Healing Thrush for Good
Thrush, or Candida overgrowth, can affect a wide range of body systems, and once it becomes recurrent, can be a difficult cycle to break. Recommendations such as restrictive diets, anti-biotics or anti-fungals may help for the acute phase. But they can perpetuate the condition long term, increasing re-infection potential, and cause other issues down the line such as a disrupted microbiome and digestive dysfunction. The good news is that there are many wonderful herbs and supportive natural ally’s that can both clear the infection and heal the tissue to stop candida reappearing.
Let’s have a look at the nature of Thrush, and at how Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine can support the body at clearing out Candida overgrowth for good.
Candida Overgrowth in the Gut
When in the gut, candida can cause bloating, abdominal pain, changes to bowel movements, and poor all-round digestion, absorption and elimination. The overall inflammation that increases in the intestines can set up a reactionary gut environment - increasing the list of 'trigger foods' and severity of symptoms like bloating and pain over time.
Chronically inflamed tissue is less functional, and less able to heal itself, so this can become a perpetual cycle, establishing an ideal environment in which candida thrives. Common trigger foods are refined carbs/simple sugars (wheat products, sugary foods etc) and dairy products.
It can also have follow on effects like headaches, poor concentration and foggy-headedness, and poor energy.
Vaginal Candida Overgrowth
With genital thrush, sensations can include itching, burning, tingling or irritation, and usually coincides with a 'cottage-cheese' like discharge. The vaginal tissue can feel sensitive and sore, both during the infection and, if they are recurring frequently, between infections as well.
It is also common for infections to peak at particular moments in the cycle - such as around ovulation, and in the lead up to bleeding. As the bowel is partly responsible for the breakdown and elimination of hormones like oestrogen, when candida/dysbiosis is apparent in the gut, it can drive the problematic oestrogenic environment, and cause or worsen vaginal thrush.
Thrush can also occur orally, in which the tongue has a thick coating of white mucous. In more severe manifestations, candida overgrowth can be affecting multiple systems at once. With all this in mind, it is easy to see that there are many factors to consider when treating acute or chronic thrush.
Contrary to common belief, thrush is often not a hygeine issue. In fact, over-cleaning the vaginal tissue, or tongue scraping frequently, can be contributing to infections by wiping out good bugs with soap.
Contributing Factors to Chronic Thrush
RECURRENT ANTIBIOTIC USE. This can wipe out the normal, healthy microbiome as readily as pathogenic microbes, and afterward leaves 'empty homes' in the tissue for opportunistic pathogens to move in and proliferate.
COMPROMISED IMMUNITY. If your Immune system is not able to mount the response required to deal with an opportunistic infection, then resolution of the infection can be difficult without some kind of supportive intervention.
HORMONAL IMBALANCE. Candida loves an oestrogenic environment - so high oestrogen and/or low progesterone can set the scene for thrush to both appear and reappear.
HIGH DIETARY INTAKE OF REFINED CARBOHYDRATES. Simple sugars are food/fuel for candida, and can support the environment it likes to proliferate in.
Common Interventions
Common interventions such as anti-fungals and anti-biotics often provide immediate relief, but can lead to changes in the microbiome that increases the risk, frequency and severity of re-infection over time. This occurs because once the infection has been wiped out by the pharmaceutical treatment, the host tissue is left empty and ready to become re-populated by whoever can colonise it first, including Candida. This can create a vicious cycle over long periods of time that can be difficult to break free from.
Another intervention you may have heard of is the ‘Candida-diet’ - it removes certain foods (mostly sugars) that fuel candida overgrowth or contribute to hormonal imbalance which starves the infection and kills it off. However it can become highly restrictive, contributing to nutrient deficiencies over time, and is not supposed to be a long term solution. It is also usually not enough on it’s own for more severe cyclical thrush, or if thrush has been recurring long term.
The Holistic Naturopathic Approach
Candida overgrowth needs a multi-faceted approach that weaves in several different factors, and each treatment plan will be a little different depending on the human being treated, and their unique constitutional tendencies.
An essential part of the Naturopathic approach that is seldom addressed, is to heal the tissue at the site of the infection. By addressing local inflammation, tissue damage, and lack of tone/integrity of the membranes that may have predisposed a person to overgrowth in the first place, we radically change the environment, making it unsuitable for candida to thrive in in the first place. Thankfully, this is something Herbal Medicine does really, really well! Depending on your unique presentation, the herbs to be applied will change significantly from person to person.
By working with the local tissue - ie. the gut lining or the vaginal membranes - your body gets the support it needs initiating healing actions that break the cycle of reinfection. Once herbs have supported good tone, proper movement of fluids and wastes, and healing qualities that manage blood flow, inflammation and local hydration, the environment becomes one that candida doesn't thrive in. Alongside healthy short term dietary changes, herbal anti-fungals, and possibly probiotics, we can start building the microbiome into the healthy environment it should be.
Sometimes it resolves quickly (within a month or two), but sometimes it takes longer to rectify underlying issues such as hormonal involvement, or compromised immunity (several months+). Your unique circumstances will play a big part in how the healing process unfolds.
If you would like specific, nourishing, Naturopathic support to break the cycle of candida infections, make a booking below or send me an email to get started.
You can find out about me and my qualifications here, and more about sessions and qualifications here.
Rebecca is a Naturopath & Kinesiologist with over 9 years clinical experience.
She loves working with Women’s health, Mental & Emotional wellbeing, and is always balancing the healing needs of both body and soul.
Her focus on folk herbalism and the Wise Woman Tradition of healing makes her Naturopathic practice truly holistic.
All information shared on this website is done with the utmost care and consideration for its readers. Please consult and/or inform your healthcare consultant of any changes to your health routine to avoid unwanted or harmful side effects or reactions. While Rebecca champions self-motivation and empowering individuals to make healthful changes to their lifestyle, she recognises that the best way to engage in holistic treatment is in consultation with a professional, where your individual needs and safety of treatment can be taken into account and properly administered and monitored. This article is intended for personal and individual use only, and is not to be used for profit, or group education purposes. For more information or to gain permission to use any part of this written content please contact Rebecca directly. All photographs used are either personal or from the public domain.