Are Recurrent Yeast Infections Ruining Your Life?
End the cycle now with this natural and effective treatment for yeast infections
Vaginal yeast infections can feel the end of the world as you know it—the itching, the burning, the bloating and fatigue. They interrupt your sleep, your sex life, and your weekend plans.
You’ve tried all the over-the-counter yeast infection treatments, from Monistat to Boric acid, and somehow always ended up with a recurrence.
Why, dear Lord, why?
Bad news first: a yeast infection in one area of your body usually indicates an imbalance in the whole system, not just the affected area, so no matter how many times you use Monistat, the yeast has a hiding place somewhere else.
But wait! Here’s the good news: there are safe, effective, and holistic ways to heal your whole body—as well as the problem area—so your yeast infection goes away, and this time, it never comes back.
How do we do that, you ask?
By using a combination of herbs created just for you and your body. This is the foundation of how traditional Chinese herbal medicine works, and believe me, it works.
Common treatments for yeast infections are often harsh, have nasty side effects, and fail to prevent recurrence of symptoms. Using my approach, I have seen hundreds of people recover from chronic yeast infections and stay yeast infection-free.
In this article I will explain how yeast infections work, why you might be suffering from one, and my approach to getting rid of them for good.
Table of Contents
THE NITTY GRITTY: WHAT ARE YEAST INFECTIONS?
Yeast infections are caused by the fungal organism Candida albicans and most commonly manifest as vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, jock itch, prostatitis and balanitis. Overgrowth of Candida can also manifest as chronic digestive problems (leaky gut, diarrhea, constipation, SIFO, etc.), fatigue, generalized itching, recurring urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, and more.
In this article, I’ll focus mostly on chronic vaginal yeast infections as they are the most common, but it also applies to the many other ways that Candida overgrowth can manifest.
As much as it may feel like it when in the throes of a vaginal yeast infection, Candida albicans is not actually an invader. It is one of many naturally occurring microbes that live in and on our bodies.
Think of yourself as an ecosystem—a forest, for example—with trillions of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses calling your body their home. The populations of these microbes go up and down based on a variety of factors, such as stress, illness, medications, diet, etc.
Some of the microbes in our ecosystem are beneficial to human health, some are neutral, and some can become harmful, especially when there are too many of them. Candida falls into the last category.
When the population of Candida is in balance with the rest of our microbiome ecosystem, all is well. But when the population gets too large… then it starts causing problems.
This is referred to as dysbiosis—when the population of a harmful microorganism in our body becomes too large relative to helpful microorganisms.
THE PROBLEM: WHY DO YOU HAVE A YEAST INFECTION
As I mentioned up top, Candida overgrowth is typically systemic, so even if the symptoms only appear locally as a vaginal yeast infection, the Candida population in the whole body is usually too large.
It’s like the tip of an iceberg, or the fruiting body of a mushroom—we see the cute little shroom above ground but 90% of the fungus exists hidden in the dirt.
In order to treat your yeast infection successfully, it’s important to understand the factors affecting both local and systemic Candida overgrowth.
It’s about to get science-y for a minute.
In the study of ecology, organisms which aggressively colonize new territory are called pioneer species. A good example is a clear-cut forest; there are certain grasses, plants and trees that will dominate the early stage of re-growth.
Pioneer species thrive on disturbance, and Candida is a pioneer species of the human microbiome. When there is disturbance in the body, it colonizes available space quickly and aggressively.
Candida also has a whole crew of nasty little friends like E. coli and Gardnerella who thrive in similar conditions, which is why Candida overgrowth can contribute to larger scale dysbiosis in the long term.
So, what is the human biome equivalent of a clear-cut?
Antibiotics are one of the most common causes of Candida overgrowth. When we take antibiotics, they not only kill the bad bacteria they were prescribed for, they wipe out beneficial bacteria, too. But guess what they don’t kill? Yep, that’s right, those sneaky little yeast and fungal organisms.
A course of antibiotics will lay waste to the bacterial colonies in your microbiome. Candida seizes that opportunity to colonize the newly open territory, and then does everything in its power to keep the beneficial bacteria from getting any real estate back.
Where does Candida get all this get-up-and-colonize energy from?
I can tell you in one word: sugar.
Sugar is the food of choice for Candida albicans and consumption of excessive sugar and carbohydrates in any form (this includes fruit and fruit juice) can lead to Candida overgrowth. The higher your blood sugar level, the more food there is for Candida. People dealing with unstable blood sugar levels from Diabetes or pre-diabetes are more likely to experience Candida overgrowth.
If you’ve noticed that you actually crave more sweet treats when you have a yeast infection, you aren’t nuts. Sugar cravings are frequently a sign of Candida overgrowth. The Candida organism releases chemicals that affect our body and brain chemistry.
Creepy, I know.
Another common trigger for the onset of vaginal yeast infections is, of course, the second-best thing after sugar: sex.
Sexual activity is a common trigger for the onset of vaginal yeast infections. If your sexual partner has a high population of Candida, they can “share” this and introduce enough to your vaginal flora to trigger a yeast infection.
With recurrent yeast infections, the vaginal flora ecosystem usually has an existing high population of Candida. Sexual activity disturbs the vaginal pH, introduces new microbes from a sexual partner, and leads to a flare up.
Medications like corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapies can also contribute to Candida overgrowth. Immunosuppression limits our immune system from controlling pathogenic growth of Candida, and many steroid drugs also interfere with our body’s ability to effectively control blood sugar.
This final trigger for chronic yeast infections may come as more of a surprise to you.
Antibiotic herbs can also lead to dysbiosis and recurrent yeast infections.
