WHAT IS CANDIDA OVERGROWTH? Signs and Symptoms

Do you suffer from an irritable gut, chronic fatigue, frequent migraines, skin rashes, or recurring thrush?  These seemingly unrelated symptoms could be an indication that you have an overgrowth of candida yeast in your gut.  Read on to learn more about candida overgrowth and how to overcome it.

Candida is a naturally occurring yeast that lives on the mucosal surfaces within the body, typically in the mouth, vagina, on our skin, and in the intestinal tract.  In healthy bodies when levels of candida are normal and in balance with our ‘good’ gut bacteria, it aids in digestion and nutrient absorption.  But as an opportunistic fungus, given the right environment e.g. a weakened immune system or compromised gut, candida cells can grow out of control.  This excessive growth can damage the gut lining, which can cause a leaky gut and set off auto-immune reactions.  Symptoms of candida overgrowth are aplenty and often misdiagnosed and/or only treated individually or locally.  ​

symptoms of candida overgrowth

Candida overgrowth is a condition that can often be overlooked.  Symptoms of overgrowth can appear in various parts of the body and tracing those symptoms back to an imbalanced microbiome in the gut can sometimes be missed.  Often symptoms are treated in isolation, such as a topical cream for itching skin, anti-depressants for mood disorders, or digestive issues being lumped under the general label of IBS.  Not recognising the connection these symptoms have to the state of our gut health can lead to ongoing and recurring symptoms.
 
Candida overgrowth occurs when there is a change in the gut environment allowing the candida to multiply and overpopulate, disturbing the delicate balance with our ‘good’ bacteria. Common causes include:

• Use of antibiotics
• Chronic stress
• A diet high in sugar
• Oral contraceptives
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Chemical exposure
• Diabetes

As candida cells proliferate and develop into a fungal infection, they produce toxic by-products (acetaldehyde, ammonia, and uric acid) which when released into our bloodstream and soft tissue, causes a whole variety of symptoms throughout the body.  These toxins trigger the immune system to inappropriately react, prevents nutrient absorption, disrupts neurotransmitter function and hormone secretion, and taxes the adrenal system, resulting in a magnitude of varying localised and systemic symptoms. 

The list of symptoms is extensive but most commonly they include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression and other mood disorders
• Brain fog, poor memory and concentration
• Digestive issues such a gas, bloating, and IBS
• Recurring yeast infections/thrush in the vagina or mouth
• Sinus infections
• Allergic reactions
• Skin itching, rash, hives, or eczema
• Food sensitivities
• Skin and nail fungal infections
• Weak immune system and susceptibility to illness
• Recurring UTI’s
• Joint pain
• Migraines
• Sugar cravings

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Treating symptoms individually may only ever provide short term relief.  A more effective approach would be to address the underlying cause of a disrupted gut microbiome and it’s resulting chronic inflammation, by treating with a combination of antifungals and probiotics, along with an anti-inflammatory and low sugar diet, also known as an Anti-Candida Diet.

More on the Anti-Candida Diet in my next blog post.