You are quite right. Indeed, there are good possibilities that the yeast Candida can cause urinary tract infections. This is particularly a fall-out of Candida growing in unusually large numbers than they commonly do. This increase in population of the opportunistic pathogen allows it to invade other parts of your body than its usual habitual site, the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, bacteria that are part of the normal microflora of the human body have been associated with the manifestations of urinary tract infections. But often it has been a common observation that even after the treatment for the bacteria, the symptoms of urinary tract infections continues to persist. Therefore, it is highly possible that Candida is the actual cause of urinary tract infections under such conditions and the treatment for the bacteria just goes on to complicate the issue further.
What is urinary tract infection?
Any undue microbial growth in the bladder, ureters (tubes that connect kidneys to bladder), urethra (the outside connector of the bladder) and the kidney can be referred to as the urinary tract infections. Generally, these parts of the body are devoid of any microbial presence. But there are instances when certain rigid microbial population overgrow and reach the urinary tract. Under such circumstances, these microbes can cause painful inflammatory responses due to the reaction of the immune system to their presence on the sides of the tubes.
Bacterial opportune seeking counterparts of Candida, like E. coli (a normal microflora of the human body) have been implicated in cases of urinary tract infections. However, Candida overgrowth has often been a major cause of the disorder and people have unknowingly resorted to treatments that could reduce the bacteria without any benefits.
The Candida connection to your urinary tract infections:
Dr. Newman and his team from the Medical College of Georgia suggests through their study that the urinary tract infections and infection by Candida share a number of symptoms in common such as the sensation of burning while urinating and irritation in pelvic area. It is very likely that your medical practitioner will prescribe you antibiotics upon the observation of urinary tract infection symptoms. However, if the reason behind your urinary tract infection is not bacteria but Candida it will not cause any harm to the growth of the yeast. Rather it will eliminate the normal bacteria form your gut that are important in maintaining a number of health issues like the normal functioning of the immune system. In addition, it will give the actual causal agent of the infection Candida a free hand to grow and proliferate only to amplify the complications of the problem. Therefore, considering the potential of Candida in causing infections of the urinary tract one should certainly check for its presence before the application of antibiotic and related drugs in the treatment of the infective condition.
How to get rid of the infection if it’s Candida?
So, there are high chances that Candida can be a reason for your urinary tract infections. If that being the case one needs to be highly apprehensive before taking any medication to get relief from the symptoms of the disorder. The administration of antibiotics is not at all appreciable to treat the disease as it will give added advantage to the growth of Candida. According to the works by Dr. Falagas and Dr. Borchert, the probiotics can definitely be used as an efficient therapeutic intervention under such conditions. It helps to boost the immune system. The live cells in the probiotic products get them attach themselves permanently to your gastrointestinal tract to provide long-term benefits when provided in sufficient numbers. It should also be considered that the product you are consuming must consist of strains that could resist the extreme physiological conditions that our body presents to them during their passage through to the GI tract. ‘Probacto’ consists of such well selected bacterial strains and in good enough numbers that it could just be ideal to help you fight the urinary tract infections.
Links to further reading:
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/52/suppl_6/S457.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684288/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16827601
