Conditions Treated

Natural Treatment for Candida & Thrush

Candida and thrush are common presentations at our Perth clinic. They respond well to natural treatment with homeopathy and naturopathic remedies. For a successful result, the focus must be on the patient as a whole and on restoring the immune system.  It is not just about eliminating the candida and the vaginal, oral and gut symptoms, as troubling as they are.

This is the problem with many medical approaches to candida and thrush. It is also why many natural approaches fail in the long run. Most simply adopt the routine symptom-focused approach of conventional treatment . On the other hand, our approach is holistic and aims to fix the problem for good. The beauty of this is that the patient experiences so much more than a relief of thrush: their energy improves, hormonal and period symptoms improve, and so much more.

In natural medicine, it has also been a fashion for about thirty-five years to attribute a host of health problems to systemic candida infection. It has been an attractive diagnosis, because it allows the therapist to give a “reason” for a series of troubling symptoms. It also provides a “target” for treatment. However, in reality it is a symptom of the imbalance of the whole person, and rarely the ultimate “cause”.

That is always why this approach, and so many home remedies and strict diets, will ultimately fail. They treat the immediate cause of the symptoms. But because this never completely eliminates the candida, it will always return. That is, unless we address the reason for the overgrowth. We all have a degree of candida. It is our immune system and our dynamic balance of health that helps keep it in check and at normal levels.

As always, this clinic sees thrush and candida as a symptom only. This cause always lies much deeper in the dynamic balance of health, which is reflected in all three levels: mental, emotional and physical. Homeopathic treatment uniquely addresses this level with its holistic approach. Naturopathic dietary changes support and supplement these remedies.

What is Candida, and What Causes it?

Candida is a yeast organism found naturally in the digestive system, mouth, vagina and skin. The good bacteria in the gut normally control this yeast and keep it within normal levels.

If the balance between candida and the good bacteria is disturbed, it can change into a more aggressive fungal form. This can then spread and release a wide range of toxins, which can then affect anywhere in the body. These toxins can in turn suppress the immune system and cause a wide variety of health issues all over the body.

Antibiotic use can be a common trigger for this imbalance. Bad diet, especially too much sugar and refined carbohydrates, is also a cause. Anything that disturbs health can affect the immune system and lead to an overgrowth of this fungus. Hormonal imbalance can be a result of this immune disturbance. But in turn also hormonal imbalance for other reasons can contribute to thrush and candida. Once the problem is established, oestrogen dominance, as occurs before the period, can trigger symptoms.

Environmental toxins, such as plastics and pesticides may also aggravate the issue. Heavy metals from environmental exposure or from vaccinations or amalgam fillings may also contribute.  And so the cycle continues. As you see, it is not a simple issue of killing the yeast or fungus overgrowth.

candida 1Most candida overgrowth and yeast infections are caused by a strand of yeast called candida albicans. But there are also the glabrata, parapsilosis and rugata strains that can cause problems. As part of symptomatic treatment at this clinic we use homeopathic remedies specific to each type of yeast. But we always combine this with more holistic natural treatment to restore function to the body as a whole.

What are the Symptoms of Candida Infection?

Symptoms of this infection are multiple. It can mimic almost any chronic problem. Once again, we always have to be careful of attributing the cause of every chronic health issue to candida. It is just as likely to be a result of immune suppression due to other issues. That is why our treatment is holistic, focusing on the whole person and the big picture of their health. We take a full case history going right back to birth. In doing this, all the contributing factors and medical suppression is teased out, and the picture becomes clear of what needs to be addressed.

The superficial, external symptoms include

  • Vaginal thrush, or yeast infections of the genitals in males. About half of all cases have this, and this is often a precursor for more systemic infection.
  • Oral thrush. Coated tongue, usually whitish, creamy or yellow. Ulcers, cracked tongue, bleeding gums.
  • Acne and other skin issues, fungal infections of the skin and nails, itchy skin and otherwise unexplained red rashes.

More systemic, internal problems related to candida include:

  • Headache, dizziness or vertigo, brain fog, abnormal sweats, sweet cravings, low mood or mood swings
  • Digestive problems: indigestion, flatulence, bloating, constipation or diarrhea or alternating stools, nausea, acid reflux, mucus in the stools.
  • Joint pains. Muscle pains. Stiffness of the body.
  • General tiredness and weakness. Low energy
  • Allergies and food sensitivities, related to leaky gut syndrome.
  • Weak immune system. Catches everything going around.
  • Hormonal imbalance. Irregular cycle. Extreme PMS symptoms
  • As a result of the above it may affect fertility through both its hormonal influence and its effect on cervical mucus at ovulation. That is something we address with our natural fertility treatment.
  • Sinus infection and post-nasal drip. (This is the most common cause of sinus infection, and the usual prescription of antibiotics will only worsen the problem.

Naturopathic and Homeopathic Candida Treatment at our Perth Clinic

Candida and thrush respond well to treatment at this Perth naturopathic clinic. This may include homeopathy or herbal treatment and appropriate dietary changes.Our approach is two pronged. We treat the symptoms if necessary with candida specific remedies. But more importantly treat the patient as a whole to restore full immune function to prevent return of the problem.

Firstly, we take a full case history. This provides a time line of the patient’s decline in health and the factors contributing to that. We go through all the systems of the body, to get a full pattern of the imbalance. Importantly, that includes the mental and emotional reality of the person

We prescribe individual homeopathic medicines, depending on the exact symptoms. This may include acute remedies for the candida itself. But we always give this in conjunction with the constitutional remedy that covers all aspects of the patient, mentally, emotionally and physically. In this way all treatment is specific to the person and helps restore true health. This is the only way to banish the problem for good.

Once again, we must address and treat all the factors that contribute to hormonal issues and oestrogen dominance. We also consider naturopathic dietary and lifestyle factors: sugar and a poor diet will feed the problem. However, unlike other natural  approaches to candida, we do not find it necessary to put patients on very restrictive diets to heal the problem.

As this is mainly a female problem, other related pages on this site relevant to the topic of candida include women’s health, natural fertility and menstrual problems.