Understanding the Causes of Chronic Candida

Chronic Candida, also commonly referred to as Candida overgrowth, is an insipid condition that can affect the entire body, while disguising as any of a multitude of other health conditions. For that reason, it can be extremely difficult for doctors to diagnose it. Perhaps the most helpful thing you can do when determining whether or not this relatively common problem is the cause of your troubling symptoms is to first educate yourself on the how and why of this type of type of infection. Understanding the causes of chronic Candida can get you much closer to identifying whether you are a likely candidate.
What is Candida overgrowth? Candida albicans is a fungus that lives in the human intestinal tract, along with over 400 other microorganisms. When all of these microorganisms are coexisting in the proper ratio, your body functions normally. However, when Candida albicans outgrows its environment so much so that the healthy bacteria can no longer keep its growth in check, you can develop any of a wide array of symptoms. Candida overgrowth is a systemic condition–meaning, it spreads throughout the body and can affect all of the systems. Therefore, your symptoms may be localized in any place on your body, from your tongue to your groin.
Good bacteria. As you know, your healthy bacteria is what keeps Candida albicans growth in check. When this good bacteria loses its power to the Candida fungus, your system becomes disrupted in a major way. For this reason, understanding the things that threaten good bacteria is tantamount to understanding what causes chronic Candida. Fortunately, this is easy to understand. What kills bacteria? Antibiotics, for one. Frequent antibiotic use is one of the top causes of Candida overgrowth. Also, be careful of regular douching, and exposure to illnesses that weaken your immune system.
Lifestyle choices. There are a number of lifestyle choices you can make to seriously exacerbate Candida albicans growth in your body. The Candida fungus feeds on sugars, yeasts, and other carbohydrates. Therefore, a diet high in these things is a very common culprit in Candida overgrowth. This includes alcoholic beverages! In addition to avoiding certain foods, you should also make sure to ingest certain foods. Yogurt with active cultures (which are actually healthy bacteria) and fermented foods can help your body fight off Candida overgrowth in a dramatic way.
To put it simply, there is no singular cause for chronic Candida overgrowth. Chances are, if you suffer from this condition, it’s due to a number of culprits. Educating yourself on how Candida works is your best defense, and this is a great start. You can also join the Candida crusher community, do some research of your own, or visit a naturopath. Learn as much as you can!