Not logged in
Is Candida Overgrowth Affecting Your Health?
By Jim Schreiber on 02/03/2011
Do you experience symptoms like chronic fatigue, digestive problems, or vaginal infections with no real explanation? You're not alone. Estimates now suggest that up to 25% of Americans may suffer from yeast related problems - both men and women.
Candida overgrowth - also known as yeast infection or simply 'Candida' - is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide and causes symptoms such as chronic fatigue, skin rashes, recurring vaginal yeast infections, or digestive problems. Despite the fact that many conventional doctors still deny its existence, public awareness of Candida overgrowth has continued to grow.
Candida yeast infection usually occurs in individuals with an overgrowth of an intestinal organism called Candida albicans due to an unhealthy diet high in sugar, prolonged stress, or overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Once the Candida albicans overwhelms the healthy bacteria in your gut, it can negatively affect your health in numerous ways.
Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth
Candida overgrowth is a common health problem of today as up to 75% of all women will experience a yeast infection in their lifetime. However, yeast infection can be far more complex and present a wide variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms:
- constant fatigue
- recurring vaginal infections
- rashes - skin, mouth, sexual organs
- flu-like symptoms
- headaches
- constipation or diarrhea, bloating
- foggy brain
- food allergies
There are many symptoms of Candida yeast infection, but they all start because of out-of-control growth of Candida cells in the intestines. There it may produce a number of toxic by-products that may infiltrate the bloodstream. The result is a fight, and your body is the prize.
Treatment of Candida Overgrowth
There are two different approaches for dealing with Candida overgrowth:
- Conventional medicine generally focuses on reducing the symptoms of the disease of Candida overgrowth. Drugs like Nystatin, Diflucan, Sporanox, or Lamisil can be prescribed to reduce the amount of Candida albicans yeast in the body. While these drugs can help over the short term, many people will experience recurring yeast infections in the long run.
- Holistic approach is usually the only long-term solution for Candida overgrowth. The holistic approach tries to address the root cause of Candida infection to permanently prevent it from recurring and to improve your overall health. This is something - by the way - that conventional medicine with synthetic drugs misses entirely.
Chronic yeast infection is a modern day disease that has reached epidemic proportions. However, thousands of patients with Candida overgrowth have already been helped or cured with antifungal, probiotic and diet therapy. Educating yourself thoroughly about the symptoms and causes of this condition is your first step to better health.
Printer-friendly versionAbout the author
James Schreiber raises awareness of chronic candidiasis. Learn more at http://www.ecandida.com/candida-albicans/
Email this Article
Comments
Steve
Candida is an insidious hidden condition, it can lead to other problems as the toxins invade the body. The bacteria, becomes a fungus, a thick mat coats the intestines and shoots tendrils into the intestinal lining, thinning the lining. Now you have leaky gut syndrome where your bowels are perforated and you are "leaking" bowel matter into your blood stream, your auto immune system kicks into panic mode and starts to fight anything and everything, including organs like your thyroid, liver, spleen, etc... where ever the toxins, and bowel matter has spread to, that would include your BRAIN. that is why the "brain fog".
This is what happened to me. Doctors are USELESS. They only treat symptoms unless it is blatantly in front of them what the cause is. They did not even suspect that it was a problem with me. It was my Chiropractor who discovered it. And only because he'd had it 15 years earlier!!!!!! So he suspected something!!!!! But 45 days of Undecenoid acid did not do the trick. So, I went on-line and found THREELAC. It is a probiotic treatment, of Candida eating lacto-bacillus. I felt better after the FIRST BOX in about 1 month or 2. After about 5-6 boxes it was under control again. I was on Intestinal Repair Complex supplement for 4 years for the leaky gut syndrome. Even though you get the Candida under control, you still have to deal with the damage done to your intestines and re-thicken the lining. You can also get 15 strain 35 billion colony forming unit probiotics to replenish your DEFICIENCY OF INTESTINAL FLORA AND FAUNA...GOOD bacteria... Your intestines have 100 trillion bacteria, so you need lots of supplement to replenish that. You can still have damage, I am now gluten intolerant. Have Grave's disease, no thyroid, and generally still don't feel well from all this. I do have better days, I don't have the brain fog, I can eat other things again.
Candida is Treatable, if you can catch it early, you have a good chance to get better. Do a search for Candida Test. It is an in home test. FREE. You will know in an hour or less, if you have it. Find Threelac, and you are well on the way to getting better. BUT ONE BOX IS NOT ENOUGH!!!!!!!
I no longer take it, have not taken it for years, but if the candida gets bad again, I will buy more in a NEW YORK MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!
It has been 9 years for me now. At least I can get out, and drive again, go to the bank, and the store, and even visit friends in a nearby city!!!
Thank God for GLUTEN-FREE Flax seed MUFFINS!!!!!!!!!!
Be well and happy!!!!!
Steve
Anonymous
Hi Steve, can you please tell me where to get this "Free" test. I believe I have it, but my naturopathic doctor says the only way to test is via a stool test which would cost me $700. Thanks!
Helen
So much wonderful information you give us. I hope you do not mind if I pass it on?
majkinetor
Free test is probably spit test:
http://www.candida-yeast-problem...
Lori
Add to the list of symptoms chronic sinus infections, chronic urinary tract infections, chronic prostatitis, depression and mood problems, and cravings for bread and other refined carbs, sugar, and vinegar.
Anne Davis
Spit test is also known as saliva test. First thing in the morning you spit into a glass of water. If after a period of time ( I forget exactly now but yu can google this ) yu see long tendrils forming I think that means you are probably have candida albicans. No tendrils I think means no candida. Would supply the link here but I don't have it at my finger tips and would just google it anyway. Good luck!!
val
To kill Candida just drink 1 teaspoon of bi carb soda in a glass of water one or two times a day untill the white coating on your tounge is gone. Bi carb soda is alkaline and Candida cannot live in an alkaline environment.
This treatment, which I read about on the net, worked for my husband who had bad Candida from taking antibotics
sue ripley
well well that would explain then my chronic fatigue syndrome.and the chronic UTI. no wonder the waterfall D mannose is just keeping the symtoms bearable but not curing it.id like to think that the bicarbonate of soda is all you need.could it really be that simple.ill certainly give this a try thanks.i had been binging on loads of chocolates since christmas and then two lot of antibiotics for the UTI .its all making sense now.
Post new comment