I think if you have a bad Candida infection you should not be afraid to go to the doctor, they are there to help you. But for what you are asking there are some basic remedies. Just remember, candida albicans overgrowth can wreak havoc on anyone's delicate system. It also comes in many forms, making it a difficult problem to pin down. Fortunately, there are a number of inexpensive, easy to administer, over the counter (OTC) meds that can be used to treat Candida infection in all its forms. The trick to knowing which treatment to use is in determining where the infection is hanging out in your body.
Healthy Immune System
The most important thing is to keep a healthy body and immune system. Without doing that everything else will fail or the infections will just come back. It is recommended you follow a good diet for Candida infections. Eating right and exercising are very important. Please look at this section for a good idea of diet. http://candidaquestions.probacto.com/diet. You may also visit http://probiotics101.probacto.com/ to learn more about probiotics in general. They are very important in helping Candida infections.
Vaginal Yeast Infections
Most women will get more than one vaginal yeast infection over the course of a lifetime; some women suffer from chronic vaginal yeast infections. Whatever the case may be, there are numerous options for the treatment of this troublesome ailment. OTC vaginal yeast infection treatments include creams (Femstat, Gyne-Lotrimin, and monistat, for example) and suppositories (miconazole and clotrimazole, for example). You may also choose from a variety of strengths that determine how long you must administer the treatment, ranging from one to seven days.
Athlete's Foot, Jock Itch, and Other Skin Infections
You might be surprised to find that athlete's foot, in addition to other seemingly unrelated skin irritations (jock itch, for example), may be caused by Candida albicans. To treat athlete's foot, you can use any OTC antifungal product. These are generally in the form of creams and lotions, and include Tinactin, Micatin, Lamisil, and Lotrimin.
Nail Bed Fungal Infections
These may also be caused by Candida overgrowth, and treatment involves an antifungal product. However, nail fungal infections are especially difficult to treat because the nails provide very thick, hard to penetrate barriers in which the fungi are able to live and thrive, safe from the harm of typical OTC remedies like those listed for skin yeast infections. One OTC nail bed fungal infection treatment that is proven effective is called Loceryl. It comes in the form of a lacquer (nail polish), and it only available OTC in countries like the New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Fortunately, you can find and purchase Loceryl (generic name "Amorolfine") with just a quick online search.
It is important to remember that chronic Candida infections are generally a symptom of Candida overgrowth. This is a systemic condition that can easily spread throughout the body and eventually lead to very serious--sometimes fatal--health conditions. Therefore, if you are someone who seems to experience recurring Candida infections, it is time to consider treating the cause, rather than the symptoms, and it is likely you will have to go above and beyond the OTC medications listed here. If we're talking about treating the cause, I would suggest When it doubt, consult with your physician.
