Category Archives: Yeast Infection Causes

Yeast Infection Causes

Uncovering the Main Causes of a Yeast Infection – Part 1

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There are a number of factors that allow a yeast infection to go wildly out of control, but there is seldom just one factor responsible for preventing people gaining control of their yeast infection and turning the corner.

I have listed the main risk factors for a yeast infection below, but suffice to say, candida overgrowth is most often due to chronic antibiotic use, particularly the broad-spectrum variety. Antibiotics kill the gastrointestinal bacteria that normally help to keep a yeast overgrowth at bay, and of no surprise, when antibiotic use first became widespread it was soon noticed that yeast infections were on the rise.

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What are the key reasons why a yeast infection is so prevalent in the digestive tracts of people living in the Western industrialized countries? I believe that we principally have our hectic 21st century lifestyles and nutritionally depleted, highly refined & processed and sugar laden diets to blame, but technology is also to blame to a degree and the way we use and abuse science and technology. Here are the major factors that allow candida to get out of hand; there are potentially many more, but these represent the core:

Antibiotic Drugs

Most probably the number one cause in my opin­ion of chronic yeast infection is the prolonged, inappropriate, and excessive use of certain types of pharmaceutical drugs like broad-spectrum antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to kill disease-causing bacteria, but unfortunately they also kill normal, protective bacterial flora throughout your body and actually encourage yeast infections. Did you know that most antibiotics are actually made from chemicals found in some fungi species? The fungi themselves make certain types of chemicals that protect them from many different types of bacteria, and this is one of the major reasons why antibiotics work so well against bacteria, but unfortunately also one of the main reasons why they support the growth of fungi.

Antibiotics in Meat

Many different kinds of antibiotics are also found in commercial poultry, pork, beef and other meats. Be particu­larly careful to avoid commercial poultry, as thousands of chickens are crammed into cages and routinely fed high protein foods full of antibiotics. Buy free range and certified organic chicken just to be sure.

An Underlying Inherited or Acquired Immune System Deficiency

There are several reasons why your immune system may be impaired and an investigation may well reveal the cause. Be sure to have the appropriate blood tests to uncover any potential causes like neutropenia, which means poor levels of neutrophils or white blood cells (get a full blood count), vitamin B12 or folate deficiencies. Nutrient deficiencies are one common source of an immune deficiency. See your health-care professional and get the appropriate medical or functional medicine testing, especially if you have had a chronic yeast infection for some time. If your doctor is resistant and “does not believe” in your self-observations of candida, find yourself another doctor who hasn’t got a hearing problem.

The Liberal Use of Steroids or Other Drugs

Particularly steroids whether they be hydrocortisone or prednisolone. These steroidal drugs can be inhaled, in a tablet, capsule or cream form. Inhaled steroids (asthma) also feature high on this list. The oral contraceptive pill is in this category too, and so are heartburn or anti-ulcer preparations.

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As you can see, these things are pretty common in our everyday lives, so we’re dosing ourselves and making ourselves ill – and there are more main causes to consider (see Part 2).

Yeast Infection Causes

Identifying the True Cause of any Medical Condition – Part 2

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Today I’m moving on with our discussion about symptoms and causes. To start with, I’d like to offer an example based off of my yeast infection experiences.

Conditions like vaginal thrush and athlete’s foot are generally seen as local and “trivial”, and if the patient returns with the same problem, the cause is not generally sought for and medications are prescribed time and again. Sometimes doctors will prescribe the same medication multiple times. Other times they’ll try different or stronger methods.

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What other professional person would you consult, and be expected to pay a fee to, who just shrugs his or her shoulders when you enquire as to the actual cause of your complaints? That’s right – nobody. If a plumber or mechanic kept repeatedly giving you lame excuses, would you pay them and take them seriously? Of course you wouldn’t, you would take your problem and your wallet somewhere else.

