Types of Candida infections – Every type of Candida Infection is a big Challenge!

It may not be as big a challenge to find out which type of Candida infection a patient is suffering from but the biggest challenge really is to assess if the patient is suffering from Candida at all. This is because Candida mimics so many other conditions that it becomes extremely difficult of establishing that it is Candida.

Candida Type is usually defined based on the part of the body where infection has occurred. Following are the main types of Candida infections

1- Systemic Candidiasis

This is the most dangerous type and rare. In this type of Candida, the fungi contaminate the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing severe infection. It affects some of the most important organs including the brain, eyes, liver and heart. This occurs only to the people whose immune systems have been compromised due to HIV, cancer or due to the uses of immune suppressive drugs after organ transplantation.

2- Oral Thrush

The mouth infection which caused by Candida albicans is usually referred as thrush or oral thrush. It is not contagious and usually appears at the moist surfaces of the mouth including the lips, inside the cheeks and on the tongue and palate.

3- Esophageal Thrush (Oesophagitis)

This is an extension of Oral thrush spread to the esophagus which is the connecting passage between the mouth and the stomach, hence the name.

4- Cutaneous (skin) Candidiasis

This type of Candida infection occurs in the moist areas of skin that receive insufficient ventilation. Nappy/diaper area in babies, the groin and the crease of the buttocks in adults, the skin under large breasts and the fingernail beds are some of the most commonly affected areas of the body.

5- Candida Vaginitis

Infection of the vaginal area is common. Usually it originates in the rectum area and infects vagina through self transmission. Vaginal Candida infections are usually not transmitted sexually. Since other types of sexually transmitted diseases are usually also present along with this type of Candida it is often included among the sexually transmitted diseases.

6- Candida Balanitis

This is the male version of the above. Though it is a less common but is an irritating infection at the glands of the penis and beneath the foreskin.

Learn more about causes, symptoms, prevention methods and home remedies for Candida in the other related articles: