Diagnosis
Several factors are used in diagnosing candida overgrowth. Because symptoms are intermittent and tend to appear unrelated, getting a diagnosis can be difficult.
Patient History
A history of the many causes of candida overgrowth are one clue a health professional can use in diagnosis.
Presense of Symptoms
Symptoms are another clue to making a diagnosis of candida overgrowth. In many cases, 20 or more symptoms are present. Care should be taken that symptoms are not a result of some other underlying disorder.
Diagnostic Tests
Candida Immune Complex Assay Test: This blood test detects the presence of antibodies that fight off yeast infections.
Stool Test: An exam of stool under a microscope may reveal the presence of candida.
Candida culture: If one of the symptoms is oral thrush (a white coating on the tongue), a culture may be taken.
Treatment
The goal of treating candidiasis is to restore the flora of the bowel to it's normal, healthy state. This involves creating unfavorable conditions for the fungus, while increasing the healthy bacteria in the colon.
Dietary ChangesThere are several kind of candida diets. They range from the easy (cutting a few foods out of the diet) to the more difficult (no meat, sugar, flour, hydrogenated fats, or dairy products). The plan used is determined by the severity of the symptoms and the extent of the candidiasis.
General changes to the diet include:
- Avoid smoking.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages.
- Avoid eating leftovers (which may contain mold even if refrigerated).
- Decreasing consumption of fruits.
- Drinking only filtered water.
- Eliminating caffeine.
- Eliminating chocolate (which can contain both dairy and caffeine).
- Eliminating dairy.
- Eliminating fruits (except for grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerines, strawberries, cranberries, kiwi, currants, mangoes, bananas & fresh pineapple). Includes fruit juices.
- Eliminating hydrogenated fats (i.e. peanut butter)
- Eliminating refined sugar.
- Eliminating refined, bleached, or chemically treated flour.
- Eliminating meats treated with synthetic hormones or chemicals.
- Eliminating mushrooms and nuts.
- Eliminating yeasts.
- Foods enriched with yeast (crackers, pasta, etc.).
- Breads that contain yeast.
- Increasing consumption of fresh, raw vegetables.
- Reduce fats.
- Supplement the diet with yeast-free multivitamins.
As with many health regimens, it is beneficial to get daily exercise. Exercise is essential to good digestion, and will improve overall health.
SupplementsSome supplements to the diet may help return the balance in the colon back to normal. The addition of a yeast-free, hypoallergenic multivitamin may help overcome any deficiencies that may have occurred. Vitamins C, E, and the mineral zinc can help give the immune system a boost.
The use of probiotics may also be effective in treating candida overgrowth. As the candida is scaled back to its normal levels, the "good" bacteria will need to be replenished. Probiotics can be taken as a supplement, and can also be found in yogurt that is labeled as containing live cultures. Lactobacillus acidophilus (the "good" bacteria) supplements can be found in natural food stores, or increasingly, even in your local grocery store.
Yogurt also contains probiotics. Check the label to be sure that the yogurt contains "live, active cultures". Yogurt products that do not have live cultures will not be beneficial to replenishing healthy bacteria.
Anti-fungalsAnti-fungals are necessary to kill off the candida, which is a fungus. It is necessary to obtain a prescription from a doctor for anti-fungal medication. A list of common anti-fungal medications appears below.
- Diflucan (Fluconazole)
- Lamisil (Terbinafine HCl)
- Nystatin
- Sporanox (Itraconazole)
