Candida Screening & Treatment

What is a candida infection?

Candida, which is a kind of yeast (or fungal) organism, naturally lives in low numbers on your skin and it does not usually cause an issue; but, under some circumstances, this fungus/yeast can rapidly multiply, leading to a candida infection. The most common candida infection sites are in your vagina (when this candida infection is called vaginal thrush), in your mouth (when the infection is called oral thrush) and also on your skin.

Your IPSA Medical candida consultation

When you visit your IPSA Medical surgery for your candida consultation, your skilled IPSA Medical practitioner will see you and she will be familiar with these types of candida infections. Your IPSA Medical facility is a confidential and conducive environment, and with your IPSA Medical clinician’s person-centred attitude to your issue, you will be involved fully in your candida consultation. Your IPSA Medical specialist will take your presenting candida symptoms seriously, and will undertake your examination in our relaxing, professional setting.

Your IPSA Medical practitioner will discuss and/or explain IPSA Medical’s various options for candida treatment with you, prior to reaching a decision on the method of candida management that is most suitable for you.

Is having a candidal skin infection a serious concern?

Usually, having a candidal skin infection is not a serious issue. This type of infection mostly occurs in people who are usually healthy and is slightly more common in individuals who are overweight. The treatment that your IPSA Medical physician will offer you usually works very well. Your IPSA Medical practitioner will also explain how with some people, it can be symptomatic of other health problems (e.g. diabetes). Your IPSA Medical specialist will work during your consultation to rule out any of these other possible disorders.

Why does candida multiply, leading to skin infections?

You do have an increased risk of developing candidal skin infections when your immune system has been weakened (for example, through some kinds of blood disorder, through having chemotherapy, or through contracting AIDS), when you are suffering from diabetes, when you have used antibiotics for a long time, or when you have been taking steroids.

As sweaty/moist skin is the ideal environment for candida to multiply in, it usually affects the folds of your skin (in your armpits, your groin or underneath large breasts). Candida can lead to inflammation in your skin folds or to inflammation underneath your breasts and is one cause of a condition called intertrigo. Sometimes a candida infection can cause nappy rash. If you are obese, then you can develop an infection in between folds in your skin due to an overgrowth of candida. Candida infections can also develop in the skin in between your toes/fingers and it can affect the corners of your mouth.

Symptoms of candida skin infections

In your affected skin folds (underneath your breasts and in your groin area, for example), an often itchy and sore red rash develops that can also be accompanied by many small and blister-type swellings that form on the area of the rash. Additionally, scales can then build upon your rash, with a whitish-yellow and curd-like substance being produced. Your skin can also become thicker and ‘macerated’ (this is when your skin becomes softer, turning whitish in colour) if you have the candida infection in between your toes/fingers.

What candida skin treatments are available at my IPSA Medical clinic?

Your IPSA Medical practitioner will offer you antifungal cream, as this will usually clear any candida infection in roughly one week. Your IPSA Medical specialist might also prescribe steroidal cream, which works to reduce inflammation as the antifungal cream tackles your candida infection. This type of mild steroid, if used on its own without using the antifungal treatment, actually worsens candida infections, which your IPSA Medical clinician will explain during your consultation, and if your candida infection is widespread, then your IPSA Medical clinician may also prescribe antifungal medication in tablet form.

How to prevent and minimise a candidal skin infection

During your candida consultation, your IPSA Medical physician will run you through the best ways of reducing your risk of having recurring candida skin infections, such as by:

• Losing weight (as candida infections can be weight-related).
• Keeping all of the likely candida infection sites both dry and clean.
• Drying yourself well after you have washed (particularly under your arms, under your breasts and around your groin), and by using a hairdryer, you ensure that the key areas are totally dry before getting dressed.
• Removing/sterilising your dentures at night if you have issues with candida infections in your mouth and have dentures.
• Wearing absorbent, loose and light clothing that is not synthetic or made from wool, as this helps to reduce the moisture levels near your skin.

If you have candida infections that seem to recur and there is no obvious reason for the recurrence, your IPSA Medical specialist might suggest a blood sugar level assessment (known as a diabetes test).

At your IPSA Medical clinic, we understand that waiting even a few days for an appointment can prove stressful and so IPSA Medical offers same-day candida appointments. Call IPSA Medical today or book your candida consultation online.