What is Candida Overgrowth?

One of the most common conditions I diagnose and treat is Candida overgrowth. It’s also one of the most underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and mistreated conditions conventionally.  Candida is a yeast, a type of fungus. In some people, Candida can be found in different areas of the body under normal circumstances.  When the body is healthy, the amount of yeast is kept in check by a healthy immune system and healthy gut bacteria.

What makes candida unique is that it is an opportunist. This means if the conditions are right, candida will overgrow and wreak havoc on the rest of your system. Candida can overgrow in areas like your

• Skin
• Mouth
• Tongue
• Throat
• Intestines
• Vagina

Candidiasis refers to the fungal infection caused by candida overgrowth, commonly seen with the yeast species Candida Albicans, but can occur with many other types of candida as well. When candida grows out of control it releases biotoxins and can harm the intestinal wall. This can contribute to what’s known as “leaky gut”, a condition where the intestinal cell wall layer tight junctions are damaged. This causes leakage into the bloodstream, releasing toxins and byproducts that can harm your other organs.

Having too much candida can also suppress your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections and autoimmune disease.

What Causes Candida Overgrowth?

Candida overgrowth can cause you to feel unwell. This is especially true in patients with autoimmune conditions and gastrointestinal issues. It can also be true in anyone who is experiencing challenges with mood, sleep, or skin conditions.

In a healthy gut, candida growth is kept in check by your beneficial gut bacteria. You have trillions of microorganisms in your body that live symbiotically with you. They also create your second genome, dictating virtually every aspect of health and disease.

If the delicate balance of the healthy gut bacteria is disturbed, this can cause and allow candida to multiply and cause health problems.

There are several ways your gut microbial balance can be disturbed:

• Antibiotics
• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents)
• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
• Other forms of synthetic hormone use like progestin-only contraceptives such as Depo Provera injections, and IUD such as the Mirena IUD, the Skyla IUD, and implantable devices such as Nexplanon can cause this problem
• Alcohol abuse
• Poor diet
• High sugar intake
• Environmental toxins
• Chronic stress
• Immune deficiencies
• Autoimmune diseases

The causes for candida overgrowth are many, but how do you know if you have it?

What Are The Symptoms Of Candida?

If you have an imbalance of candida, it can throw many other things off balance. I have worked with numerous patients suffering from symptoms of candida overgrowth symptoms, such as:

• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Skin issues
• Acne
• Eczema
• Digestive Issues
• Allergies
• Sinus problems
• Frequent infections
• Frequent/Recurrent UTIs
• Prostatitis
• Bloating and gas
• Sugar cravings
• Nail fungus
• Coated tongue (thrush)
• Skin rashes and eczema
• Vaginal yeast infections
• Autoimmune Disease

Left untreated, candida overgrowth can lead to chronic inflammation, and sometimes autoimmune diseases.

Conventional Treatments for Candida

Unfortunately, conventional treatments often overlook candida as the culprit causing your symptoms. Because of this, treatments may involve medications like antibiotics that actually worsen the root cause. This can worsen yeast overgrowth.

Vaginal yeast infections are often treated with a single dose of antifungals. Again, this does not identify or address the real underlying problem, such as candida in the gut.