What is Candida Overgrowth?

Candida overgrowth is often responsible for chronic fatigue, digestive issues, mental 
health changes, and many other ailments. Candida is a fungus that already exists in 
your body, in the form of yeast. This is what often causes fungal infections in the form of 
rashes or with yeast infections. However, some people have an overgrowth of the 
candida in their body, which can lead to other physical and mental changes.

Where Does Candida Overgrowth Come From?

It is important that you understand the candida (yeast) is already in your body. There is 
nothing wrong with having it; the problem occurs when it starts to grow and can cause 
other side effects. Candida usually lives in your mouth and intestines, so it can cause 
anything from oral thrush to gut problems, emotional or behavioral changes, fatigue, 
and so much more.

The cause of an abundance of candida in your body can come from different sources, 
but it is more common in people that kill off the good bacteria in their gut. This 
commonly occurs when you have one too many rounds of antibiotics. Your gut has 
good and bad bacteria that provides a peaceful balance, but if you lose too much good 
bacteria, the bad bacteria takes over and can cause a growth of the candida.

Other things that can lead to candida overgrowth include:

Eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates 
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol 
Having a lot of stress in your life 
Taking certain medications, like oral contraceptives

Signs and Symptoms

The combination of symptoms of candida overgrowth are what might convince your 
doctor to test you for it. This is because many of these symptoms often point to other 
medical conditions. Here are some of the more common symptoms that you might have 
candida or yeast overgrowth:

Chronic, severe fatigue that doesn’t get better no matter what you try. 
Craving sweets and processed carbohydrates. 
Mood and behavioral changes. 
Increase in anxiety, stress, and depression. 
Frequent, recurring infections, including vaginal infections, UTIs, and skin infections. 
Digestive and gut issues. 
Problems with focus and concentration.

What Can Be Done About it

There are a few different ways to treat candida overgrowth, but many people choose to 
do a candida diet. This is a diet that removes sugar and carbohydrates, which can 
exacerbate the problem, and adds in more probiotic foods meant to reverse the 
overgrowth of yeast.
It is still a good idea to talk to your doctor about the best way to treat this condition.
