Young children have " lily of the valley ", and often their mothers (but not only them) have candida .
Perhaps not everyone knows that the origin of the infection is the same, and that everything starts from the intestine, passing through our immune defenses . There are different types of candida infection, which manifest themselves with different symptoms . Let's summarize in a single statement what are the symptoms of candida and how to recognize them.
What is Candida
Candida is a fungus, or a fungus, usually resident in our body as part of the normal bacterial flora, because it lives in symbiosis with the human organism, participating in the digestion of sugars.
However, when the immune system is no longer able to control its proliferation - especially in particular circumstances including the use of antibiotics and corticosteroids, humidity, skin maceration, debilitating diseases, diabetes mellitus - candida turns into an opportunistic pathogen, or gives origin to infections, called candidiasis .
Candidiasis of the mucous membranes concerns the oropharyngeal cord, the vaginal area and the intestine .
In people with severely compromised immune systems, a systemic infection may develop, in which the candida spreads through the blood into one or more organs, with effects similar to those of septicemia. In these cases hospitalization is necessary .
There are various types of candida :
> albicans;
> torulopsis;
> tropicalis;
> rhodotorula.
The various types differentiate both in relation to the symptoms and in relation to the reaction to the drugs used for the therapy.
In our country the most common form is that of candida albicans .
Symptoms of candida: how to recognize them
The type of symptoms caused by candida depends on the location of the infection : it can affect the vagina (referred to as vulvovaginitis ), the oral cavity (causing lily of the valley ) or the skin (especially in skin folds and around the nails ). In immunosuppressed patients a blood spread can occur with potentially very serious complications. In the case in which the person is a carrier of the spores of the fungus, but does not feel any disturbance, we speak of asymptomatic candidiasis .
Here's how to recognize the main symptoms of candida:
> Symptoms of candidiasis in man : whitish secretions, redness, pain, itching and burning mainly localized on the glans and on the foreskin. The infection is called balanitis .
> Symptoms of vaginal candidiasis : intense itching, "ricotta" vaginal discharge, pain during intercourse, perineal ulcers, difficulty and pain when urinating. A darker color of the secretions denotes the presence of fungus spores. On the skin outside the vagina, up to the base of the thighs, at the buttocks and at the root of the back, red blotches may appear. Chronic vaginal candidiasis, on the other hand, is characterized by constant vaginal dryness, redness and peeling. The chronic form is often generated by incorrect therapeutic treatments or resistance to specific families of drugs
> Symptoms of thrush, or candidiasis of the oral cavity : burning in the mouth and tongue, and pain on swallowing, white gums, swollen tongue, yellow or white or covered with a white patina, plaques in the throat
> Symptoms of nail candidiasis : inflammation of the nail tissues, especially of the feet. It manifests itself with deformation of the nail and changes in its color, which at first assumes yellowish tones and then becomes increasingly greyish.
> Rare and non-specific candida symptoms : tiredness, aches and pains in the joints, diarrhea and acne
> Symptoms of candidiasis syndrome : mood swings and difficulty with concentration and memory.
In case of doubt, always contact your doctor.
