Candida Albicans

What Is Candida Albicans?

Candidiasis, also known as a yeast infection, is a common fungal infection that occurs when there is an overgrowth of the fungus Candida albicans. Candida albicans is always present in the body in small amounts. However, when an imbalance occurs, such as when the normal acidity of the vagina changes or when a person's hormonal balance changes, Candida albicans can multiply. When this happens, symptoms of candidiasis appear.

 

Symptoms of Candida Albicans

Women with Candida albicans infections usually experience genital itching or burning, with or without a cottage cheese-like vaginal discharge. Males with genital candidiasis may experience an itchy rash on the penis.

 

Statistics on Candida Albicans

Nearly 75 percent of all adult women will have at least one genital yeast infection in their lifetime. On rare occasions, men may also experience genital candidiasis. Candida albicans infections occur more frequently and more severely in people with weakened immune systems.

 

There are some other conditions that may put a woman at risk for genital candidiasis, including:

 

Transmitting Candida Albicans

Most cases of Candida albicans infection are caused by the person's own Candida organisms. Candida yeasts usually live in the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and vagina without causing symptoms. Symptoms develop only when Candida albicans becomes overgrown in these sites. Rarely, Candida albicans can be passed from person to person, such as through sexual intercourse.

 

Diagnosing Candida Albicans

The symptoms of genital candidiasis are similar to those of many other genital infections. Making a diagnosis usually requires laboratory testing of a genital swab a physician takes from the affected area.

 

Treatment Options for Candida Albicans

Antifungal drugs -- which are taken orally, applied directly to the affected area, or used vaginally -- are the drugs of choice for vaginal yeast infections. Although these drugs usually work to cure the infection (80 percent to 90 percent success rate), infections that do not respond to treatment are becoming more common, especially in HIV-infected women receiving long-term antifungal therapy. Prolonged and frequent use of these treatments can lessen their effectiveness.

 

Both three-day and seven-day treatments may be effective treatment options for Candida albicans infections.

 

Over-the-counter (OTC) treatments for Candida infections are becoming more widely available. As a result, more women are diagnosing themselves with yeast infections and using one of a family of drugs called "azoles" for therapy. However, misdiagnosis is common, and studies have shown that as many as two-thirds of all OTC drugs sold to treat Candida albicans infections were used by women without the disease.

 

Overuse of these antifungal medications can increase the chance that they will eventually not work (the fungus develops resistance to the drugs). Therefore, it is important to be sure of the diagnosis before beginning treatment with over-the-counter or other antifungal medications.

 

Candida Albicans and Urinary Tract Infections

Because yeast infections and urinary tract infections share similar symptoms, such as a burning sensation when urinating, it is important to see a doctor and obtain laboratory testing to determine the cause of the symptoms before beginning treatment.