Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTreatmentDietCausesPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Treatment
Diet
Causes
Prevention
Candidais a genus of fungi that exists (usually harmlessly) in areas such as the skin, the mouth, the vagina, and the gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms depend on thearea of infection. On the skin, an overgrowth may cause a rash, while a vaginal yeast infection can cause itching, burning, and abnormal discharge. An oral yeast infection can cause white patches on the tongue, while an overgrowth ofCandidain the gut can cause gastrointestinal complaints such as bloating.
This article will discuss symptoms ofCandidaovergrowth, how to stopCandidaovergrowth, the role diet plays in candidiasis, causes of persistentCandidaovergrowth, and how to prevent candidiasis when immunocompromised.
Longhua Liao / Getty Images
Candidiasis can cause a range of symptoms depending on the location and severity. It is usually mild. Although rare, it can become serious enough to affect the heart or brain.
Thesymptoms of candidiasiscan be similar to those of other health conditions. Always see your healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis.
Here is howCandidaovergrowth can affect different areas of the body.
Skin
Candidiasis of the skin (cutaneous candidiasis or cutaneousmoniliasis) often develops in the skinfolds of areas such as:
It may also occur on the scalp (which could lead to hair loss), face, fingertips, trunk, or anus (calledperianalcandidiasis).
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ and ©Waikato District Health Board www.dermnetnz.org 2022
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ and ©Waikato District Health Board www.dermnetnz.org 2022
Symptoms of candidiasis of the skin include:
Vagina
Symptoms of vaginal candidiasis (commonly called avaginal yeast infection) include:
Penis
Symptoms ofcandidiasis of the penisinclude:
Candidiasis of the penis is more common in those whosefemale sexual partnershave vaginal candidiasis, and in those who have diabetesmellitus.
Mouth
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
Candidiasis in the mouth (thrush) has two main forms, which are:
Symptoms of thrush include:
In the Gut
Yeast in the gastrointestinal tract is normal, but an overgrowth has the potential tocause problems. Broad-spectrum antibiotics have been linked to increased colonization ofCandidaspecies in the gut.
Gastrointestinal symptoms of candidiasis may include:
Nails
Candidiasis can occur under thefingernails or toenails.
Symptoms ofCandidainfection around the nails (candidalparonychia) may include:
Systemic
Systemic candidiasis and invasive candidiasis can affect many parts of the body. This infection is serious.
Systemic/invasive candidiasis can affect the:
The most common symptoms are fever and chills that don’t improve after being treated with antibiotics for suspected bacterial infections, but other symptoms more specific to the area of infection can occur.
Systemic/invasive candidiasis tends to occur in people who are hospitalized,immunocompromised, or who have other medical conditions.
How to StopCandidaOvergrowth
Candidaovergrowth is usuallytreated with antifungal medicationssuch as:
Oral thrush is typically treated with antifungal medicine applied to the inside of the mouth for seven to 14 days.
Oral thrushmay also be treated with a medicated mouthwash or lozenges that dissolve in the mouth. Candidiasis of the esophagus is usually treated with oral or intravenous antifungal medications.
Yeast infections of the vagina or penis may be treated with antifungal creams, medicated suppositories, or oral medications.
Candidiasis of the skin may be treated with antifungal powders or creams.
Candidainfections of the nails are often treated with oral antifungal medications.
Severe candidiasis may require oral antifungal medications, especially for people with weakened immune systems.
Measures that may help prevent candidiasis include:
What Are “Good” and “Bad” Bacteria?
Most types of bacteria don’t make people sick, and many types are beneficial. Certain types of bacteria help to:
Infectious bacteria can reproduce quickly in the body and cause illness. Types of infectious bacteria that cause infections include:
Some bacteria help keepCandidafrom overgrowing. Takingantibioticscan kill these bacteria and cause a buildup ofCandida. Taking probiotics of bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus or bifidobacterium when taking antibiotics may help restore a balance of bacteria, but the evidence is mixed. If you need to take antibiotics, talk to your healthcare provider about how to ensure you take them correctly, and whether probiotics may be useful for you.
Using Diet to CleanseCandidaOvergrowth
Eating certain foods may help preventyeast infections, including:
While some people feel better following the “Candidadiet,” that effect may be due to eating healthier foods, which benefits overall health.
Causes of Persistent (Chronic)CandidaOvergrowth
Chronic candidiasis more commonly affects people who:
Vaginal cultures (samples of vaginal discharge tested in a lab) should be done to look for these less common species in people with recurrent or persistentyeast infection symptoms.
