Candida Symptoms | Nail Fungus Treatment | Yeast Infection Symptoms
Candida Symptoms and Treatment
People don’t come to see me for help with Candida overgrowth, because many people don’t know what candida symptoms look like.
Chronic nail fungus infections and chronic yeast infections are two very obvious indications that candida overgrowth may be present in the gut.
But what are the more subtle candida symptoms? What are symptoms of candida that often get misdiagnosed as mere digestive health issues, or skin conditions like acne?
This article will help you recognize and address common candida symptoms, and offer resources for lab testing, and candida treatment tools, such as a candida diet meal plan.
What is candida?
Candida is a parasitic yeast that can live on your skin, in your mouth, and in your intestines (1). Commonly known as candida albicans, this structure is commonly present in small amounts in most humans and can be relatively harmless if in good balance with good bacteria also living in the gut.
The candida species commonly found in humans can also help reduce heavy metal toxicity in the body (2).
The problem is, in our modern world riddled with poor gut health due to chronic stress and heavily processed foods, candida becomes overgrown, and the negative effects of candida overgrowth far outweigh the benefits of candida within the normal range.
When candida is out of balance with other microbial factors in the gut, it takes over. Candida albicans will implant itself with a root-like structure into cells and tissues, really anchoring them into their new home (your gut). They use tail-like protrusions called flagella to wave around and leech nutrients from the foods you consume, leaving you more hungry, and making you susceptible to blood sugar issues like insulin resistance and hypoglycemia.
This implantation technique enables them to evade the immune system and makes it more difficult to see using some lab testing techniques. It is also the reason a very meticulous strategy accompanied by a qualified practitioner is necessary to fully eradicate candida overgrowth.
Candida Symptoms
As we discussed earlier, it’s true that skin conditions such as nail fungus infections, thrush (yeast infection in the mouth), and chronic vaginal yeast infections are the more obvious signs of candida overgrowth. One issue with this is many healthcare practitioners will still just treat the nail fungus or yeast infection symptoms, but they don’t test for internal candida overgrowth.
And if you could eliminate the candida overgrowth in the gut, you can bet top dollar that your nail fungus infections, thrush, and chronic vaginal yeast infection symptoms will disappear.
HERE’S A LIST OF COMMON CANDIDA SYMPTOMS:
brain fog
bloating
constipation
frequent hunger
sugar or carb cravings
poor stress management
eczema
acne
depression or anxiety symptoms
blood sugar management issues (irritability, headache, or shaky when hungry)
chronic nail fungus on fingernails or toenails
chronic vaginal yeast infection symptoms
chronic thrush, or yeast infection symptoms in the mouth
difficulty losing weight
weight gain around the belly and hips
signs of insulin resistance
UNADDRESSED CANDIDA OVERGROWTH CAN LEAD TO:
worsening of candida symptoms mentioned above
chronic inflammation and cell danger response
adrenal insufficiency
suppressed immune system
autoimmune disease
thyroid issues
How Did You Get Candida?
It is not possible to know exactly where your candida overgrowth came from. Candida can be present in food, and if you know anything about fermentation, sourdough, winemaking, or beer brewing, you probably know that yeast loves sugar.
The process of fermentation requires the yeast to eat sugars.
An individualized assessment is necessary to understand how your lifestyle and eating habits might be contributing to candida symptoms. When my clients test positive for candida overgrowth, here are some common dietary and lifestyle factors I find:
consume many packaged foods (even “health” foods can be heavily processed)
consume meals that are poorly balanced in carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
have a history of chronic stress or trauma
are constantly grazing, rarely sitting down for a satiating meal (part of this is due to their constant hunger from the candida)
moderate-to-high consumption of alcohol, energy drinks, protein shakes, etc.
have taken antibiotics for at least one month at any point in their lifetime
Getting Rid of Candida Symptoms
You can’t get rid of candida symptoms by merely addressing them individually. You must get at the root cause, first.
The first step to getting rid of candida symptoms is to get functional lab testing to confirm whether candida is indeed, the root cause, and whether or not other microbial disturbances might be at play.
If candida overgrowth is confirmed with testing, then candida treatment typically involves a strategic approach with antifungal medications and botanicals, dietary changes to prevent further candida growth, and lifestyle changes to support mindful eating and stress.
Here are some resources I have developed to help you figure out if your symptoms are candida related, and how to address them at the root:
Take the Candida Quiz to find out if candida is even an issue for you
Was this Helpful?
Join the conversation!
Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below, and please consider sharing this page with a friend.
NUTRITION SERVICES
MORE RESOURCES
BLOG REFERENCES
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.). Candida albicans: Infections, symptoms & treatments. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22961-candida-albicans
Moreno, A., Demitri, N., Ruiz-Baca, E., Vega-González, A., Polentarutti, M., & Cuéllar-Cruz, M. (2019, November). Bioreduction of precious and heavy metals by candida species under oxidative stress conditions. Microbial biotechnology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6801149/
