Many people have
to self-diagnose their candida or yeast
infection. This is a major concern as the
varied symptoms mean that you could mistake
another illness or condition for candida.
On my blog I ran a
survey to ask people which method of diagnosis
they used to identify their candida problem.
Here are the results
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Which
candida test do you use? |
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Spit (saliva) test |
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27.84% |
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Candida questionnaire
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25.26% |
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Kinesiology (muscle testing)
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6.70% |
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Vega test |
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1.55% |
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Lab test - stool |
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8.25% |
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Lab test - blood |
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6.19% |
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Process of elimination
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10.31% |
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Didnt use a test |
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9.70% |
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Other: |
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4.20% |
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100.00% |
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I will explain
some of the different testing methods for
candida.
Please note that I have been unable to find
reliable data
to show which methods are most effective so you
may want to try several methods to be on the
safe side.
Candida
Questionnaire
Many physicians use a candida questionnaire to
determine if a patient is likely to have
candida. There are many different versions
of this questionnaire available freely online.
The most comprehensive candida surveys will cover your
medical history and your symptoms in details
before making a diagnosis.
Candida Spit/Saliva
Test This test didn't work for me but I know others swear by
it. And as its free and easy you might as
well give it a go. Simply fill a glass
with clear water and leave it by your bed
overnight. Then in the morning as soon you
wake up you need to try to create some saliva in
your mouth and then spit into the glass.
Don't do anything before you do the spit.
Don't brush your teeth, take a sip of water or
anything! You need to leave the water and
spit to stand and keep an eye on it over the
next 15 minutes. Normal saliva may have
some bubbles or foam in it so don't worry.
But if you are healthy the saliva should
dissolve completely.
But if you have
candida you will see the saliva either
1. stay cloudy and
possibly sink to the bottom of the glass
2. stay cloudy and
disperse throughout the water
3. float on the
surface but with tiny strands pointing towards
the bottom of the glass
Kinesiology/Muscle Testing This is the method I used
or rather my kinesiologist used to identify my
candida infection and also to pinpoint other
health problems and food intolerances. My
immune system was so low I had also developed
other problems and I needed to address my whole
system in order to get better. If you are
interested in kinesiology you can read more on
my kinesiology page. I
should add that my therapist used a slightly
different approach to kinesiology than other
practitioners so if you don't believe in muscle
testing have a read!
Vega Testing
This method is based on electro-acupuncture to
measure the flow of energy around the body.
I have tried this method but I think the
accuracy depends on the machine used and the
knowledge and experience of the Doctor.
Mine was useless and nervous so I was not
impressed but others tell me that this method
has helped them so its worth getting references
before you choose a Vega Test practitioner.
This also applies to any health care
professional.
Candida Lab Tests
There are blood and stool tests that can be
carried out which will identify if you have high
levels of the antibodies associated with candida
overgrowth. Your Doctor can order these
tests for you or you can buy at home tests
online. But I have not tested these 'at
home' test services so I cannot verify their
accuracy.
Some people
diagnosis themselves simply by process of
elimination but I would recommend that you find
a qualified health practitioner who can help you
as the symptoms may actually be caused by
something else. If this is not possible
then I suggest that you complete as many of the
diagnostic methods above to determine the cause.
I wouldn't want anyone to have to do the
anti-candida diet because they misdiagnosed
their ailment as candida.
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