A Candida overgrowth causes lots of seemingly unrelated ailments that can be confusing to both doctor and patient, and because of this the majority of suffers are unaware that they have an overgrowth until they become seriously ill. This is because candida yeast not only steals nutrients from the food that you eat, it then poisons the tissues with waste material containing over 75 known toxins.
A candida overgrowth is a part of a larger problem called dysbiosis which means the dis-function of the bio-tic or bacterial environment of your digestive tract. In a healthy person, other bacteria and the immune system stop candida from overgrowing and becoming a problem. However, a weak immune system caused by a poor diet, medication and a bad lifestyle makes it easier for Candida to grow and cause infection.
If you think you have an overgrowth the first line of investigation should be with your doctor, who will diagnose your condition through extensive questioning. Some doctors still refuse to admit that candida can cause illness due to intestinal overgrowth. This is due to the lack of agreement over a definitive diagnostic test for intestinal yeast overgrowth. Until a definitive diagnostic test is developed, it is wise to look at evidence from different sources, to give you a good idea of whether you have a yeast overgrowth or not.
Here are ten different ways of testing for a candida overgrowth. The first two D.I.Y tests cost nothing and give quick results. The medical tests are available on-line, via your doctor or a physician, but please be aware that some candida tests are very expensive and may not always give accurate results. The last two holistic tests are carried out by qualified practitioners.
1. Candida Test - Symptoms
A Candida infection causes lots of tell tale symptoms and a combination of lots of these common candida symptoms implies that there is a candida overgrowth presences. Some doctors make a candida diagnosis from symptoms alone. This is one of the easiest and the most effective ways of testing for a candida overgrowth.
2. Candida Test - Spit Test
When you first wake up, before eating or drinking, collect saliva in your mouth using your tongue. Spit this into a clear glass of bottled or purified water. Watch your saliva for 15 minutes to see what happens. You may have a candida overgrowth if your saliva is suspended in mid-glass and looks like little specs are floating, or it floats to the bottom and looks cloudy, or if it remains at the top and there are thin strands that look like strings or spider legs extending downward. This test does not always give reliable results.
3. Candida Tests - Stool
Stool analysis tests to diagnose candidiasis through a laboratory examination of a stool sample. If the stool contains abnormally large amounts of candida, this may indicate candidiasis. A stool analysis can also look at other digestive markers for determining Candida levels such as:
• Levels of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, by testing for pH, measure of acidity in the stool.
• Intestinal Parasites, like worms and single-celled organisms i.e blastocystis hominis, amoeba
• sIgA the state of your gut immune system (low immunity or inflammation),
• Leaky gut (permits allergies, for example food allergies). Stool samples are often unreliable as results do not always correlate with symptoms
4. Candida Tests - Blood
Live blood analysis under powerful microscopes can be used to find candida antibodies. When candida takes on its fungal form, the immune system responds by producing special antibodies to fight off the infection. A large concentration of these antibodies in the blood is an indication of a candidiasis outbreak.
- Candida Immune Complexes test measures candida specific IgG immune complexes. Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most abundant type of antibody, is found in all body fluids and protects against bacterial and viral infections.
- Combination of IgA, IgG and IgM tests. An immunoglobulin test measures the level of certain immunoglobulins, or antibodies, in the blood. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system to fight antigens, such as toxins, bacteria and viruses. IgA, IgG, and IgM are frequently measured simultaneously but if they are evaluated together, doctors can gain important information about immune system functioning, especially relating to infection or autoimmune disease.
- Candida Antibody profile test can be taken to detect the presence of the infection and also indicate the stage of the condition. The antibody test may be misleading, because most individuals have candida organisms already in their bodies.
5. Candida Test - Saliva
A medical saliva test can be used for detecting the presence of candidiasis infection and indicates the stage of the condition.
6. Urine Test Secretory Immunoglobulin
A (slgA) test and intestinal permeability test can be taken to assess the permeability of the gut wall (leaky gut syndrome), which is associated with the development of food intolerances and candida infections in addition to a buildup of potentially damaging toxins.
7. Candida Test - KOH Skin
KOH (potassium hydroxide) candida test is a medical test used to diagnose an infection of the candida family of fungi. Infected skin is scraped out lightly and placed on a slide that has KOH solution. The slide is heated, and because of the difference in cell wall composition of human cells and fungal cells the skin cells are dissolved by the solution, but the fungus cells prevail leaving them visible under the microscope.
8. Breath Hydrogen Test
Bacterial dysbiosis results from the same causes as a candida overgrowth. This is a test for bacterial overgrowth, or intolerances to lactose, fructose, or sucrose. The test measures the amount of hydrogen on a patient's breath a specified amount of time after they have ingested a sugar solution. An elevated level of hydrogen indicates an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This test requires that you drink a solution of lactose, fructose, sucrose, or glucose in water.
9. Candida Test - Kinesiology
Kinesiology is a form of muscle testing that accesses stored information in the body's computer. The system uses the electric pathways of the body, including the nervous and meridian systems, to obtain information about irregularities in organs, glands, muscles, bones, digestion and other body tissues. This test can be useful to eliminate the triggers, lessen your symptoms and optimise your health and sense of well-being.
10. Electrodermal Screening
Electrodermal Screening, EDS is a quick and painless way of ascertaining your overall health and wellbeing. It works by measuring electrical currents in the body to determine the functional status of organs and tissues. A blunt probe, connected to a computer, is placed on acupuncture points at the end of meridians, the body's energy pathways, and minute electrical discharges flow though the body. The practitioner can then asses any imbalances to make a diagnoses. This method can also be used to diagnose food intolerance.
Once you know if you have a candida overgrowth than you have the option of addressing the cause of your weight and health problems. In a matter of months you could feel a much healthier, happier person.
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