Symptoms of candidiasis

1.    Vaginal: soreness and/or itch; a burning sort of discomfort around the vaginal opening, especially when the urine touches the area; and pain/discomfort during sexual intercourse. Signs of vaginal discharge also may be present; the discharge is often soft and cheesy like cottage cheese consistency.
2.    Oral candidiasis also known as thrush manifests as thick, white lacy patches on top of a red base can form on the tongue, palate, or elsewhere inside the mouth. These patches sometimes look like milk curds but cannot be wiped away as easily as milk can. If the white plaques are wiped away with a blade or cotton-tipped applicator, the underlying tissue may bleed. This infection also may make the tongue look red without the white coating. Thrush can be painful and make it difficult to eat. Care should be given to make sure a person with thrush does not become dehydrated. There may be cracked, red, moist areas of skin at the corners of the mouth.
3.    Superficial candidal skin infections: a red flat rash with sharp scalloped edges may be seen. There are usually smaller patches of similar appearing rash nearby, and these are known as “satellite lesions.” These rashes may cause itching or pain and very rarely lead to bleeding.
4.    Systemic infection: people with weakened immune systems, are susceptible to deep candidal infections which often end badly more often than not. It can affect various internal organs and cause pain or dysfunction of the organ. Approximately 85% of people with AIDS contract esophagitis in their upper gastrointestinal (GI) systems. This infection is similar to thrush but extends down the mouth and esophagus to the stomach. Candida esophagitis can cause painful ulcers throughout the GI system, making it too painful to swallow even liquids. If the infection spreads into the intestines, food may be poorly absorbed. People with this condition are in danger of becoming dehydrated just as with those with thrush.