ALLERGIES AND "CANDIDIASIS"

"Candidiasis", as it popularly called, is a truly bewildering condition for the many women and men who suffer from it. One of the most symptoms for women is a vaginal yeast infection that refuses to go away. Other symptoms include allergic-like reactions to foods, molds and chemicals. A woman may experience fatigue, depression, anxiety, and fluid retention, particularly around the time of menstruation. The candida sufferer may feel disoriented and find it difficult to concentrate. "Candidiasis" is named after the yeast Candida albicans. It lives in our gastrointestinal tracts as a normal part of our bodies. It is theorized that one or all of the following factors can contribute to candida overgrowth: taking antibiotics, birth control pills, or steroids (such as prednisone or cortisone); a high-sugar diet; or a dysregulated immune system. Antibiotics are drugs capable of destroying the balance of healthy intestinal microorganisms. Birth control pills cause hormonal changes in a woman's body that can also encourage candida to flourish. Steroids cause immune suppression that can allow candida to overgrow--as can any other cause of immune suppression. And candida loves sugar and carbohydrates in general and will grow more readily in the presence of a high-sugar diet.

Case Study: Tracy's "Candidiasis"
Tracy was 39 and struggling against poor health to stay in her full-time job. She was pale, her eyes were bloodshot, and she seemed to be in a fog when I asked questions about her medical history. It was hard for her to remember much about the duration or pattern of her symptoms. This forgetfulness obviously upset her. Tracy was asked if she noticed any times when her inability to concentrate seemed worse. "Oh, yes. There are certain foods I can't go near anymore. I've had to give up dairy products completely. And bread seems to bother me, too. And cheese. And you can forget about the beer." Tracy was developing the food sensitivities that are a common factor in candidiasis. Sensitivity to bread, cheese, and beer was a giveaway. As candida grows beyond normal bounds in your system, it can cause your body to react allergically to the candida itself. Now, since candida is a yeast, you are likely to react allergically to other yeast as well, since they run in the same family, so to speak. Bread is full of baker's yeast and beer is full of brewer's yeast. And cheese? Mold is a relative of yeast and some cheese ripens from mold. But it was not just food that made Tracy feel sick. There is mold in the air, mold under the kitchen sink, in the basement, in the bathroom, under the carpet, behind the wallpaper. The fact is, once candida overgrowth puts your immune system on hyper-alert you can become hypersensitive in general. The fumes of chemicals can be particularly troublesome. Some "candidiasis' patients feel like wearing a gas mask when they fill up the tanks of their cars. Others suspect that the chlorine in their drinking water is another enemy. No wonder that so many "candidiasis" patients feel they are living in a constant state of havoc.

Any physician who treats "candidiasis" patients will say however, that, like fingerprints, no two are alike. One patient may find that she has many chemical allergies but is not troubled by food. Another may complain that she has multiple food allergies, but reacts little to chemicals. Part of our job is to determine which allergens a "candidiasis" patient is sensitive, or allergic to, and try to reverse that situation. Tracy was asked to stay away from the things she thought made her feel worse until her symptoms were under better control; the overgrowth of yeast, or candida, could not be eliminated until her "candidiasis," if that was what she had, was brought under control while reregulating her immune system. The results of Tracy's allergy tests showed a marked sensitivity to Candida albicans and to many other allergic substances, some of which she never suspected, such as coffee and dust. Tracy did eventually improve over the months after undertaking allergy treatment. She was cautioned to avoid any of the "trigger factors", such as taking birth control pills or eating too many sugary foods. And, most important, she was to monitor if she got any new symptoms or the old ones worsened. This could signal that there was an offending substance we did not test, or that the "candidiasis' was once again out of control.