Candida lives harmlessly in most people. Infections and overgrowth happen when something tips the balance in its favor. These are the best-established causes and risk factors.
Antibiotics
Broad-spectrum antibiotics reduce the bacteria that normally compete with yeast, making thrush and vaginal yeast infections more likely. See antibiotics and candida.
High blood sugar and diabetes
Higher glucose levels in body fluids, plus effects on immune cells, make candida infections more common in people with diabetes, particularly when it’s not well controlled. See candida and blood sugar.
A weakened immune system
HIV, cancer treatment, organ transplants, and medicines such as corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants increase risk, including the risk of serious invasive infections.
Hormonal changes
Pregnancy, higher-estrogen contraceptives and hormone therapy can raise the risk of vaginal yeast infections.
Local conditions
- warm, moist skin folds, tight synthetic clothing, and staying in wet clothes
- dentures, dry mouth, smoking and inhaled steroids (oral thrush)
- douching and irritating products
- medical devices such as catheters (hospital infections)
Diet and lifestyle
Diets high in added sugar and refined carbs are widely discussed as contributors to gut overgrowth. Research in humans is still limited, but a balanced, lower-sugar diet is a sensible, low-risk step. Stress and poor sleep may affect immune defenses too. See foods that feed candida, stress and candida and vitamin deficiencies and candida.
For more detail, see our full guide to candida overgrowth causes.
This article is general education, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or another qualified clinician before changing your diet, starting supplements, or if your symptoms are severe, new, or not improving.
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