Furthermore, the abuse of these foods can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, with all that this entails.
chronic stress
Stress sustained over time is clearly immunosuppressive.
The state of chronic stress is too costly for the human body, which is forced to neglect certain functions in order to keep this condition active. This prevents the correct functioning of the base organization.
Additionally, the hormones we generate when stressed have a devastating effect on immune function. It makes us less protected from the attack of any pathogen and less active when it comes to reacting to fungi such as Candida.
Obesity and/or diabetes
Women with high blood sugar are at higher risk of getting yeast infection.
Women with uncontrolled diabetes are even more at risk of developing it. In these cases, the mucosal tissues contain more sugar than in other people. And we have already discussed how sugar is gasoline for Candida, among other microorganisms.
Toxic exposure
It is believed that exposure to heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic or lead favor candida infection processes.
People with many gray fillings in their mouth for years could develop greater sensitivity to Candida infections and other pathogens.
In the case of arsenic, excessive consumption of brown rice could become a risk factor. And drinking tap water from older lead-based plumbing systems can also create increased susceptibility.
How to fight candidiasis
The conventional treatment to resolve a yeast infection is through medications. There are several and topical treatments can or are usually combined with oral systemic treatments. In both cases, the health professional who treats you will recommend the most appropriate one in your specific case.
Medical treatments against candida must be prescribed by your doctor and are usually available in all pharmacies, so it is not usually difficult to get the right preparation for your case.
In cases where topical or oral medications are ineffective or if the infection is very serious, other antifungal medications administered intravenously in a hospital setting are used. It is not usual to reach this point, but we discuss it so that you can see that there is a specific therapeutic arsenal for each type, moment and need.
As you can see, the pharmaceutical part is prepared to respond, however, it is important to carry out many other healthy practices to avoid reaching this point or to strengthen therapeutic effectiveness. Here we give you several recommendations.
Recommendations to avoid candidiasis
Even if you are already undergoing medical treatment for candida, it will be very useful to study the possible causes that led your body to allow these fungi to grow excessively. From here, take measures so that the body can permanently avoid these outbreaks of infection.
Eat a healthy diet low in sugar.
This implies that it is even low in sugars from fruit. Additionally, consume enough quality protein (fish, shellfish, poultry and eggs) and adequate fats (EVOO, coconut, ghee, nuts, oily fish). Another recommendation is to avoid processed foods (sausages, hamburgers, sausages) and fermented foods of all kinds (beer, cheese, yogurt, vinegar, wine). It is also advisable to avoid fried foods and industrialized foods, such as canned foods, snacks, French fries, frozen meals, fast food and concentrated broths. And avoid mushrooms because they are fungi.
Minimize antibiotic consumption
As we have seen, antibiotics kill bacteria (also those that are beneficial and fight against the growth of Candida). Therefore, the use of antibiotics should always be prescribed by a doctor, and only in necessary cases.
And if they have to be taken, it is interesting to combine them with taking probiotics.
Strengthen the immune system
It is important to fight against the growth of candida by increasing and strengthening the immune system and adrenal glands (this includes rest, reducing stress, having an adequate diet and doing physical exercise).
Avoid tight and synthetic clothing.
It is important to avoid sweating excessively or wearing wet clothing for long periods of time. In this sense, pads or cups must be changed regularly during menstruation, in addition to using breathable materials (cottonlike).
Maintain correct mucosal hygiene
Hygiene is always interesting, but in the case of intimate areas, highly aromatic personal hygiene products should be avoided. Washing with water would be enough.
The healing prospects are good as long as these two approaches are taken into account: the one that reduces the existing fungal load and the one that enables a better base condition so that these crises are not repeated. If the factors that have predisposed to candidiasis are not treated, it is very likely that the infections will become recurrent and successive.
In all cases, it is essential to improve the condition of the mucosa. To do this, it is necessary to reeducate the person in healthy habits to maintain them. It is essential to maintain optimal pH levels of the mucosa. And, finally, repopulate the flora that has been deteriorated with probiotics.
Treatment of candidiasis from natural medicine
From the most natural medicine, these processes can be accompanied in various ways. In mild cases they can be a very interesting remedy and, in all cases, they can contribute positively to the treatment.
- You can use essential oils capable of generating a hostile environment for fungi, such as tea tree, oregano or mint.
- In addition, it can be positive to use foods ancestrally used to eliminate pathogens from the body such as garlic (aniline), grapefruit seeds or lapacho tea, also called Pau d'Arco.
- Antifungal infusions are less powerful, but they are still positive for the process and are easy to maintain over time as preventives. Cumin, fennel, thyme, bay leaf, sage or mint could be used.
- It is important to help rebalance the variety of flora for the self-control of microorganisms. For this, you can use caprylic acid, especially present in coconut oil. Or take probiotics such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 strains.
The appearance of candida, especially when it recurs over time, can be a symptom that other things are going wrong in the body. Without a doubt, let yourself be guided by a professional in the field who knows how to evaluate the extent of your infection and knows how to assess what would be the best approach for your particular case.
Courage and patience! Sometimes these processes are longer than we would all like.
References:
- May Cinic
- University of Navarra Clinic
- Xavier Verdaguer
- Vargas, SL. et al. Modulating effect of dietary carbohydrate supplementation on Candida albicans colonization and invasion in a neutropenic mouse model. NIH National Library of Medicine. 1993.
- Martinez, RC et al. Improved treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis with fluconazole plus probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. Letters in Applied Microimmunology. 2009. Mar;48(3):269-74.
