Systemic Yeast Infection - Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
For most people, Candida yeast infections affect only one area of the body, such as the mouth (oral candidiasis), skin (candida intertrigo), or the vagina (vaginal candidiasis). This is likely what comes to mind when you think of the term "yeast infection." While these types of infections can be bothersome, they are not usually dangerous or severe.
However, if the normal balances of the body are upset, the Candida yeast may change into a more invasive form and infect many areas of the body. This is a systemic yeast infection. In the worst cases, Candida can even spread to the bloodstream. With a local yeast infection, symptoms are limited to the one area they affect. You may be familiar with the uncomfortable itching and burning of a vaginal yeast infection or the the white coating on the tongue of oral thrush. However, in the case of a systemic yeast infection, symptoms can affect many diverse areas of the body.
What are the symptoms of a systemic yeast infection?
Systemic yeast can cause uncomfortable and distressing symptoms throughout the body:
- General symptoms: You may feel fatigued with low energy, experience frequent or chronic migraine headaches, or suffer from joint pain, arthritis, muscle pain, respiratory infections, hypoglycemia, or allergies.
- Poor mood and memory: You may experience mood swings, irritability, poor learning and memory, confusion, poor concentration, depression, insomnia, and decreased attention span.
- Skin disorders: Your skin may be affected with acne, chronic rashes, eczema, hives, fungal nail infections, and chronic yeast infections of the skin.
- Poor gastrointestinal functioning: Systemic yeast can affect the entire gastrointestinal system, including the mouth, stomach and intestines. You may experience pain with eating or swallowing, digestive pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, leaky gut syndrome, sugar and carbohydrate cravings, and food sensitivities.
- Genitourinary symptoms: Yeast can infected many areas of the genitourinary system, including the vagina, penis, urethra, bladder and kidneys. You may experience itching and burning, vaginal discharge, pain during sex, pain during urination, lower back pain, and symptoms of PMS.
What Causes a Systemic Yeast Infection?
It's important to understand that the Candida yeast is part of the "normal flora" of the body, which means that it is present in small amounts in the bodies of healthy people. Candida normally lives in a healthy balance with other microorganisms, such as bacteria, throughout the gastrointestinal tract (all the way through the mouth, stomach and intestines) and in the vagina. However, if this healthy balance is upset, Candida can overgrow and cause infection throughout the body.
Many factors can lead to an unhealthy balance of Candida yeast. An unhealthy diet of refined carbohydrates, sugar, and unhealthy fats can create a prime environment for the Candida yeast to overgrow within the stomach and intestines. This can cause to inflammation in the gut, causing digestive pain, food sensitivities, allergies, bloating, gas, and increased cravings for sugars and carbohydrates.
Certain medications can prime the body to develop a systemic yeast infection. For example, antibiotics can kill off healthy bacteria in the body, creating an environment where the Candida yeast can overgrow. Steroid medications weaken the immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight off the Candida infection. Birth control pills, or any hormonal treatment that contains estrogen, will lead to more yeast growth. Most importantly, a weakened immune system, usually caused by stress or illness, will reduce your body's ability to fight off infection, and make it more likely that a localized yeast infection, such as vaginal candidiasis, will spread and become systemic.
Do I Have a Systemic Yeast Infection?
If you suffer from local yeast infections, such as vaginal yeast infections or oral thrush, and have strange symptoms that are not explained by another medical condition, you may have a systemic yeast infection. Don't hesitate to see your doctor, as these symptoms can also be cause by other medical problems. Consider following an anti Candida diet, which can decrease the concentration of yeast in your body.
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