Well, that’s exactly what happens to thousands of people who consult their doctors with a yeast related problem every day. They are treated symptomatically because all the emphasis is on the symptoms and not the actual cause. In my opinion, the treatment is never as important as discovering the actual cause, and any intelligent person would be quick to add that if you get the cause sorted you wouldn’t end up with any crippling symptoms and their long-term consequences. The same could be said for heart disease, cancer, candida, or any other chronic illness.

Candida problems are increasingly common today. What if I were to choose a random group of patients, even those not suspecting a yeast infection, yet complaining of miscellaneous symptoms? What if I gave them an anti-candida therapy, without even testing them? The reality of the situation is that many of them would exhibit a marked reduction in symptoms over the next few months and some will even exhibit a dramatic return to good health.

I have found this to be the case in many situations in my clinic. Candida problems can present themselves in all shapes and sizes and have many disguises, so don’t be fooled into thinking that candida is purely a “digestive problem” or a “vaginal problem”, or “toe nail fungus” by any means, and this will be amply illustrated with the many case-studies I’ll present as we progress.

Candida is a widespread digestive and systemic problem, but more often begins in the digestive system and then trans-locates to other parts of the body by way of the blood stream. If you have a local occurrence of candida, you will almost certainly have it in the digestive system and/or vagina, and it may be under control or ready to ramp up and go out of control.

Candida yeast infection was dubbed as the twentieth-century disease, but now into the twenty-first century nothing has changed. In fact, I believe that you will probably see more cases of candida yeast infection than you have ever seen before in history; and I’m going to teach you what to do about it!

Yeast Infection Causes

Identifying the True Cause of any Medical Condition – Part 1

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One of the things that bothers me most about medicine today is the willingness people seem to have to treat their symptoms rather than the root causes of their conditions. It happens with just about any condition, but it definitely happens very frequently when it comes to Candida – especially since Candida can manifest itself in so many different ways.

In 1965, a pioneering doctor named Jack Geiger helped to start America’s first health centers in the Mississippi Delta and in Boston for the lower income population. Dr. Geiger treated many children who were ill and so malnourished that his prescriptions were not for pharmaceutical drugs, but “prescriptions” for basic healthy foods like meat, fruit and vegetables. These prescriptions were funded by his community center pharmacy budget, and once word got out to Washington, a government official was sent to reprimand Geiger for his “reckless spending.” The point was made to Geiger that his pharmacy’s budget was for “medical purposes” only and was not intended to cover foods. Geiger’s reply was simple: “The last time I checked my textbooks the specific therapy for malnutrition was in fact … food.”

The point here is that even in 1965, American government health officials did not recognize nutrition as having much bearing on human health. Having a poor and impoverished diet was not seen to be a contributing or causative factor in poor health and disease, and the sad fact is that even today there are doctors and governments who still believe that nutrition plays little role in human health, and that ill health in people can be attributed to some kind of “deficiency of a pharmaceutical drug.”
The interesting thing I find with conventional medicine is that it has developed an elaborate system cloaked in science aimed at treating the patient over a prolonged period of time, for the same complaint, and in cases like yeast infection – without much expectation of any complete resolution, for years on end, even decades. It reeks of profits for big pharma to me; there is no profit in health, only in ill health.

There is no doubt about it, Western medicine has given us many fantastic advances, but are medical doctors really looking for the actual causes of our illness or merely addressing the symptoms with potentially toxic drugs?

Like many different types of infections, yeast infections can lead to a host of chronic diseases. If you think about it for one minute, did you wake up one morning and have irritable bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, psoriasis, heart disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or any one of a number of other chronic health issues? Chronic problems most always have their origin in small beginnings, like a small infection. A house that needs demolition from rot starts with the tiniest amount of rot, but it remains hidden and undetected for years, sometimes decades until one day it was exposed and then it was too late, demolition was called for. This is just like cancer – no symptoms or pain for years, yet the same contributing underlying factors which are often hidden and then one day, “OMG, I’ve got cancer.”

