Candida albicans is a yeast-like fungal organism usually found on skin, in the mouth, gut and other mucus membranes. It is also found in small amounts in the intestinal tract. This yeast is considered to be beneficial to the body. But problems in the body’s immune system and imbalance due to an increase in number will result to the medical condition known as candidiasis. This can affect the intestinal tract and as well as the other parts of the body. The yeast develops long legs that are called rhizoids which stick into the mucus membrane. When they are able to penetrate the mucus membrane in the intestinal tract, they cause serious bowel pain. It will develop into a condition called leaky gut syndrome when it is able to penetrate the intestinal wall. Then Candida becomes systemic once it gains access to the whole body. It can reach the joints, organs, sinuses and other body tissues. A disseminated candida infection can also be developed. The presence of the yeast in the blood will cause this and this is considered life-threatening.
Different individuals may go through different manifestations of candidiasis. But there are common symptoms experienced in the sufferers. As the condition worsens, new set of symptoms are had. In the first stage called as the leaky gut syndrome, the common symptoms that are exhibited are food allergies, foggy brain, migraines and muscle aches. In the second stage, the candida enables to reach the rest of the body and is considered systemic. This stage shows signs of thrush, fungal infections of the nails or skin, cystitis, menstrual irregularities, joint pains, ear infections, asthma, chronic fatigue, hay fever and sinusitis. The third stage will now be affecting the intestines and will show symptoms of bloatedness, diarrhea or constipation, flatulence and itchy anus or vagina. Further complications may develop if candidiasis is not treated. This will lead to mental and behavioral responses such as severe depression, sleep disorders, anxiety attacks, muscle twitching, irritability and epileptic seizures. Further complications may also include virtual shutdown of the body’s different organ systems. A shutdown in the circulatory system involving high blood pressure, easy bruising and tachycardia and in the respiratory system leading to feeling of suffocation are just some of these. Causes of death have also been reported to have happened if the condition turned more severe and untreated.
Before, individuals having candidiasis had a hard time treating the condition as most doctors weren’t able or wouldn’t diagnose the ailment as such, for unknown reasons. It was only recently that some doctors have studied about the disease and started accepting patients and treating them. Before, the routine approach for medical practitioners was to label the sufferers of candidiasis as having symptoms that were psychosomatic. Luckily for patients now, the condition has been studied by some doctors and has been given treatments.
Though no treatment has been proven effective, doctors have come up with various treatments basing on their own experience. Prescription of antifungals like nystatin, diflucan and sporanox have been given by the medical experts. The elimination of food that is believed to feed the overgrowth of candida is also done. A certain diet is followed in a time frame that is dependent on the severity and history of symptoms. After religiously keeping to these treatments, the increasing of Candida will eventually be put to a stop and restore the normal balance in the body. And with this restore the body’s normal function.
