Patient/caregiver was educated on measures to manage and prevent candida infection as follows:
- Observe compliance with daily recommended physical activity and quality sleep hours. Balancing activity and resting hours can play an important role in stress management. Appropriate control and management of stress can help maintain a strong and intact immunity, which can help prevent candida infection. Also, observe compliance with relaxation measures, such as, yoga, meditation, and massage to help stress control.
- Excess use of antibiotics can kill the useful bacteria in the body, disturb the balanced body environment, weaken the immunity, tip the balance in favor of overgrowth of opportunistic infection like candida. The risk to contact infectious diseases can be particularly high especially during times of season change and epidemic outbreaks. Individuals at risk for immunodeficiency must avoid getting into crowds, to avoid contact with infectious agents. Observe compliance with appropriate infection control measures, such as, proper handwashing, droplet and airborne precautions, to prevent exposure to infectious agents. Seek physician consultation at the earliest notice of infection signs. Use of antibiotics must be limited to as needed/prescribed.
- Altered immunity and poorly controlled blood sugars in diabetic patients is a friendly environment for fungal growth, resulting in candida infection. Any deteriorating blood sugar control must be promptly reported to the physician. Diabetics with coexisting history of candida infection must keep a close watch on blood sugar numbers. They must also observe compliance with any dietary recommendations made for ADA diet, prescribed medication intake, scheduled physician & podiatrist appointments.
