The presence of Candida species does not always require treatment, because Candida is part of the normal flora of the respiratory, gastrointestinal system and vaginal flora. Here, it is in equilibrium with other bacterial species and together they play an important role in the physiological processes that take place in a certain area. Candidiasis, the disease caused by Candida species, manifest only when this equilibrium is ruptured by various factors. In such a condition, the fungus multiplies and leads to the appearance of abnormal white patches at coetaneous, pharyngeal and esophageal level or rich white discharge at vaginal level. In this cases, treatment should be started, but only following a doctor's recommendation and the steps of a correct diagnosis. The factors that can rupture the equilibrium are use of antibiotics, diabetes, pregnancy, endocrine disorders, use or oral contraceptives, pregnancy, malignant tumors, HIV infection, AIDS, mononucleosis etc.. Once appeared, Candida infection can lead to recurrent episodes of disease.

Candidiasis is treated using antimycotics or antifungal drugs. There are two categories of these medicines:

1. Topical antimycotics: clotrimazol, nystatin, fluconazole and ketoconazole. They can be used to prepare suppositories for intravaginal use (the treatment usually lasts for 7 to 10 days) or creams for both women and men (creams are topical applied on the affected areas of the vulva and vagina and reduce the burning and itching sensations). The drugs can be used singles or in combinations. Also, medicated douches can be associated to the topical treatment.
2. Oral antimycotics: ketoconazole, fluconazole, stamicin, amfothericine B. The medication is administrated in cures of 7 to 10 days, in association of topical antimycotics. Nystatin can't be used as oral drug in treatment of candidiasis because it isn't absorbed along the gastrointestinal tract and it's not able to reach the infected area. Fluconazol can be used as a single dose of 150 mg drug to treat vaginal candidiasis. It should be administrated to both partners and also associated with topical medication.

In many cases, Candida species can develop resistance to different antimycotics and recurrent infections can appear. In this case, the sensibility of the fungus must be tested using other drugs. Most commonly, Candida develops resistance to fluconazole. If so, the therapy can be switched to nystatine or clotrimazole, but only after the sensibility of the fungus has been tested.

In many cases, candidiasis can appear during pregnancy. If the infection is symptomatic, it can be treated using the mentioned drugs, because they don't interfere with the pregnancy and don't affect the fetus. If not treated, the infection can be transmitted to the child during birth.

Of course, the best treatment of candidiasis is represented by elimination of the cause or cause which lead to this infection. If correctly effectuated treatments don't give the expected result, another underlying cause should be considered and investigated (for example, a HIV infection, an undiscovered diabetes mellitus, a coexistent infection etc.).

The most important method of prevention is to avoid disturbances in the normal defending mechanism of the organism, for example avoiding destruction of normal flora by using correctly the antibiotics. Prevention of the vaginal candidiasis can be achieved in different ways:

1. Use only cotton underwear, avoid the synthetic one
2. Avoid wearing wet bath suites for prolonged time
3. Excessive genital douches can destroy the normal local flora (Doderlain bacillus) or create disequilibrium at this level, allowing Candida to overgrow and develop candidiasis.

If it appears, candidiasis should be correctly treated. Auto-medication is not advised, the patient must address to a doctor as soon as possible. A diagnosis is made only after investigations, and the treatment should be correctly administrated, to both partners if it is the case, to avoid reinfections. If all these steps are followed candidiasis will cure without leaving any traces.