Candida Vaginitis

Almost every woman alive today will get candida vaginitis or vaginal yeast infections at some point in their lives. Many will suffer from multiple cases every year and many will also get them every month around ovulation. In 2002 alone women spent a half a billion dollars on over the counter medications for this disease. Because of this I decided to devote an entire section on the many different types of vaginal thrush infections.

The general consensus is that the candida yeast is transfered from the intestine, through the anus, and infects the vaginal tissues. Sex is believed to be the second likely route of infection in 40% or less of these cases but this has not been conclusively proven.

However, over the years I have come to the conclussion that sex is definitely a cause of many candida vaginitis cases in women.  Its hard to ignore the fact that many women get candida vaginitis after having sex with their partner, they then get rid of it only to get the infection again upon having sex. They will then get rid of it again and use a condom for the next 6 months and not get an infection......until they have sex again without that condom!

Once in the vagina it takes up residence first as the mycelial form of candida and extends its legs known as hyphae into the flesh. There candida vaginitis can become established and if the food supply is good, it begins to produce spores or yeasts and can double its population in an hour. If the food supply is bad, then it can continue its hyphael growth and penetrate the tissues in search of food.

When candida vaginitis has burrowed under the top layer of skin and becomes established; blood sugar levels, the friction from sex, and hormones can set off spore outbreaks. At this point the infection has really become systemic and is harder to get rid of.

Typical candida vaginitis symptoms include a thick creamy white discharge but in some cases a clear watery discharge is seen. The itching is usually worse when the patient is warm in bed or after a bath. Burning may be experienced during urination or during sexual intercourse. Many times the symptoms are worse prior to menstruation.

Many times the infected woman misdiagnoses herself with candida vaginitis and she actually has bacterial vaginosis. Candida vaginitis typically does not smell but bacterial vaginosis does. Testing can be done in the form of a culture to determine if it is candida and what species and this test is more accurate than microscopy.

Microscopic exams sometimes show yeasts and the presence of no hyphae, which indicate candida glabrata, not candida albicans. Candida glabrata does not produce hyphae, only spores, and seems to be a result of the over prescribing of Diflucan, which it is very resistant to.

Many times the presence of the candida antibodies IgA and IgG are present in serum and vaginal secretions and the yeasts are often coated with these antibodies.  

Pregnancy and diabetes are the two largest risk factors for candida vaginitis. Antibiotics and birth control pills also contribute and almost every women knows that extended use of antibiotics usually gives them vaginal yeast infections. Nylon underwear makes the problem worse and it has been found that candida can live on synthetic underwear unless laundered at a high temperature. Other risk factors are oral-genital contact, douching, and using pads during menstruation instead of tampons.

Several researchers have found significant changes in the natural vaginal flora in patients with candida vaginitis. This can be associated with the over use of antibiotics since they kill both good and bad bacteria. Bad diets are also a cause of bacterial imbalance because they alter the intesinal ph of the intestines and this promotes the growth of bad bacteria and other microforms while reducing immune function.

Many websites out there claim vaginal yeast loves progesterone. However, in studies in rats and mice infected vaginally with candida albicans, oestrogen was used to keep the candida alive during testing. One such study done in 1999 by Paul L. Fidel Jr., Jessica Cutright, and Chad Steele of Louisiana State University, and published in the American Society of Microbiology in 2000; found that progesterone has no effect on vaginal candida in mice but excess estrogen promoted its growth. They also found that excess estrogen reduced the ability of skin cells to prevent colonization of candida on the vaginal walls. Estrogen is also responsible for glycogen levels in the vagina and glycogen feeds yeast.

It is also known that excess estrogen becomes toxic to the body and has been linked to breast cancer and reduced function of the thymic gland. The thymic gland is responsible for the maturation of the t-cells that are produced in the bone marrow. Upon maturation it releases them into the body and they help provide for its defense.

A clear correlation has been found between defective cellular responses and recurrent candida vaginitis. So much so, that it is believed that the patient has some sort of tempory deficiency in T-lymphocyte response to the invader. In my mind, this brings us right back to estrogen dominance and the thymic gland that produces those t-cells.

Vaginal Yeast Infection Treatment Options 

There is a wide range of prescription medications and creams in use today to treat vaginal yeast infections that you can get from your doctor. The most popular is Diflucan or fluconazole and is usually given in doses that last from 3 to 7 days but 2 weeks of therapy has a higher success rate. 15 to 20% of the cases treated with the azole drugs and creams are not resolved and the candida vaginitis becomes chronic.

Gentian violet was once the natural treatment of choice but this undoubtedly effective antiseptic has now fallen into dissuse for vaginal yeast infections. I suspect there is not much profit in this natural product because it is so cheap and you cannot patent it, so they simply don't use this any more. However, some doctors claim that yeast has become resisitant to gentian violet.

