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Yeast Infection

By: Joe Hing Kwok Chu     按此看中文

In common usage, yeast infection usually refers to vaginal yeast infection. In fact yeast can actually infect different parts of the body.

Candidosis or candidiasis refers to infection by any species of the genus Candida.  The fungi exist in the stool. They do not cause problems under normal conditions unless the system of the body is weak, then they can invade other parts of the body. Local invasion of the fungi may get into the blood stream. Normally this does not cause problems of any consequence  but the same patients with overgrowth of Candida on mucosal surfaces and long-term intravenous lines often have serious underlying illnesses that are being treated with antibiotics, corticosteroids, and antineoplastic chemotherapy, and then the spread of the fungi through the blood stream may cause micro-abscesses in multiple organs. The micro-abscesses in the brain may develop meningitis.

Yeast Syndrome

Symptoms can include:

• Abdominal Pain

• Anus: itching, especially after eating food with high sugar content

• Athlete's foot

• Bad breath

• Bloating, belching or intestinal gas, especially after meals

• Body: numbness, foul odor, low temperature

• Bruise easily

• Chest pain or tightness

• Constipation and/or diarrhea

• Coordination is poor

• Cough or recurrent bronchitis

• Cystitis or interstitial cystitis

• Dizziness/loss of balance

• Drowsiness

• Ears: recurrent infections or fluid in ears, pain or deafness

• Endometriosis or infertility

• Eyes: Spots in front of eyes or erratic vision or itchy eyes, burning or tearing eyes, fatigue, chronic inflammation and irritation of the eye and conjunctiva.

• Face and lips: swollen, facial rash

• Fatigue or lethargy

• Food allergies: sensitivity to milk, wheat, corn or other common foods.

• Food avoidance alleviates yeast syndrome.

• Groin area sticky, wet and with foul odor

• Hair follicles: food high in sugar increases  inflammation of the hair follicles of various parts of the body (feet, legs, arms)

• Head: headache, migraine, feeling of fullness

• Hypoglycemic: shaking or irritable when hungry

• Hypothyroidism with low body temperature, cold hands, feet or ears.

• Indigestion or heartburn

• Insomnia

• Intoxication feeling after meals (from alcohol fermenting in the digestive tract)

• Joint pain and/or swelling

• Lupus

• Menses: irregular

• Mental concentration: bad

• Mood: Anxiety or crying, mood swings, manic or depressed or compulsive, irritability,  hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder, panic attacks

• Mouth or throat: dry and/or with white coating

• Muscles: achiness, weakness or paralysis, bone achiness, symptoms are worse after exercises.

• Nails: fungus infection of the nails, thick and/or discolored nails.

• Nasal: congestion or post nasal drip, itchy

• Premenstrual mood disorder

• Prostate inflammation  (men)

• Reproductive organs: red, itchiness, discharge (women)

• Respiratory symptoms: wheezing or shortness of breath, sinus problems, allergy symptoms, chemical sensitivities.

• Sex: impotence (men), low libido

• Sinus: chronic infection

• Skin: eczema, psoriasis, chronic hives or rash, burning, or tingling; sweating profusely.

• Stools: constipation or loose and/or mucous in stools .

• Throat: sore, white coating

• Urinary tract infection (frequency or urgency of urination), burning on urination

• Proteinuria: yeast infection may produce an abnormal large quantity of protein in the urine.
  　

Stool culture tests are not practical because yeast cells exist in every digestive tract.

Yeast Infection of the Vagina

Yeast infection of the vagina is also known as Candida, Monilia, a fungus infection. It is a form of Candidosis. Vaginal yeast infections are usually caused by Candida Albicans and Candida Galbrata.

Symptoms:

• Itching and irritation and redness around the external vagina.

• Thick, white discharges that look cottage cheese and may smell

• like beer or  yeast.

• Burning and / or pain during urination or during sexual intercourse.

Inducing Causes:

• Pregnancy or before menses

• Taking estrogen hormones or birth control pills

• Using antibiotics

• Using steroids

• Having elevated blood sugar such as in uncontrolled diabetes

• Sexual intercourse especially with inadequate lubrication

• Frequent douching

• Consuming alcohol increases intestinal permeability.  Wine and beer promote candida.

Good habits to develop:

• Wash regularly the inside folds of the vulva. Dry the vaginal area thoroughly after washing or shower/bath.

• Wear loose, white, cotton underpants with plenty of leg room for ventilation.

• Use unscented soap. Do not use deodorant soap, bath oil, bubble baths, feminine hygiene sprays, or perfume soap.

• Change underpants more than once a day or after sweating.

• Do not use tampons to avoid scratches. Use unscented sanitary pads and change them frequently.

• Shower to wash off chlorine after swimming. Always dry the vagina area thoroughly.

• Do not sit around in a wet bathing suit.

• Do not use broad spectrum antibiotics indiscriminately, such as Keflex, Ceclor, Bactrim, Septra, amoxicillin, ampicillin, etc. These promote the growth of yeast by killing off the beneficial bacteria that help check the growth of yeast.

• Eat food products that contain live cultures of lactobacillus acidophilus.

• Avoid eating too much sugar at one time.

• Avoid using cow dairy product if you are lactose intolerant.

• Avoid eating oils which have been extracted from their sources, like olive oil, peanut oil, palm oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil etc. Eat nuts that contain oil instead. Pure oils form a film in the digestive tract and slow down digestion, which creates fermentation and propagates yeast.

• Wash dentures immediately after meals. Food particles attached to the dentures will provide food for the yeast to multiply.

Drug treatment:

Over the counter drugs:

• Monistat, Gyne-Lotrimin

• Prescription drugs:

• Suppository: Terazol, Vagistat

• Oral drugs: Diflucan, Sporanox, Nystatin, and Nizoral etc

• External application drug: Gentian violet

Systemic fungal infection: an experience

Acupuncture therapy for yeast infection.

Chinese Herb Formulae for yeast infections

Chinese Herb Formulae for vagina bacterial infections

Back to Vaginitis

Translation in German

En español

Herb with strong anti-fungal properties

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