We’ll continue to explore the thought process behind treating symptoms vs. cures and I hope I’ll be able to help you open your eyes so that you can at least ask your doctor the right questions – moving away from unnecessary medications and procedures to the ones you really need most.

Lifestyle And Yeast Infections, Yeast Infection Causes

Your current Habits Are The Cause Of Prolonged Yeast Infections

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What I have discovered over the years working with 1000s of candida yeast infection patients is that, there is always an underlying cause. Generally, there are two distinct types of causes – the primary cause (what actually started or helped to start the yeast infection), and the maintaining causes (what keeps it going on, and on, and on).

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Have You Identified Your Primary Cause?

Do you know what your primary (exciting) cause or causes were in the past? Are you able to recall what potentially caused it? Was it that course of antibiotics you had after you had a cough, cold, or an infection? Perhaps like many people, you have had several courses of antibiotics and have never been well since. If you are likely to tell me this in my exam room, I will write “NBWS” behind such an event and mark it out as a primary cause.

Could it have been when you came out of hospital, or perhaps at the time you returned from that vacation? Think of an event (any) that took place just before it started. Think of a drug or treatment that coincided with the onset of Candida.

It is actually irrational to assume that your current candida infection emerged out of no place and simply “happened.” There IS always a cause for your yeast overgrowth, and with a bit of detective work you should be able to figure out how long ago this whole mess started.

Primary causes are more dramatic and there is almost always a strong relationship between cause and effect. Most patients can remember the one primary cause (or the several primary causes). As people get older and they have had their yeast infection for many years, the memory may not be that good anymore and it may be harder to track the primary cause.

What are You Doing to Prolong Your Infection?

These are your maintaining causes and they’re generally a lot easier to discover. They will be happening right now and a bit of detective work will quickly uncover them. There will often be several maintaining causes or one big one, like eating chocolate several times a week or drinking alcohol daily.

What are you doing to keep your yeast infection going? Is it something specific in your diet? Is it something to do with your lifestyle? Is it both? Do you eat commercial chicken every week that may contain antibiotics? Maybe you are suffering from stress or adrenal fatigue. Perhaps you take steroids or hormonal birth control. Maybe you love sugary soft drinks.

No matter what, we’re going to identify your maintaining causes and eradicate them throughout the Candida Crusher program. I’m going to help you to change your lifelong habits for the better so that you can live a happy, Candida-free life.

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Yeast Infection Causes, Yeast Infection Treatment

Chronic Yeast Infection – Symptoms & Treatment Solution For YOU

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In this post I would like to cover the topic of “Chronic Yeast Infection”, I will reveal the symptoms, what actually causes chronic yeast, and some natural treatment options available for YOU.

Yeast infection is typically caused by Candida albicans. Candida is a normal resident of human body in small numbers, living in and on the warm, moist areas of the body. A yeast infection is the result of an overgrowth of Candida which may occur due to variety of reasons. Candidiasis is the medical term used to describe the infection due to yeast. A Candida yeast infection is generally not life-threatening (although it can and does occur) but it definitely can cause serious discomfort and very much affect the quality of a person’s life. The most commonly occurring infections due to an overgrowth of candida tend to be vaginal yeast infection, skin yeast infections, nail yeast infections as well as throat and oral thrush. A chronic yeast infection is a yeast infection which can potentially persist for a very long time which may be weeks or months or sometimes even many years.

What causes chronic yeast infection?

Generally, a yeast infection is not necessarily accompanied by a serious health problem. But, a chronic yeast infection may reflect a more serious underlying disease. There are certain diseases which can weaken the immune system of body and may result in a chronic yeast infection. It may be a symptom of diabetes mellitus or cancers like leukemia. It may also be a symptom of HIV infection or early stages of AIDS. Some other factors such as use of birth control pills or menopausal hormone replacement therapy may also be a factor in candida infection. Regular use of estrogen pills can cause a shift in the hormonal balance of your body, and this shift in hormonal balance causes a change in the pH of vagina. This change can provide a favorable environment for growth of yeasts. One of the most common of the drug-related yeast infection causes however, is the liberal use of antibiotic drugs, and a lesser-know cause is the use of antibiotics in our food chain, for example commercial poultry.

