What is it?
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by a yeast called Candida albicans. Candida normally lives on skin and inside the body, such as the mouth, throat, gut, and vagina, without causing problems. But in particular conditions such as weak immune system, stress, a diet rich in sugars and yeasts and low in minerals, antibiotic therapy, it become pathogenic , causing the onset of candidiasis.
- Intestinal Candidiasis (IC) refers to an overgrowth of the Candida yeast genus in the small and large intestines. The main symptoms of this condition are intestinal inflammation, varying bouts of diarrhea and constipation, indigestion, headache, abdominal swelling and dysbiosis.
- Symptoms of oral candidiasis are inflammation of the gums, creamy white lesions on the tongue.
- Symptoms of skin candidiasis are skin itching, flaking, burning, dryness and redness.
- Symptoms of vaginal candidiasis are white discharge that often has a foul smell, Itching and soreness of vagina and vulva, as well as burning.
There are different ways to diagnose an infectious candidiasis.
Healthcare providers can usually diagnose candidiasis in the mouth or throat simply by looking inside. Sometimes a healthcare provider will take a small sample from the mouth or throat. The sample is sent to a laboratory for testing, usually to be examined under a microscope.
Another way is by taking a blood sample or sample from the infected body site and sending it to a laboratory to see if it will grow Candida in a culture.
For intestinal candidiasis, radiographic or endoscopic examination of the digestive tract or a dysbiosis test can be performed.
As previously mentioned, Candida albicans is a normal commensal colonizer of humans. However, in particular conditions, it can give rise to pathogenic, disease-causing cells. This can can be caused by:
- Mechanical causes, i.e. use of urinary or intravascular catheters, burns, trauma and occlusions;
- Long antibiotic therapies, estrogen-progestogen contraceptives, which alter the vaginal bacterial flora or immunosuppressive drugs, which significantly lower the immune defenses.
- Additional predisposing diseases such as diabetes mellitus, AIDS, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism.
Candidiasis can be treated with both medications or natural therapies, based on the use of herbal products.
The main medications used for the treatment of candidiasis are the antifungal drugs, which do not kill the bacterium, but they block the proliferation, so that the the patient’s immune system can eliminate it. Among the main azole antifungals, we have clotrimazole, miconazole and itraconazole.
Or there are echinocandins, which is a category of drugs that inhibit the activity of an enzyme, known as glycan-synthase, responsible for the synthesis of the mycete wall. Among these drugs we have cancidas and mycamine.
But there are also natural remedies for the treatment of candidiasis:
- Tea tree oil is a very efficient natural remedy for treating fungal or bacterial infections. It can be used to wash the inflamed area.
- Apple cider vinegar has the same action as tea tree oil, and can be used to wash the inflamed area.
- You can make compresses with herbs such as chamomile, calendula and sage, with a soothing action for burning or itching of the inflamed area.
- Clove oil, which also has a soothing action for bacterial or fungal infections, can be used for washing the affected area.
- Baking soda can be used as a cleanser of the inflamed area, as it creates a hostile environment for fungal proliferation.
- White yogurt, being rich, rich in lactobacilli, is a common home remedy for candida. It can be applied topically or vaginally.
- It is also important to take care of the lifestyle and the clothing to wear, for example it is forbidden to use microfibre-based briefs or t-shirts, because it raises the body temperature, favoring the development of candida.
- Prefer silk and cotton, which refresh the skin and mucous membranes.
- Women suffering from vaginal candidiasis must use more skirts than tight pants.
- For washing underwear or clothing, do not use chemical detergents, but prefer sodium bicarbonate.
A correct and balanced diet helps us greatly in the prevention of candida. In fact, the first thing to do is to eliminate the excessive consumption of both simple and complex carbohydrates, baked and yeast-rich products, any form of packaged product and products of animal origin with a high percentage of saturated fats, such as red meat, cured meats, cheeses and dairy products.
Therefore, nutritional therapy as a cure for candidiasis provides for the elimination of the previously mentioned foods, as they represent the main sources of nourishment for candida and the integration instead of probiotics and prebiotics, as a strengthening of the intestinal microbiota, in terms of defense against the proliferation of candida in the intestine.
Therefore, fruit and vegetables of various colors, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, should not be missing, consume very lean products of animal origin such as white meat, fish, 2 eggs once a week, prefer the consumption of extra virgin olive oil, of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, frequently supplement foods rich in fiber such as legumes and whole grains, fermented foods such as low-fat white yogurt with no added sugar, miso, kefir, natto and garlic with a natural antibacterial and antifungal action , just one garlic a day is enough, even when chopped into soups or vegetables, to take advantage of its protection.
And finally, carry out cycles of probiotics at least twice a year, rich in lactobacilli of the genus acidophilus, rhamnosus, reuteri, with fungicidal action for Candida albicans.