Patient/caregiver was educated on risk factors for candida infection as follows:
- Candidiasis is an opportunistic fungal/yeast infection caused by candida, usually involving warm and moist areas of the skin, such as, groin, armpits. The fungus can also infect other body areas, such as, scalp, nails, oral cavity, tongue, gums, pharynx, esophagus, and genital regions.
- Strong and intact immune system can help keeping the candida inactive. The fungus, being opportunistic, has the potential to get activated anytime in future, under conditions of compromised immune system, resulting in candida infection of affected skin and body parts.
Risk factors for candida activation include:
- Chronic antibiotic intake – Individuals with history of chronic persistent infections can be placed on long-term antibiotic administration for infection control. Prolonged antibiotic treatments can kill the harmful bacteria, but in the process can also kill the friendly bacteria in the body needed to maintain the normal healthy body environment. Elimination of the friendly bacteria can disturb the balanced body environment, weaken the immunity, and contribute to activation of opportunistic infections, such as, candida.
- Chronic stress – Individuals with history of chronic unrelieved stress can have excessive steroid hormone production in their body to help stress management. Steroids have the potential to reduce antibody production and compromise immunity. Compromised immune status in such individuals can contribute to candida infection.
- HIV infection – Individuals with HIV infection and AIDS can present with immunodeficiency. Compromised immune status in individuals can be a risk factor for presentation with candida infection.
- Cancers – Individuals with history of cancers and undergoing radiation therapy & chemo can have lowered resistance to diseases and present with immune deficient state. Compromised immune status in such individuals can contribute to candida infection.