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Some cases of chronic yeast infection may result from poor hygiene, or the use of products like detergents and perfumes containing harmful chemical agents. A woman may also repeatedly get infected from his partner via sexual intercourse, if the partner is suffering from yeast infection.

Does pregnancy increase the risk of a chronic yeast infection?

During pregnancy, the pH of the vagina changes due to hormonal changes in pregnancy. This pH change may cause an imbalance between the beneficial lactobacillus bacteria present in vagina and assist in the proliferation of Candida albicans. Hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills also exert a similar effect. An increase in the level of estrogen can feed the yeast and potentially cause yeast to overgrow resulting, in chronic yeast infection. This also explains why many women also have a tendency to having an increase in yeast infection pre-menstrually, as opposed to after their period.

What are the symptoms of chronic yeast infection?

Women suffering from chronic yeast infection commonly experience itching in genital area, vulva and vagina. Although these symptoms can be caused by other diseases, a chronic yeast infection is the commonest cause. Burning and pain in vulval area and vagina are also common. A whitish vaginal discharge having may also accompany the pain and itching, and it can range from being a thin discharge to even having the appearance of cottage cheese.

Men suffering from chronic candida infection may have a rash over the penis which can be very itchy, especially uncircumcised males. A yeast infection can commonly affect men on the inner thigh close to their scrotum, or even cover the whole scrotal area.

Some patients with a yeast infection may experience a sore throat and a yeast infection of the mouth and/or tongue. On examination, white layer or patches may be seen inside the oral cavity and even covering parts of or the entire tongue.

Some other non-specific symptoms associated with chronic yeast infection are abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, bloating, indigestion and heartburn.

How chronic yeast infection can be treated?

My first advise would be to see a Naturopath in your city most of them follow my Candida Crusher protocol which can help you greatly. However, if you are someone who likes to save money and go on about treating their chronic yeast on their own then you can also get a copy of my book Candida Crusher.

What about OTC and supplements?

Although chronic yeast infection can be treated with OTC (over-the-counter) medications, there are many highly effective natural treatments available as well. I would advise you however to be careful about any serious health conditions which may underlie chronic yeast infection and for this reason it is important that you have a proper diagnosis. You may like to visit your health-care professional, to see whether you are indeed suffering from a yeast infection or from a more serious medical condition such as diabetes mellitus. You may like to complete my yeast infection survey to see if you have a mild, moderate or severe case of yeast infection.

There are many different anti-fungal drugs available to treat chronic yeast infections. These may be ointments or creams for local application or may be tablets for oral use. For vaginal yeast infection, vaginal suppositories are also available. Some of these drugs are over-the-counter and some are prescription drugs. For chronic yeast infection these drugs need to be used for a long time; which may be weeks, months or even years in cases such a chronic vaginal, skin or nail infection of yeast. I want you to be aware of the futility of using a pharmaceutical drug over and again for a yeast infection, yeast is a clever organism and in time you will only develop drug resistance, and potentially develop even more virulent and stronger strains of candida, which may be potentially extremely difficult to eradicate.

It is better to get advice from your health-care professional, particularity a person who specializes in yeast infections, if you are suffering from a chronic yeast infection. In addition, it is important that your partner should also be treated at the same time as you if you are suffering from chronic or recurrent vaginal yeast infection, or jock itch.

What If I Leave Chronic Yeast Infection Untreated?

WARNING! Watch my video below “What Are The Consequences Of A Chronic Yeast Infection When Left Untreated? Pay close attention! to what I have to say in this video.

What are the natural treatments for chronic yeast infection?