Sexual re-infection and transfer from the intestine thru the anus has been linked in many cases. However, the evidence is still not rock solid and conclusive but it is something to look into if you suffer from chronic candida vaginitis. It is much easier to treat the intestine while treating the vaginal thrush at the same time and I do recommend it in every case. Especially if you suffer from gas, bloating, constipation, or other digestive problems. Anal itching has also been found to be a symptom of intestinal yeast but it can also be parasites.

It has also been suggested and proven that candida vaginits hides deep within the layers of the epithial cells of the vagina, only to return in a few months after antifungal therapy. Testing has proven this with cultures taken from the vagina indicating the same candida biotype has re-infected the vagina as before the treatment.

Witkin and Associates believe vaginal yeast is caused by a defect in the prostaglandin secretion by the patient's macrophages which blocks the responses of the of the lymphocytes.

Mathur et al. has demonstrated anti-ovarian and anti-thymocyte antibodies in some patients, a factor that also suppreses t-lymphocyte function. Peripheral neutrophils often show decreased function, deficiencies in IgA antibodies, and excessive intake of sugars have also been proven as a cause of vaginal yeast infections.

Vandermaas considers recurrent candida vaginitis as usually secondary to a low grade bacterial infection, which indicates an imbalance in the good to bad bacterial levels within the body. I have a tendency to agree but I also believe estrogen dominance is the biggest problem with recurring vaginal yeast infections. Do you have to much estrogen in your body?

Natural Products You Can Use for Candida Vaginitis

Below are very helpful products for the treatment of candida vaginitis:

Gentian Violet was once the treatment of choice for vaginal yeast and oral thrush. It is all natural and can be used as a douche to get rid of infection. It can also be used as an oral thrush rinse with very good results. It will turn your clothes and skin purple but wears off of the skin in about 3 days. Zout spray applied before you wash your clothes will remove it from clothing.

Lactoferrin is a protein extracted from the colostrum of mothers milk and has a huge stimulatory effect upon the immune sytem as well as killing candida. So much so, that pregnant women should not take this product because the increased immune function could cause their immune system to attack the fetus. Doses for adults should be 250 to 500 mgs a day.

Thymic Protein A has been proven to help the thymic gland to release mature t-lymphocytes into the body. The thymic glands function does decline with age and Thymic Protein A can reverse and restore thymic function. It works so well the inventor Dr. Beardsley was granted a patent on the molecule and its methods of production.

Candidate is a great candida remedy for canddia vaginitis that is best taken in tincture form where the active ingredients have been extracted medicinally in pharmaceutical ethanol. Its main ingredient comes from the bark of the Pau d'arco tree in South America. The bark itself in spite of being in the rain forest with high humidity, never grows any mold, mildew, or fungus proving its anti-fungal potency. Laboratory tests have demonstrated that both Lapachol and beta-lapachone, the active ingredients in the tree, have anti-fungal properties as potent as ketoconazole.

Coconut oil has been found to explode the nucleus of the candida cell in medical testing. It can be taken by mouth and melted in warm water and added to a douche for some relief. It can also be used as a personal lubricant during sex to prevent infections if you believe your partner is infected. If you have proven that he is infected he can apply this every to his penis to get rid of this skin yeast.

CandidaClear main ingredient is undecylenic acid but instead of just leaving the product at that, the manufacturer added caprylic acid, garlic axtract, grapefruit seed extract, acidophilus  and barberry. This product was designed by doctors and scientists that know about candida and is one of the best all-in-one candida remedies I have ever seen and suggested people use. It works really really well with Candex or Candida Yeast Management and CP-1.

CP-1 is the strongest probiotics for vaginal thrush that I have found to correct any possible bacterial imbalances. I would follow the recommended protocol for finding the right individual dose found on this page.

Potassium sorbate is an extract from the European Rowan fruit that used as a preservative in foods and to stop yeast from growing during some alchol manufacturing processes. It can stop the growth of candida yeast instantly. Because of this you can take a 1/4 tsp and dissolve it in water and use it as a douche for instant relief. It can also be used by mouth as well if dissolved in water, 1/4 tsp is an effective dose. It will nt kill the yeast but it stops its growth so you can kill it with the other things I have listed.

Yeast Away contains Borax 14X HPUS, Calendula officinalis 1X HPUS, Candida albicans 30X HPUS and Hydrastis canadensis 1X HPUS. The letters HPUS indicate that these ingredients are officially included in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. This is a vaginal suppository that quickly relieves the uncomfortable symptoms caused by these infections.

You should also treat the possible intestinal candida with the Ultimate Cleanse for 1 to 2 months at the same time. It is much easier to cover all your bases at once rather than risk re-infection from the possible intestinal source of candida vaginitis later. Besides, if you have never done this type of cleanse, your going to be very pleased by the way it makes you feel.

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