If a patient has yeast-like fungi in their stool, this indicates intestinal candidiasis. This disease refers to mycoses of internal organs. Its causative agent is the fungus Candida, which causes thrush of the genitourinary organs and oral cavity. Candidiasis is most often a consequence of severe dysbiosis. Uncontrolled growth of the pathogen is possible only if the balance of microflora in the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed. How to get rid of a fungal infection in the intestines? We will consider this issue in the article.
Pathogen
The yeast fungus Candida lives in the intestines of most people. It is part of the normal microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and under normal conditions does not exhibit pathogenic properties. This microorganism is necessary for the digestion process.
However, under unfavorable conditions, excessive proliferation of the fungus occurs and Candida acquires pathogenic properties. As a result, an inflammatory process occurs - intestinal candidiasis.
Under normal conditions, this microorganism is not isolated from the intestines. If yeast-like fungi Candida are found in the stool, this is most often a sign of pathology.
Diagnostics
In a veterinary institution, in order to diagnose a fungal infection, after a clinical examination, scrapings from the skin and smears from the mucous membranes will be taken from the four-legged friend. The biopsy specimen is subjected to histological and cytological examination, as a result of which colonies of fungi of the genus Candida are detected.
In case of damage to the urethra, urine examination is an informative diagnostic method. In addition to bacteria, fungal colonies are found in urine. Mycological examination is often carried out by inoculating material on nutrient media. This method allows you to accurately determine the type of pathogenic microorganism.
Causes
Under what conditions does yeast fungus become pathogenic? The following factors can provoke intestinal candidiasis:
- emotional and physical overload;
- chronic diseases accompanied by a decrease in immunity;
- avitaminosis;
- pregnancy;
- diabetes;
- hormonal imbalances;
- frequent food poisoning;
- immunodeficiency states;
- long-term use of antibacterial drugs;
- pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
- sexually transmitted diseases;
- abuse of alcoholic beverages and coffee.
The activation of the fungus leads to a decrease in immunity and an imbalance of beneficial and harmful bacteria. In this case, excessive proliferation of the microorganism occurs, accompanied by intestinal inflammation.
Varieties and root causes
It should be noted that the fungus of the genus Candida is almost always present in the body of adults; the genus contains many species, of which the most common are:
- Candida albicans;
- Candida glabrata;
- Candida parapsilosis;
- Candida lusitaniae;
- Candida tropicalis;
- Candida krusei;
- Candida dubliniensis.
Moreover, intestinal fungus is considered normal; in a healthy body, colonies simply do not allow other microorganisms that share their habitat with the parasite to develop, these are:
- coli;
- bifidobacteria;
- enterococci;
- lactobacilli;
- mucin is a glycoprotein that is a covering of the mucous membrane and a natural “guard” of epithelial cells.
Painful intestinal damage occurs due to a decrease in antifungal resistance, which is provoked by the following conditions of the body:
- immunodeficiency – age, pregnancy, stress;
- oncology – immunosuppressive therapy, disruption of the immune system by the disease itself;
- AIDS (HIV);
- allergies (even seasonal);
- organ transplantation;
- diabetes;
- diseases that cause problems with food absorption and digestion.
Most often, in practice, a fungal infection grows after taking antibiotics and disrupting eating habits.
Both protein imbalance and long-term use of antibiotics disrupt the antagonistic balance of microorganisms, causing:
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Symptoms in adults
What to do if the analysis shows the presence of yeast-like fungi in the stool of an adult? Symptoms and treatment of gastrointestinal candidiasis will depend on the form of the pathology. In medicine, it is customary to distinguish between non-invasive and invasive types of the disease. Let's look at them in more detail.
Most often, patients experience non-invasive intestinal candidiasis. In this case, the fungus does not penetrate into the tissues, but lives in the cavity of the organ. It releases toxins that irritate the mucous membrane. This is accompanied by the following pathological manifestations:
- recurrent constipation and diarrhea;
- feeling of discomfort in the abdominal cavity;
- flatulence;
- itching in the anal area;
- curdled discharge from the intestines;
- exacerbation of allergic diseases.
The patient's condition remains satisfactory. Often, even doctors mistake such symptoms for signs of irritable bowel syndrome. And only the detection of yeast-like fungi in the stool of an adult patient allows a correct diagnosis to be made.
