Is Yeast Infection a sign of HIV or Aids?
In many HIV or Aids patients one of the earliest signs of infection due to a weakening immune system is candidiasis.
Yeast infection does not necessarily mean you are HIV positive or have Aids….but, if you already have HIV or Aids, you may be more susceptible to candida overgrowth….
This seems to affect women slightly more than men and most commonly shows up as esophageal candidiasis. It is important to realise, however, that esophageal yeast infection does not necessarily mean that you have contracted HIV. There is simply an increased risk of developing symptoms of chronic candidiasis is you have a weakened immune system for whatever reason or have been on antibiotics over a sustained period of time.
“How would esophageal yeast infection affect me?”
Esophageal yeast infection symptoms can be distressing to deal with as they will affect appetite and enjoyment of food as well as sometimes causing pain behind the breast bone. Having a candidial infection of the esophagus will often combine with oral thrush (but not usually visa versa) - the symptoms of which can cause discomfort and a bad taste in the mouth.
It is important if suffering symptoms of esophageal yeast infection that you consult your medical practitioner to obtain a formal diagnosis. To do this they will usually take a sample for culture growth or arrange for a barium swallow (although this latter technique will usually only detect more advanced candida esophagitis).
“How is esophageal yeast infection treated?”
The good news is that this distressing condition is relatively straightforward to treat. Because of needing to ingest the treatment (rather than it being for topical application) these remedies are prescription ones instead of being able to be bought from your pharmacist.
- Lozenges and mouthwashes are often effective in treating oral thrush but fail to make much impact upon the esophagus.
- Diflucan and Nizoral are the most common prescription remedies with diflucan having a slight lead over nizoral for success in treating HIV and Aids patients. These are both oral medications.
- If both of these approaches do not successfully clear esophageal yeast infection symptoms there are intravenous options that a more powerful and can be discussed for suitability with your medical practitioner.
There are, however, many self-help steps that you can take to improve your symptoms. Diet and use of yogurt and acidophilus can help to make your digestive system less prone to attack from candida. A holistic approach to your treatment will also reduce the likelihood of recurrent yeast infection.
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