Anyone
can become harmfully infected by Candida, as it is a
part of the normal flora of the human body. Those
particularly at risk are women on birth control pills,
those taking steroids, cancer and HIV patients and those
taking antibiotics frequently. Individuals with a poor
diet, poor personal hygiene habits are also likely to
develop symptoms of Candida overgrowth. Stress, too, is
an important risk factor to consider.
In
patients having a history of combination of many
possible Candida symptoms, diagnosis of Candida may be
suspected. Most common symptoms generally include
abdominal pain with bloating, constipation, diarrhea,
allergic symptoms and fatigue. If the onset of symptoms
followed after taking antibiotics, birth-control pills
or steroids, or during a stressful period, a diagnosis
of Candidiasis may well be confirmed. It is possible to
identify Candida from stool samples sent to specialized
laboratories. However, this does not always reveal the
true picture.
Alcohol
and its breakdown products like acetaldehyde in blood
may also be an indicator of the presence of Candida. A
Candida immune complex assay test detects the presence
of antibodies. Unfortunately, there is no
standardization, making it difficult to interpret the
results. In practice, the most useful test is, perhaps,
the therapeutic trial of a recognized anti-Candida
regime for one to two months, although, this may also
give false negative results.
Before
starting the anti-Candida diet it may be helpful to
complete a Candida questionnaire which will give a score
of the Candida rating. It can also chart the progress if
the questionnaire is completed every six months or so.
If the symptoms worsen for a few days after taking
antifungals due to “die-off” reaction, then the
diagnosis of Candidiasis may be pretty much
confirmed.
A
simple home saliva test performed first thing in the
morning is a good method of Candida
diagnosis. Fill a clear glass with water. Work up a
bit of saliva and spit it into the glass of water. Check
the glass every 15 minutes for an hour or so. Strings
traveling down into the water from the saliva floating
at the top or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of
the glass confirms the presence of Candida
overgrowth.
Once
the condition of Candidiasis is successfully diagnosed,
it is necessary to take the required steps to cure it. A
number of remedies are available for this fairly common
condition. The best approach to take would be to follow
a holistic remedial procedure so that your condition is
not only cured, but also prevented from recurring in the
future.
