Your body is always home to Candida albicans. This bacteria doesn’t cause any problems as long as your body stays in ‘balance’ so that the candida can’t become overgrown. On occasion something happens that throws off your body’s balance which allows the candida to become over grown and that can lead to an infection. An intestinal yeast infection is one type of infection that can be caused by this overgrowth.
There are a few scenarios that will explain how your candida levels will grow unchecked:
1. The beneficial bacteria in your intestinal tract, probiotics, fall below a certain level which allows the growth of the candida. This can be caused by many factors, one of the most common is when your doctor prescribes and antibiotic for another condition. Sometimes the antibiotic will kill off the things that you actually don’t want to kill off. When that happens there is nothing left to hold the Candida growth in check so it grows to the point of causing an infection.
If you are prone to yeast infections make sure you talk to your doctor about it before he prescribes and anti biotic. Ask if there is another option. If not, you might just be stuck with a yeast infection to deal with on top of whatever other condition you are being treated for.
2. A weakened immune system can make you susceptible to many types of illnesses and an intestinal yeast infection is one of them. People who have HIV or who are undergoing chemotherapy are at particular risk of getting an infection since both of these conditions will weaken the immune system dramatically.
Stress and anxiety are also common causes of a weakened immune system. If possible try to stay relaxed and stress free. I know that that can be hard to do, but if you can learn to relax you may be able to lessen the number of infections you get.
3. Another potential cause of a yeast infection are high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar increases the ability of the candida to grow and thrive and often leads to an infection. If you are prone to a lot of outbreaks, you may want to try and cut your sugar intake. Doing so will likely also help out in other ways, such as an unexpected weight loss which will only help keep your whole body healthier.
4. Some birth control pills can increase your risk of an infection. Also, spermicide creams can alter the balance of vaginal fluids which can increase the risk of an infection. When you take birth control pills you have more estrogen and progesterone which can encourage the candida to grow.
There are some things you can do to minimize your risk of getting an intestinal yeast infection. Cut back on sugar intake, try to avoid taking antibiotics and try to remain as stress free as possible. There are also some factors you simply can’t control such as a weakened immune system due to disease. All you can do is to take as many risk factors for an infection away and hope for the best.