Yoghurt: Yoghurt is a good natural source of Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria, which constitutes a major part of our normal bacterial flora. As you have read earlier, the imbalance in the bacterial flora is a cause of chronic yeast infection, and replenishing these beneficial bacteria will help in overcoming a chronic yeast infection. I have written extensively about yogurt in my book Candida Crusher, and you will find plenty of information in section 1 of chapter 7.

Garlic: Garlic has very good anti-fungal properties. For maximum benefit one should take small amounts of raw garlic on a very regular basis. If you can include a few cloves of fresh garlic and swallow with a glass of water once or twice daily, it will give you the maximum benefit. It can also be used in the form of vaginal suppository. You may peel off a garlic clove and tie it to a string and use as suppository. For yeast infection of your skin, garlic paste can be used for local application, particularly with toenail fungus. You can read much more about the virtues of garlic in section 4 on chapter 7 in my book Candida Crusher.

Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil has excellent anti-fungal properties and I consider it one of the most effective of all effective natural remedies for yeast infection, particularly when used externally. It can be applied to the affected area after dilution. It can also be applied either directly to the vagina or a tampon dipped in it can be used, but be sure to use the water-soluble variety of Tea Tree Oil. Be careful about irritation which tea tree oil may cause; discontinue the use if that happens and wash the area thoroughly with plain water. You are safer using water-soluble teat Tree Oil vaginally, and straight tea Tree Oil on your toe nail fungus. My book Candida Crusher contains a lot of valuable information on the uses of Tea Tree Oil, because I have over twenty years of experience in recommending it for various kinds of yeast infections. Be sure to buy a copy of Candida Crusher, you will find an incredible amount of hints and tips on using this most amazing natural medicine in my book.

Vinegar: Vinegar being a mildly acidic substance has the property of arresting the growth of yeasts. A good quality organic apple cider vinegar is the best vinegar to use, avoid all commercial (white) vinegars. Vinegar can also be used to take a sitz bath after adding it to the lukewarm water. It acts as an instant reliever. There is plenty of information on the best uses of vinegar with yeast infections in my book Candida Crusher.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil is known to have good anti-fungal properties. It can be either applied directly to the affected area of body or taken orally. You will find much useful information about coconut and its anti-fungal properties in my book Candida Crusher.

Oil of oregano: This oil has amazing anti-fungal properties, and it also has immune-boosting properties. Be sure to get a high-grade wild-crafted oregano oil, with a high percentage of the active ingredient called carvacrol. Oregano oil is incredible when it comes to Candida, and I use it to wipe out even the most serious of foot and nail infections. You will need to take particular care in its use, which I outline in great detail in section 4 of chapter 7 of my book Candida Crusher.

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My book candida crusher is based on treating 15000 candida patients over my 25 years of clinical career, if you have had enough with candida and want to get back your life then get a copy of my book Candida Crusher – Permanent Yeast Infection Solution today just for $47, was $67 and I have a limited time offer for next few weeks. More at the end of this page.

What are benefits of taking Lactobacillus acidophilus in the  treatment of chronic yeast infections?

Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the most important of the beneficial bacterium present in your body. Replenishing these bacteria helps in checking the growth of candida. If you have taken antibiotics to treat your bacterial infection, be sure to follow it with course of acidophilus.

cover_3d_02Candida Crusher – Cure Your Yeast Infection Naturally Forever

My book Candida Crusher which took me five years to write and is based on my 25 years of clinical experience and treating over 15000 candida patients is FINALLY AVAILABLE. You can order your downloadable copy now from CandidaCrusher.com
Naturopath Eric Bakker N.D., Candida expert, creator of yeastinfection.org and author of Candida Crusher, reveals the only truly holistic Candida treatment that has permanently cured Candida yeast infections of more than 15,000 patients, a program that has eliminated Candida and restored countless patient’s energy levels and vitality

If YOU regularly experience symptoms like severe itching and burning, skin rashes, vaginal yeast infection or jock itch, toe nail fungus, sugar cravings, headaches, brain fog, drowsiness or weight gain, click here to read more about the Candida Crusher Program.