Testing For Candida?
We have personally walked this path and know that eliminating yeast overgrowth is very, very doable.

• Our recommended test is live blood analysis where a drop of blood is taken from your finger and put on a slide where it is immediately magnified 1,000 times and enlarged to over 10,000 times. You can be retested every two months for follow up blood analysis to quantify the regression of candida concentrations in the blood and to view the improved blood viscosity.  There are only a handful of practitioners who are experienced with live blood analysis in the USA and Internationally.  The one we are familiar with is Dr. Gabriel Cousens in Patagonia Arizona @ the Tree of Life.  We respectfully request that we are not contacted for a referral, as we are unable to offer this.

• THE SPIT TEST - This test can be accurate for most who do this at home. If the test doesn't feel accurate for you, then consider the other options listed here.

• Your current practitioner can order a blood test or a stool test / for a yeast culture usually through Alletess Labs or maybe Great Plains Lab. Some practitioners will order both.

Information from a naturpatahic doctor:

IgG, IgA and IgM candida antibodies
Blood tests check for IgG, IgA, and IgM Candida antibodies in your blood, and can be performed at most any lab. High levels of these antibodies indicate that an overgrowth of Candida is present somewhere in the body and that your immune system is reacting to it.

Remember, Candida has the ability to suppress the immune system so it is important to ask your doctor to test your total IgG, IgA and IgM levels along with the Candida antibodies. Low levels of total IgG, IgA or IgM could cause a false negative response to the Candida antibodies, meaning you have Candida but since your immune system is lowered, you are unable to produce a response and your blood test comes back negative. Since I see so many patients with suppressed immune systems, I find in my clinic that blood tests can often be negative even when the stool or urine tests are positive.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Often, I will see clues on a CBC that let me know that yeast is present. A low white blood cell count (WBC) has been associated with yeast overgrowth as well as a pattern of high neutrophil and low lymphocyte count. While these are non-specific to yeast, after working with thousands of patients, I can tell you I see this pattern very frequently in those with Candida overgrowth.

Stool Testing
I personally find this to be the most accurate test available. This will check for Candida in your colon or lower intestines. However, you need to make sure that your doctor orders a comprehensive stool test rather than the standard stool test. With the stool test, your stool is directly analyzed for levels of yeast. The lab can usually determine the species of yeast as well as which treatment will be effective.

Urine Organix Dysbiosis Test
This test detects D-Arabinitol a waste product of Candida yeast overgrowth. An elevated test means an overgrowth of Candida. This test will determine if there is Candida in your upper gut or small intestines.

What Causes thrush and candida ablicans?

#1 Cause:

 The number one most common causes for thrush and candida albicans is

• The overuse of antibiotics - steroids - cortisone drugs 
• Immune Suppressing medications - weakened immune systems
• History of birth control pill use
• Regular drinking of chlorinated water

Personally I took antibiotics off and on for years as a child and teenager.  I had no idea that the antibiotics had eliminated my beneficial intestinal flora way back then which developed into a systemic yeast infection throughout my body – meaning the yeast had spread to my lungs, liver and brain.  Some twenty plus years later diagnosed in my forties with chronic fatigue, and pre-cancer of the liver, I connected with a holistic medical doctor (Dr. Gabriel Cousens @ the Tree of Life in Patagonia AZ) who found the undiagnosed systemic yeast infection and my road to healing began.

Approximately 80% of the time yeast infections are due to overgrowth of candida albicans. The other 20% are one of the other fungi. Sometimes there is more than one fungus causing the symptoms experienced. However, once detoxification of yeast, fungus, parasites and other pathogens have begun to clear out of the body and replacement of the beneficial flora is taking place, in general, the other candida and fungi are reduced as well.

As mentioned above, I was stunned to discover I had a chronic systemic yeast infection since I had not taken any antibiotics in at least 20 years. Without the beneficial bacteria (aka intestinal flora), since the antibiotics had cleared all the good stuff out, the yeast was able to multiply and invade my body over time weakening my immune system function. Old story as, all is well now.

Some of the possible symptoms one might experience:

• Chronic Fatigue
• Daily sugar cravings or cravings for simple carbohydrates i.e. bread, cereal, cookies/cakes, processed foods, pasta, fruit and so on
• Skin rashes
• Thick white coating on the tongue
• Vaginal yeast infections in women
• Men - can affect the head of the penis, itchy - swelling - soreness
• Frequent bladder infections
• Oral thrush especially when taking steroids
• IBS symptoms – irritable bowel
• Chronic acne
• Chronic infections such as sinus infections
• Some diaper rashes in babies – but sometimes the rashes are a reaction to the chemicals in the diapers themselves
• Irritability

Although there are some useful ideas that we recommend, please do chat with your doctor prior to using them.
He/She can determine if you have candida and also address other issues that might be important to take into consideration as well.

Thank you for remembering that we here are not practitioners and are unable to advise.

  © I-Am Perfectly Healthy Written by Maryanne Maldonado Contributions from Alexandra Stead, Certified Nutritional consultant

I-AM Perfectly Healthy, Tucson, AZ – (520) 219-2379