With invasive candidiasis, the fungus penetrates the thickness of the intestinal walls. This form of the disease occurs in people with severely reduced immunity. The pathology is severe and is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- a sharp deterioration in general health;
- high temperature;
- diarrhea with bloody and curdled admixture;
- unbearable itching in the anal area;
- severe pain in the abdominal cavity.
With invasive candidiasis, yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida are found in the stool, as well as mucus and red blood cells. The disease resembles in its manifestations a severe gastrointestinal infection. A correct diagnosis can be made through a coprogram and bacterial culture test.
Manifestations of candidiasis in children
In infancy, the digestive system is still developing. Therefore, yeast-like fungi are found quite often in the feces of infants. The gastrointestinal tract is very sensitive to the effects of microorganisms. The baby has the following manifestations of pathology:
- refusal of milk;
- restlessness, frequent crying due to abdominal pain;
- compaction in the anal area;
- frequent regurgitation;
- fungal skin lesions (especially on the stomach, back and limbs).
Infants suffering from candidiasis and dysbacteriosis grow poorly and gain little weight. In the future, the disease may affect the psychomotor development of the baby.
In older children, intestinal candidiasis is accompanied by the following manifestations:
- decreased appetite;
- frequent diarrhea;
- itching in the anus after visiting the toilet;
- increased gas formation;
- abdominal pain not associated with eating.
There are cases when the baby’s health remains normal, but during a coprogram, yeast-like fungi are found in the child’s stool. Most often this is observed with non-invasive candidiasis. However, even if the disease occurs without pronounced symptoms, urgent treatment is necessary. Even mild forms of pathology can lead to serious consequences. Chronic irritation of the intestinal mucosa by fungal toxins does not leave its mark on the body.
Symptoms of fungi in the intestines
Dysbacteriosis has the ability to masquerade as other diseases, has vague symptoms, and manifests itself differently in everyone. Main symptoms:
- causeless weakness, fatigue, decreased ability to work;
- nausea, in rare cases vomiting;
- rumbling, bloating;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- feces with an unpleasant pungent odor;
- pain around the navel, in the lower abdomen;
- persistent headache as a sign of toxicosis;
- slight increase in temperature;
- loss of appetite;
- weight loss;
- pale skin color;
- unpleasant taste in the mouth;
- yellow or white coating on the tongue;
- brittleness of hair and nails;
- allergic reactions on the skin;
- acne;
- irritability, bad mood;
- insomnia, daytime sleepiness;
- frequent colds;
- thrush of the genital organs.
This symptomatology is typical for an adult and a child, but childhood dysbiosis has its own characteristics.
Complications
How dangerous is the appearance of yeast-like fungi in stool? Without treatment, candidiasis of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to the following complications.
- Atopic dermatitis. This complication of candidiasis is often observed in children.
- Vaginal candidiasis. In women, an infection from the intestines can enter the genital tract.
- Perforation of the intestinal wall. The invasive form of candidiasis is often accompanied by ulcerative colitis. This can lead to perforation of the organ wall and severe bleeding.
- Generalized candidiasis. A fungal infection can spread to healthy areas of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs. Such extensive damage often causes sepsis.
Additional Research
If yeast-like fungi are detected in the stool of an adult or child, doctors prescribe additional examinations:
- Analysis of stool for dysbacteriosis. During this study, not only yeast-like fungi are found in the patient, but also bacteria - Klebsiella, staphylococcus, E. coli. This indicates the development of candidiasis against the background of microflora disturbance.
- Colonoscopy. This study allows you to determine the degree of intestinal damage and differentiate the non-invasive form of pathology from the invasive one.
Conducting laboratory analysis
After you visit your doctor's office with suspected dysbiosis or other intestinal pathologies, he will most likely order a comprehensive laboratory test. This procedure is needed to identify yeast spores in the patient's stool. After submitting the material, laboratory staff place it in a special habitat.
Conducting comprehensive laboratory analysis
There are other tests that can determine the presence of pathogens, such as a laboratory blood test for candida antibodies and immunoglobulin levels. The vital activity of fungi can also be detected in urine, so doctors often prescribe a general urine test to their patients.
