The yeast from the genus candida causes this fungal infection known as candidiasis. The yeast candida naturally lives in the intestinal tract, the mucous membranes and the skin. They continue to survive without causing any health problems, however, when they proliferate excessively, symptoms can develop. Although it can affect the healthy individuals, it commonly develops among the people with weakened immune system such as AIDS, cancer and pregnant women. When the candida yeast infection develops in the mouth or areas of the throat, it is usually known as thrush (oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis), the vaginal infection is commonly called yeast infection or vulvovaginal candidiasis and when it enters the bloodstream spreading throughout the body it is referred to as invasive candidiasis.
Oropharyngeal and Esophageal candidiasis
Normally, this yeast continues to live in the skin and other mucous membranes in less quantity, however, when an imbalance in the oral condition occurs, they may proliferate resulting in the symptoms. The candidiasis developing in the mouth is also known as thrush and is commonly associated with the patients who have severely impaired immune system such as leukemia, HIV infection and diabetes mellitus. The signs include the presence of white patches that look like the milk curd that develops on the buccal mucosa and less commonly it is found in the gums, pharynx and the tongue. The symptoms include the soreness or redness of the affected area, dryness of the mouth, difficulty with swallowing and loss of taste. The diagnosis is usually based on the scraping of the affected area which is then evaluated under the microscope.
Vulvovaginal candidiasis
This is a relatively common condition that is estimated to affect 75% of the women population at least once in their lifetime. This can occur as the result of certain imbalance such as hormonal changes, use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, pregnancy and low vaginal PH level. This imbalance can trigger the overgrowth of the naturally living yeast in the vagina causing the related symptoms to develop. The symptoms include the genital burning, itching and curd-like vaginal discharge. Men may have an itchy rash on the penis. The diagnosis is usually difficult with a physical examination as several of the genital infections also exhibit similar symptoms; hence the sample of the vaginal secretion is normally observed under the microscope to assess if an elevated quantity of candida is present.
Invasive Candidiasis
This is a serious condition that results from the infection spreading to other parts of the body in the bloodstream. The common bloodstream infection of invasive candidiasis is the candidemia. As this type of infection usually occurs in the high-risk individuals who are already ill with other conditions, it can be difficult to determine the cause of the symptoms. Generally, these cases are suspected of bacterial infection that doesn’t improve with antibiotics and may have fever and chills. The other symptoms may develop depending on the part of the body that becomes affected such as the brain, heart, bones or eyes. The diagnosis of invasive candidiasis is done by the blood sample to observe whether the candidia will grow in the culture.
Treatment
Most of the candida infections are treated with the antifungal medications that are based on the type of the condition the individual is affected. This can include the creams, oral rinses or tablets and vaginal tablets. Some of the creams with the low-strength corticosteroids can alleviate the inflammation and itchiness. The invasive candidiasis may be treated with intravenous medication particularly with the immunocompromised and terminally ill patients.
References:
http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Mycoses/Cutaneous/Candidiasis/
https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/index.html
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/candidiasis