Candidiasis

Etiologic and Contributing Factors

1. Weakened Immune System
   • HIV/AIDS, cancer treatments, organ transplants, or immunosuppressive medications can impair immune defenses, allowing Candida to proliferate.
2. Prolonged Antibiotic Use
   • Broad-spectrum antibiotics disrupt normal gut and skin flora, enabling Candida to overgrow.
3. Medical Devices
   • Indwelling catheters, prosthetic devices, or other foreign materials may serve as entry points or surfaces for infection.
4. Chronic Illnesses
   • Diabetes, especially poorly controlled, raises susceptibility due to higher blood sugar levels that feed yeast growth.
5. Other Risks
   • Surgery, hospital stays (ICU), corticosteroid use, or gastrointestinal perforations.

When to Seek Professional Help

Look for signs of systemic involvement:

• Persistent Symptoms: Fever, chills, and fatigue that don’t improve with typical treatments.
• Organ Dysfunction: Signs like unexplained low blood pressure (shock), kidney dysfunction, or respiratory distress.
• Sepsis: Rapid heart rate, confusion, or extreme weakness, which may indicate bloodstream infection.

If you’re immunocompromised or suspect systemic candidiasis, seek immediate medical attention as it requires antifungal medications and possibly hospitalization.

Christopher Hobbs:

“Candidiasis, or a yeast infection, is associated with the fungus Candida albicans. Symptoms of candidiasis include a thick white discharge and a buring or itching sensation. This organism is always present in our intestinal tracts and may play a role in our body ecology. Stress, diet, and other lifestyle patterns can trigger an overgrowth of candida, leading to a yeast infection.”