Candida, which is also known as thrush or a yeast infection, is one of those problems that people just don't talk about. No one wants to admit that they are having itching and burning in their genital region, because they just don't know where it came from. But the first step in treating candida is identifying it and if you know the candida overgrowth symptoms, you will be better able to treat them.

The first and most irritating of the candida overgrowth symptoms that you will experience will most likely be an itch. At first you may think that just a shower will cure it, but that is rarely the case. The itching is just the beginning of the other candida overgrowth symptoms and means that you need to start treating it immediately.

Often because of all the scratching that you do, you will notice that a rash starts to develop. It can look a little like poison ivy or poison oak, and it may be raised, red, and start to look a little scaly. Unfortunately, the more you scratch it, the worse it will get.

Inflammation is one of the next of the candida overgrowth symptoms and is a sign that your body is going into revolt. The inflammation is usually caused by either an accumulation of fluids or as a result of excessive scratching and can make your life extremely uncomfortable. It is then that urinating may become difficult or extremely painful.

There are more candida overgrowth symptoms that most people don't associate with yeast infections. Because candida is a systemic problem, you will begin to see changes throughout your body. You may begin to seriously crave foods that are high in sugar, and although they may seem like a good idea, they are the worst thing that you could eat. In addition, you may want to eat breads or baked goods and again, you should not.

You need to eliminate all yeast from your diet immediately as soon as any of the symptoms begin to show, and that includes both yeast-based foods and alcoholic beverages. In fact, all carbonated beverages should be avoided and replaced with water or cranberry juice. Both of these will help to neutralize the bacteria that are growing and help flush out your system.

Once you start to see the symptoms, you should also make a point to change your under garments more often, making sure that they are made from natural fibers, which will help to absorb moisture and not breed more bacteria. You should make sure that you get out of wet garments as soon as possible, particularly bathing suits.

Finally, there are a number of natural, herbal, and holistic treatments available that will help with both your immediate symptoms and also help prevent your body from letting yeast overtake your system again. By improving the health of your immunity system by eating better and consuming fewer yeast-based products you will be healthier, happier, and suffer from far fewer yeast infections in your life.