Candida symptoms can vary from mild to extremely inconvenient to even life threatening. Therefore, it’d be better to track those yeast infection symptoms down early on to be able to fight them off with less effort and more success. In this article I’ll cover the most common general Candida symptoms as well as symptoms specific to women, men and children.
First, let me remind you that this is a sub-article to my Guide to Candida Overgrowth: Symptoms, Causes, Testing and Treatment that bases on the following books and resources:
- The Candida Crusher, a very thorough 700-page book by naturopath Eric Bakker from New Zealand. He has successfully treated thousands of patients over the past 25 years and I found great value from his book.
- Yeast Infection No More BOOK by Linda Allen. Yeast Infection No More is also available in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
- The Candida Summit 2018 held by Evan Brand, BCHN, CFMP, NTP including 33 expert interviews.
Download my FREE EBOOK on Candida Overgrowth!
General Candida Symptoms
Symptoms Linked to Central Nervous System
- Alterations of smell, taste, sight or hearing.
- Blurry vision, spots before eyes
- Tingling in the head, brain fog, dizziness, numbness, spaced-out feeling
- Loss of self-confidence
- Irritability, nervousness, panic attacks, agitation
- Poor concentration and memory, feeling of being drunk
- Dull headaches
- Earaches, itchy ears
- Confusion, mood swings
- Depression
Gastro-Intestinal Symptoms
- Bloating, gas, abdominal pain
- Indigestion
- Diarrhoea and/or constipation
- Mucus in stool
- Haemorrhoids with rectal itching, itching in or around the anus
- Heartburn
- Burning tongue, white or yellow coating on the tongue
- Mouth sores or blisters, canker sores, dryness, bad breath, oral thrush
- Low appetite with low-grade nausea
- Cravings for sugar and other foods made of refined carbs (pasta, bread, pizza), alcohol, and sweet fruits
- Recurring bacteria gut infections: salmonella, E. coli, H. pylori etc.
Genito-Urinary Symptoms
- Kidney and bladder infections
- Urinary frequency or urgency
- Smelly and strange-coloured urine, difficulty urinating, painful/burning urination
- Fluid retention, puffiness around the body
- Bed-wetting
Skin and Nail Symptoms
- Oral thrush
- Dryness, red or white skin patches
- Chronic mouth ulcers
- Skin irritations
- Random itching
- Athletes foot (red and itchy feet/toes), more common among men
- Discoloured, brittled and thickened nails
- Itchy scalp and dandruff
- Red and scaly eyelids
- Psoriasis, seborrhea, dermatitis
- Acne rosacea, vulgaris
- Any fungal infections of the skin and nails
- Smelly feet, hair or body
Musculo-Skeletal Symptoms
- Muscle aches
- Painful sides of neck, upper back and shoulders
- Rapid pulse, pounding or irregular heart and palpitations
- Joint pain, stiffness and swellings
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Creaking of joints
- Numbness, tingling or burning sensations in muscles
- Lack of strength and coordination
- Bruising easily
- Cheekbone or forehead tenderness or pains
- Cold hands or feet, low body temperature
Ear, Nose, Throat and Respiratory Symptoms
- Persistent nasal congestion or stuffiness
- Sinus inflammation, swelling and excessive mucus or infection
- Flu-like symptoms, coughs and recurring colds
- Excessive mucus in the throat, nose and ear canals (popping ears), sinuses, bronchial tubes or lungs. Can be worse after meals or on rising
- Ringing in the ears, tinnitus, “fluttering” sounds
- Ear infections, ear pain, earaches, discharges, fluid in ears, deafness, abnormal wax build-up
- Sore throat, hoarse voice, constant tickle in the throat, loss of voice (laryngitis)
Other Candida symptoms
- Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and diabetes
- Hypothyroidism, Wilson’s Thyroid Syndrome, Hashimoto’s disease, hyperthyroidism, erratic thyroid function, etc.
- Cysts and polyps in different parts of the body, especially around the ears, neck, throat, and ovaries, and in the bladder, groin or scrotal region.
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Insomnia, waking up frequently, nightmares, restless sleep
- Just feeling sick
- Fatigue (chronic fatigue syndrome or Epstein Barr), lethargy, drowsiness
Gender and Age Specific Candida Symptoms
Candida Symptoms in Men
- Jock itch
- Burning sensation and irritation during and after sexual intercourse
- Prostatitis
- White lesions and red rash in the penis area
- A drop of white discharge from the penis
Candida Symptoms in Women
- Localized vaginal yeast infection: itching, irritation and burning of the vagina or vulva, white and abnormal discharge from the vagina, pain during sexual intercourse, inflammatory redness in the perineum area, over-sensitivity and irritation of the pubic hair follicles, frequent pain during urination, low pelvic aching.
- Systemic vaginal yeast infection: severe swelling of the vagina characterized by swollen anus and purple colour of the vulva, pain during urination, painful skin cracks due to extreme dryness of the vaginal and vulva areas, general fatigue and lethargy, walking difficulties, scratching the area causing bloody exudation, bleeding and swelling of haemorrhoid veins, difficulties having sexual intercourse.
- Chronic polycystic ovarian syndrome or endometriosis.
- Cyclic vulvovaginitis – recurrent pain, burning and itching sensation during every menstrual cycle.
NB! There are some normal discharges during the menstrual cycle that are yellowish and mucus-like in consistency, and there are normal discharges when sexual arousal occurs. It’s only when you seem to have white cottage cheese-like discharge, often accompanied by bread or yeasty odour and several of the symptoms above, that it may indicate a yeast infection.
Candida Symptoms in Children
- Hyperactivity, terrible attitude
- Learning difficulties
- Colic
- Diaper rash
- Thrush (coated white tongue)
- Cradle cap
- Strong sweet and sugar craving (including sweet fruits and fruit juices)
- Itchy anus
- Abdominal pain which is “undiagnosable” by the bowel specialist
- A child living in a cold, damp or mouldy environment who is always sick
- Recurrent bladder or urinary tract infection
- Recurrent ear, nose or throat, respiratory or sinus infection
- Celiac disease
In case you experience some or many of the yeast infection symptoms mentioned above, make an appointment with your physician, functional medicine doctor or naturopath and get yourself tested. I’ll publish more on Candida testing in my next article. So, please make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get notified of any updates.
I suggest you also have a look at Most Common Causes of Candida Overgrowth to find out what might be the reason(s) behind your symptoms.
Finally, should you need more help, please find my Vegan Candida Cleanse meal plan here and read the reviews to see how it has already helped people with irritating and uncomfortable yeast infection symptoms.
Download my FREE EBOOK on Candida Overgrowth!
Mycozil is a unique, all-natural formula designed specifically to support the body’s natural balance of yeast and fungal organisms. It’s made with potent herbs and enzymes that work with your body’s internal defenses to protect against the spread of harmful organisms.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, as well as BalanceOne and Global Healing affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. For every purchase made from the links in this post, you’ll be able to support my work. So you can look after your health, and contribute to my mission at the same time. Thank you!
Hello, I have been struggling with a recurring BV infection for over a year now. Will the candida diet help with that or is it meant only for yeast infections? Thank you.
Hi! It’s hard to say. I suggest this article for more information.
Can mycozil be taken while nursing?
Hi! I recommend you ask Global Healing team directly!