Factors that may increase a person’s chances of developing recurrent vaginal yeast infections include:
A rare and severe form of candidiasis called chronicmucocutaneouscandidiasis, usually developed in infancy, can cause chronic infection of the:
Talk to your primary healthcare provider if you are experiencing recurrent or persistentCandidainfections. If this is not an option, you can try services such as Zocdoc orMinute Clinic.
What Are SIBO and SIFO?Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)involves an excessive amount of bacteria in the small intestine and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and distention.Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)refers to an excessive number of fungal organisms in the small intestine associated with gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those of SIBO.
What Are SIBO and SIFO?
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)involves an excessive amount of bacteria in the small intestine and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and distention.Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)refers to an excessive number of fungal organisms in the small intestine associated with gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those of SIBO.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)involves an excessive amount of bacteria in the small intestine and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and distention.
Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)refers to an excessive number of fungal organisms in the small intestine associated with gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those of SIBO.
PreventingCandidaOvergrowth When Immunocompromised
For an existing,severeCandidainfectionthat could be life-threatening to someone who is immunocompromised, an intravenous (IV) medication calledamphotericinB may be used.
Antifungalprophylaxis(antifungal medication given to prevent the infection) may be recommended for people at high risk for developing invasive candidiasis.
Summary
Candidiasis is an overgrowth of theCandidafungus. It usually occurs on the skin, in the mouth, in the vagina or on or around thepenis, in the gut, or under the nails. Rarely, it can be systemic, affecting areas such as the blood, brain, or heart.
Candidainfections are usually treated with antifungal medications such as creams, powders, rinses, lozenges, oral or IV medicines.
While not proven, avoiding or reducing sugar, food and drinks high in yeast and processed foods may help prevent yeast infections. It may also help toeat foods and spicessuch as garlic, yogurt with probiotic cultures, whole grains, nuts, cinnamon, sage, oregano, and cloves.
ChronicCandidaovergrowth may result from compromised immune systems, infection withless common forms ofCandida, familial candidiasis, and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.
Antifungal medication may be given as a preventative measure againstCandidainfection for people at risk for developing invasive candidiasis.
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yu D, Liu Z.The research progress in the interaction betweenCandida albicansand cancers.Front Microbiol. 2022;13:988734. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.988734National Organization for Rare Disorders.Candidiasis.Johns Hopkins.Yeast infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).UpToDate.Patient education: vaginal yeast infection (beyond the basics).Cedars-Sinai.Candida infection: thrush.Seelbinder B, Lohinai Z, Vazquez-Uribe R, et al.Candidaexpansion in the gut of lung cancer patients associates with an ecological signature that supports growth under dysbiotic conditions.Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):2673. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38058-8MedlinePlus.Familial candidiasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of invasive candidiasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of candidiasis.MedlinePlus.Bacterial infections.Zhang YJ, Li S, Gan RY, Zhou T, Xu DP, Li HB.Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(12):7493-7519. doi:10.3390/ijms16047493Mount Sinai.Candidiasis.Li WR, Shi QS, Dai HQ, et al.Antifungal activity, kinetics and molecular mechanism of action of garlic oil againstCandida albicans.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):22805. doi:10.1038/srep22805Akimoto-Gunther L, Bonfim-Mendonça P de S, Takahachi G, et al.Highlights regarding host predisposing factors to recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: chronic stress and reduced antioxidant capacity.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(7):e0158870. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158870Rao SSC, Tan G, Abdulla H, Yu S, Larion S, Leelasinjaroen P.Does colectomy predispose to small intestinal bacterial (SIBO) and fungal overgrowth (SIFO)?.Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2018;9(4):146. doi:10.1038/s41424-018-0011-xErdogan A, Rao SSC.Small intestinal fungal overgrowth.Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2015;17(4):16. doi:10.1007/s11894-015-0436-2