For people with sensitivities to mold and yeast issues, monitoring the consumption of specific foods is extremely important
Healthy stool tends to sink to the bottom of the toilet, while unhealthy stool floats in the water and even rises to the surface.
Treatment for adults
What to do if the coprogram showed the presence of yeast-like fungi in the stool? Treatment of candidiasis should be comprehensive. The basis of therapy is the prescription of antimycotic drugs:
- "Amphotericin B";
- "Itraconazole";
- "Fluconazole";
- "Ketoconazole";
- "Pimafutsina".
These medications have a detrimental effect on fungi and prevent their proliferation.
The following groups of drugs are prescribed as symptomatic therapy:
- Prebiotics and probiotics: “Hilak forte”, “Linex”, “Bifiform”, “Bifidumbacterin”. These drugs help normalize the ratio of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the intestines.
- Antispasmodics: “Nosh-pu”, “Papaverine”, “Spazmalgon”. These medications relieve cramps and eliminate abdominal pain.
- Enzymatic preparations: “Mezim”, “Creon”, “Wobenzym”, “Festal”. These medications improve digestion and at the same time strengthen the immune system.
- Sorbents: “Enterosgel”, “Polysorb”, “Polifepan”, “Filtrum”. These drugs help quickly remove fungal toxins from the body.
A prerequisite for successful treatment is adherence to a diet. It is necessary to completely exclude sweets, flour, yeast, spicy and fatty foods from the diet. Such food promotes the growth of fungus. It is useful to eat garlic and various types of onions (leeks, onions). These products have antifungal properties.
Treatment of children
Antifungal drugs are also used to treat fungal infections in the intestines of children. At the same time, doctors try to prescribe gentler medications to young patients that have a minimum of side effects:
- "Pimafucin";
- "Nystatin";
- "Diflucan";
- "Fluconazole".
In children, the disease always develops against the background of intestinal dysbiosis. The analysis reveals not only yeast-like fungi in the stool, but also bacteria. Therefore, small doses of antibiotics are additionally prescribed: Vancomycin and Neomycin.
To remove toxins from the body, the drug “Enterosgel” is used, and to normalize the microflora, it is recommended to take the children’s form of the prebiotic “Hilak-Forte”.
Limit the amount of sweet and starchy foods. The baby's diet includes a large amount of vegetables and fruits, as well as fermented milk products. This diet helps normalize intestinal motility and saturate the body with beneficial lactobacilli.
Preventive measures
These consist primarily of proper nutrition. Keeping track of what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat it is what it means. For many people, this is where the problem arises.
The abundance of flour and sweets in the diet leads to many problems, including the proliferation of fungi that cause candidiasis. This does not mean that such products will need to be excluded (although ideally they should). It’s just important to observe moderation and make sure that most of the time there is healthy (or at least harmless) food on the table.
Yes, not everyone’s budget allows them to eat healthy and tasty food, but there are universal options. For example, boiled buckwheat porridge with fresh tomatoes, apples (not too many), warm water with lemon slices.
In the absence of allergies to the above and other rare diseases, such a diet will not harm an adult.
Well, sometimes, for example, once every three days you can afford pizza and some sweets. If you consume such products irregularly, the body will have time to recover, and problems are unlikely to arise.
With good immunity. Well, for one to be really strong, it is also important to go to bed on time and wake up on time, move enough and learn not to succumb to stress.
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Prevention
How to prevent the appearance of yeast-like fungi in stool? The following measures will help to avoid the activation of opportunistic microflora.
- It is necessary to promptly cure fungal diseases of the genitourinary organs. This will prevent infection from entering the gastrointestinal tract.
- After treatment with antibiotics, it is necessary to take drugs with lactobacilli. This will help avoid disruption of the intestinal microflora.
- Sweet, spicy and fatty foods should be consumed in moderation.
- The diet should be varied and contain a sufficient amount of vitamins. This will help strengthen your immune system.
- If you are prone to candidiasis, it is useful to eat onions, garlic, bananas and squash. These products are natural prebiotics.
It is important to remember that the risk group for candidiasis includes patients with immunodeficiency and diabetes, as well as people taking cytostatics and corticosteroids. These categories of patients need to undergo regular preventive examinations and be tested for yeast-like fungi.
