Conditions Associated with Candida Growth | Candida Symptoms | Yeast Infection Symptoms | Nail Fungus Treatment
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, but when it becomes out of balance with other microbiota in the gut, that’s when the trouble begins.
Candida albicans implants itself with a root-like structure into cells and tissues, including your digestive tract. 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 candida will not go away with a simple diet change. Specific and meticulous strategies under the care of a qualified practitioner are essential to totally eradicating candida symptoms, and rebuilding the microbiota.
Candida Symptoms
Candida overgrowth and other pathogenic infections, such as parasites and bacteria, are commonly overlooked when patients complain to their doctors about symptoms like:
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
Many of these candida symptoms are often treated topically if a skin condition or are told to cut out gluten or eat fewer sugars or carbs.
Imagine the relief you would get if your doctor tested for pathogens!
I’ve seen many of my own clients clear their acne, resolve chronic fungal infections, improve their mood, lose weight, and reduce blood sugar symptoms and food cravings, all by testing for and addressing candida overgrowth.
Cell Danger Response
A moderate overgrowth of candida will commonly result in many of the candida symptoms mentioned above. And if it’s caught early enough, candida symptoms can improve within just a few months.
But as with any pathogen that infiltrates your body and the threat goes unaddressed, your cells respond to this threat through what’s known as the Cell Danger Response (2).
HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS DURING CELL DANGER RESPONSE (CDR):
Mitochondria (the powerhouse of cells) begin by producing more fuel and releasing metabolic intermediates, like oxygen and reactive oxygen species.
When this does not resolve the threat, energy production begins to shut down in order to preserve energy. Digestion is also disturbed as it is non-essential to dealing with the pathogen.
Cell membranes (also known as cell walls) stiffen, preventing nutrients from transferring in and out of cells for energy production.
Mitochondria release antiviral and antimicrobial chemicals into the fluid surrounding the cells.
Sends chemical signals to warn neighboring cells, and signal for help from immune cells such as eicosanoids and cytokines.
The Sympathetic Nervous System (“fight or flight” response) is kicked on until the threat is resolved.
When the Cell Danger Response is ongoing, the chronic inflammation that results leads to more serious chronic illnesses.
Conditions Associated with Candida Overgrowth
When candida gets overlooked, and therefore becomes a chronic threat to the body, the Cell Danger Response kicks in. When that happens, and the threat still is not resolved, this leads to chronic inflammation.
This chronic inflammation and heightened fight or flight response can lead to more serious chronic diseases and disorders. On the same token, unaddressed pathogenic infections like candida, can inhibit the success of treatments for such diseases and disorders.
Here are some conditions in which candida may be a factor:
schizophrenia
Alzheimer’s
fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
HIV infection
colitis
depression
PMS
vaginal yeast infection
Multiple Sclerosis
Interstitial Cystitis
seizures
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Cancer
Treatment for Candida Overgrowth
As discussed earlier, treatment for candida overgrowth is not often as simple as special diets and probiotics.
Effective treatment for candida symptoms involves:
Functional Lab Testing - to determine how severe the infection is, whether it is localized to the gut or is systemic throughout the body, and whether other pathogens might be a priority
Medications and/or High-Potency Anti-Fungal Nutrients to kill off the pathogens
Digestion Support and Monitoring - Chances are candida rooted itself because your digestive health is (or was) compromised. Addressing digestion is one of the first and most important steps to eradicating any pathogen.
Dietary Changes - A diet conducive to starving candida and other pathogens (not you!) is essential to preventing them from re-establishing as you work to kill them off. HERE’S A SAMPLE MENU FROM MY CANDIDA ELIMINATION PLAN
Biofilm Disrupters - Candida and other pathogens (including “good” bacteria") will create a sticky home for themselves to live, evade the immune system, and collect nutrients to live off of, called biofilm. Nutrients to destroy the biofilm is essential to ensuring no candida gets left behind.
Binders - When pathogens die, they leave behind debris, which need to be eliminated. Different types of binders are needed for different types of pathogens.
Liver Support - Pathogens produce a number of harmful and toxic metabolites. The liver plays a role in this by finding and preparing these toxins for elimination. Working with a practitioner to ensure your liver is functioning well is important to this process.
Gut Rebuilding Factors - Antifungals and antimicrobials will kill everything, even the good stuff. But we need a healthy balance of good bacteria as the first line of defense for pathogens like candida, so rebuilding the microbiome is arguably the most important part of this process. A personalized concoction of high-potency probiotics, prebiotics, as well as nutrients to re-establish gut lining, should be used.
Think You Might Have Candida?
This questionnaire will help you figure out whether candida might be the cause of your symptoms and only takes about 5 minutes to complete.
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BLOG REFERENCES
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.). Candida albicans: Infections, symptoms & treatments. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22961-candida-albicans
Naviaux, R. K. (2013, August 24). Metabolic features of the Cell Danger Response. Mitochondrion. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567724913002390