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yu D, Liu Z.The research progress in the interaction betweenCandida albicansand cancers.Front Microbiol. 2022;13:988734. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.988734National Organization for Rare Disorders.Candidiasis.Johns Hopkins.Yeast infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).UpToDate.Patient education: vaginal yeast infection (beyond the basics).Cedars-Sinai.Candida infection: thrush.Seelbinder B, Lohinai Z, Vazquez-Uribe R, et al.Candidaexpansion in the gut of lung cancer patients associates with an ecological signature that supports growth under dysbiotic conditions.Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):2673. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38058-8MedlinePlus.Familial candidiasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of invasive candidiasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of candidiasis.MedlinePlus.Bacterial infections.Zhang YJ, Li S, Gan RY, Zhou T, Xu DP, Li HB.Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(12):7493-7519. doi:10.3390/ijms16047493Mount Sinai.Candidiasis.Li WR, Shi QS, Dai HQ, et al.Antifungal activity, kinetics and molecular mechanism of action of garlic oil againstCandida albicans.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):22805. doi:10.1038/srep22805Akimoto-Gunther L, Bonfim-Mendonça P de S, Takahachi G, et al.Highlights regarding host predisposing factors to recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: chronic stress and reduced antioxidant capacity.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(7):e0158870. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158870Rao SSC, Tan G, Abdulla H, Yu S, Larion S, Leelasinjaroen P.Does colectomy predispose to small intestinal bacterial (SIBO) and fungal overgrowth (SIFO)?.Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2018;9(4):146. doi:10.1038/s41424-018-0011-xErdogan A, Rao SSC.Small intestinal fungal overgrowth.Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2015;17(4):16. doi:10.1007/s11894-015-0436-2
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Yu D, Liu Z.The research progress in the interaction betweenCandida albicansand cancers.Front Microbiol. 2022;13:988734. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.988734National Organization for Rare Disorders.Candidiasis.Johns Hopkins.Yeast infection.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).UpToDate.Patient education: vaginal yeast infection (beyond the basics).Cedars-Sinai.Candida infection: thrush.Seelbinder B, Lohinai Z, Vazquez-Uribe R, et al.Candidaexpansion in the gut of lung cancer patients associates with an ecological signature that supports growth under dysbiotic conditions.Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):2673. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38058-8MedlinePlus.Familial candidiasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of invasive candidiasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of candidiasis.MedlinePlus.Bacterial infections.Zhang YJ, Li S, Gan RY, Zhou T, Xu DP, Li HB.Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(12):7493-7519. doi:10.3390/ijms16047493Mount Sinai.Candidiasis.Li WR, Shi QS, Dai HQ, et al.Antifungal activity, kinetics and molecular mechanism of action of garlic oil againstCandida albicans.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):22805. doi:10.1038/srep22805Akimoto-Gunther L, Bonfim-Mendonça P de S, Takahachi G, et al.Highlights regarding host predisposing factors to recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: chronic stress and reduced antioxidant capacity.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(7):e0158870. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158870Rao SSC, Tan G, Abdulla H, Yu S, Larion S, Leelasinjaroen P.Does colectomy predispose to small intestinal bacterial (SIBO) and fungal overgrowth (SIFO)?.Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2018;9(4):146. doi:10.1038/s41424-018-0011-xErdogan A, Rao SSC.Small intestinal fungal overgrowth.Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2015;17(4):16. doi:10.1007/s11894-015-0436-2
Yu D, Liu Z.The research progress in the interaction betweenCandida albicansand cancers.Front Microbiol. 2022;13:988734. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.988734
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Candidiasis.
Johns Hopkins.Yeast infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).
UpToDate.Patient education: vaginal yeast infection (beyond the basics).
Cedars-Sinai.Candida infection: thrush.
Seelbinder B, Lohinai Z, Vazquez-Uribe R, et al.Candidaexpansion in the gut of lung cancer patients associates with an ecological signature that supports growth under dysbiotic conditions.Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):2673. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38058-8
MedlinePlus.Familial candidiasis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of invasive candidiasis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of candidiasis.
MedlinePlus.Bacterial infections.
Zhang YJ, Li S, Gan RY, Zhou T, Xu DP, Li HB.Impacts of gut bacteria on human health and diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(12):7493-7519. doi:10.3390/ijms16047493
Mount Sinai.Candidiasis.
Li WR, Shi QS, Dai HQ, et al.Antifungal activity, kinetics and molecular mechanism of action of garlic oil againstCandida albicans.Sci Rep. 2016;6(1):22805. doi:10.1038/srep22805
Akimoto-Gunther L, Bonfim-Mendonça P de S, Takahachi G, et al.Highlights regarding host predisposing factors to recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: chronic stress and reduced antioxidant capacity.PLoS ONE. 2016;11(7):e0158870. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158870
Rao SSC, Tan G, Abdulla H, Yu S, Larion S, Leelasinjaroen P.Does colectomy predispose to small intestinal bacterial (SIBO) and fungal overgrowth (SIFO)?.Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2018;9(4):146. doi:10.1038/s41424-018-0011-x
Erdogan A, Rao SSC.Small intestinal fungal overgrowth.Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2015;17(4):16. doi:10.1007/s11894-015-0436-2
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