What?! But herbs are natural, right? They can’t hurt me.
This is 100% not true.
Herbs are certainly safer and more gentle than pharmaceutical medications, but they still need to be used appropriately to achieve a good result.
Herbs that indiscriminately kill bacteria do not choose between “good” and “bad”. Long term or excessive use of antimicrobial herbs or substances such as berberine, goldenseal, Oregon grape, grapefruit seed extract (GSE), colloidal silver, etc. can lead to dysbiosis—aka the opportunity for overgrowth of yeast and other harmful microbes in your body.
KILLING IT SOFTLY: HOW DO I GET RID OF MY YEAST INFECTION (AND NEVER HAVE IT COME BACK)?
When you have a vaginal yeast infection you are in a world of hurt. Of course you want to rain hellfire on those little f**kers and kill every last one! But going nuclear on Candida is not effective in the long term.
Candida is smart, so we have to be smarter.
Now that we know that Candida will thrive in a wasteland (pioneers, remember?), we can’t allow them to have one.
Antifungal medications, such as Monistat and Diflucan, are the nuclear option. They are effective at killing Candida, but they also harm beneficial flora, and cause stress to many organs including the liver, kidneys, stomach, and adrenal glands. They also weaken your immune system.
If you’ve taken these medications, you may have experienced side effects as a result of this collateral damage. Ok, so maybe you don’t mind a little insomnia, nausea, or vomiting if it gets rid of the yeast infection.
But here’s the catch: the damage these drugs cause make it more likely for Candida to recur in the future.
And don’t forget: the nuclear option may kill off most of the Candida, but it will never get it all, and (as we recall from the science-y portion) a disturbed system is the place where Candida thrives.
You’ve probably heard about herbal alternatives to antifungal medications. Common antifungal herbs and supplements include black walnut, neem, oregano oil, pau d arco, and grapefruit seed extract (GSE).
Unfortunately, these are actually the herbal versions of the nuclear option.
They may be milder than antifungal drugs, but they still cause disturbance in the microbiome by killing beneficial microbes along with Candida. All the herbs I listed above are also capable of causing liver or kidney damage. While they might be naturally sourced, they represent the same approach as conventional treatments.
So, what is the solution?
Focus on killing off the Candida while simultaneously nourishing the helpful flora in your body.
This may sound simple, but it can actually be very difficult accomplish.
Lucky for us, the approach I use in my herbal program does just that—and before you start thinking I sound pretty darn full of myself, let me assure you: I did not come up with these methods all on my own.
My herbal treatments are based on the ancient Chinese Medicine strategy for treating chronic dysbiosis and parasitic infection, once known as “Gu Syndrome”.
The key to this approach is using selective pressure.
Instead of using harsh herbs that kill everything in their path, I select specific herbs that are fundamentally gentle but have targeted antiparasitic effects. I use herbs that put pressure on Candida and make it difficult for it to thrive, but do not harm your beneficial flora, organs, or immune system. These are the best herbs for treating yeast infections.
In fact, I go farther than just not harming the rest of your body: I include herbs that strengthen your immune function, fortify and cleanse your liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands, and improve your sugar metabolism.
This multi-pronged approach transforms your body into the perfect place for you and your beneficial microbes to exist, but not a great location for organisms like Candida to live.
By focusing our resources on strengthening the innate health of your body and using selective pressure to push Candida out, we build a new future without chronic Candida overgrowth in it.
And just like that—you won’t be battling a chronic infection anymore.
What will you do with all that extra time?
Probably something amazing.
STARTING YOUR HERBAL PROGRAM
with the best herbs for treating yeast infections
So, what’s the next step?
I have been running an intensive Chinese herbal medicine clinic for over ten years, and have a passion for helping people find lasting, side-effective free, lifestyle affirming treatments for whatever is keeping them down.
I offer highly individualized herbal treatment for a wide variety of health concerns through an online system so anyone anywhere can benefit from this medicine.
If you would like to start an herbal program with me, click below to fill out our intake questionnaire. Use as much detail as you can (yes, I do want to know).
Filling out the questionnaire is free; you will not be charged until you decide to purchase your herbal program.
After reviewing your questionnaire, I will create a custom herbal formulation (a combination of herbs all working together in tandem) for you and contact you via email with details on your plan of treatment, and a link to purchase your herbal program.
Then you simply purchase your herbs, wait for them to arrive on your doorstep, and start a new chapter—one that features zero yeast infection drama.
I hope you found this article helpful in understanding recurrent yeast infections, and I look forward to helping you say ‘goodbye’ to chronic Candida overgrowth for good.
Sincerely, Sean Dugan L.Ac.
Addendum. A recent case of Candida treatment.
Vaginal yeast infections are the most common manifestation of Candida, but it can affect many areas of the body. We are never going to ask for or display photos of vaginal yeast infections, so instead we will look at an example of a severe case of Candida causing cheilitis (chronic lip inflammation) that I treated recently.
This client of mine dealt with this severe case of Candida induced cheilitis for 5 months before coming to me. She saw four different dermatologists, two naturopaths, a functional medicine MD, a master herbalist, and an acupuncturist with no results before coming to see me. She had many lab tests, including tests that confirmed Candida, but none of these doctors knew how to treat it effectively. She took a boatload of supplements, herbs, medications, and even topical medications with no improvement. Her dermatologists were stumped, and were encouraging her to get a core needle biopsy of her lip. Yikes.
The picture on the left is when we started, the middle picture is 2 weeks into my treatment, and the picture on the right is one month into treatment. We went through 3 months of treatment to stabilize and prevent recurrence, and now 9 months later she still hasn't had any problems.
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