Chronic Yeast Infections Causes And Treatment
The Copper Connection
It appears as if there is a relationship between a copper imbalance and yeast infections. Copper levels may be raised in a person through the use of birth control pill, copper IUDs, steroids, and antibiotics. David Watts, Ph.D. notes that copper promotes the growth of yeast. Excess copper can also reduce the immune function of the body which helps yeast overgrowth to occur more easily.
Many women today are toxic to copper. How do you find out if this a possibility for you? One way to tell if you have too much copper is to look for brown spots on your skin. The one sure way is to have a TMA (tissue mineral analysis) test done. Your doctor should be able to help you with this.
Avoid foods high in copper: Almonds, avocado, baker’s yeast, bran flakes, brazil nuts, chocolate (ouch!), crab, grapes, liver, lobster, haddock, herring, mushrooms, peanut butter, pecans, sesame seeds, shrimp, sunflower seeds, trout, and walnuts.
Could it be Candidiasis?
Now, if you have read through all of this and have tried many of these remedies to no avail and your yeast infections continue to recur, it is possible you have what is called a systemic yeast infection. This means the candida is over growing throughout your entire digestive tract thus causing you to re-infect yourself time and time again. I feel people who have chronic recurrent yeast infections are people in this category. You may have a systemic yeast infection if you fall into any one of these categories…
- have ever taken birth control pills
- have ever taken oral acne medications
- have ever taken Prednisone
- have ever taken chemotherapy treatments
- are on estrogen (HRT)
- have just gotten finished with a dose of antibiotics
- have heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, etc)
- has diabetes or an auto-immune disorder
- have recurrent yeast infections or other vaginal issues
- have a white tongue
If you are developing recurrent yeast infections and know you have diabetes, your diabetes may not be under adequate control. Try to maintain good control of your glucose levels. Talk to your doctor to determine the best way to control your glucose levels and to treat the yeast infection.
Candida overgrowth may affect 85%-90% of the population in the US; it may very well be the unsung epidemic of the day.
What exactly is Candida?
Candida albicans is a common bacterium in our digestive system and throat. When we are exposed to antibiotics, birth control pills, corti-steroids, or products like prednisone the good bacteria in our systems are killed off and the candida overgrows. When candida gets out of control, it morphs into a harmful fungus and grows rhizoids. Rhizoids are fingerlike protrusions the fungal yeast uses to gather food (i.e., sugar). The yeast uses these rhizoids to attach to our intestinal wall.
Over time they actually can burrow directly through our intestinal wall causing a condition called Leaky Gut Syndrome. This condition causes our intestines to become porous which allows partially digested food and yeast into our bloodstream where they become toxins. The toxins the yeast puts into our system are responsible for the varying conditions each individual experiences. We also develop food sensitivities to the undigested food particles in our bloodstream. When this condition occurs, you have system wide or systemic yeast and the overgrowth is called Candidiasis.
If you are experiencing chronic yeast infections and are also dealing with:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Increased fatigue
- Blurry vision
- Or irritability
It may be wise to consult your doctor and see if you may have diabetes.