One of the reasons that candida overgrowth still isn't largely recognized by the medical community is due to the difficulty in identifying it. For instance, many people wondering how to test for candida are often surprised to find out that there isn't a blood test available for determining the extent to which one might be overgrown with this prolific yeastie. Diagnosis of fungal infections in general in modern medicine is most doctors' weakness due to the fact that typical med school training focuses mainly on the role of viruses and bacteria in the field of infectious diseases. Since the introduction of and consequent heavy reliance on antibiotics that are supposed to kill bacteria, the medical interest in studying fungi and their effects on people's health, drastically diminished.
In addition, even if a candida blood test existed, it might not yield reliable results because while the subsistence of this seemingly inexhaustible fungus is often internal in nature when it affects the digestive system, it is sometimes largely external in nature, often affecting the skin and mucous membranes. In this case, a tissue biopsy would be more useful than a blood test.
As candida overgrowth is often present in the mouth, many argue that a candida saliva test would be the most viable option, however such a test would be largely useless when figuring out how to test for candida because once an overgrowth has occurred in the mouth, it's normally extremely evident as it manifests itself as thrush or oral candidosis, both conditions which have visual and unmistakable symptoms. Furthermore, the over-hyped spit test where one observes the behavior of mucous strings when spit in water, could be highly misleading because the mucus from the spit could be an indicator of other conditions, not necessarily candida albicans.
The best answer for how to test for candida at this time is not via blood or spit test, but rather a careful in-depth self-examination of all existing health concerns (big and small) and a questionnaire. There have been several created however they all center around the same sort of questions. Usually, they are not gender specific and can help to identify candida symptoms in men, as well as women. For instance, there may be questions about recurring yeast infections, which are common candida symptoms in women. Other questions involving past antibiotics and birth control use and general wellness symptoms are also incorporated. These tools are the most commonly used for concluding an overgrowth of candida diagnosis.
And remember that candida overgrowth is not the cause of poor health, as often suggested by some, but rather the result of it, due to dietary negligence, vitamin deficiencies or wrong ratios, insufficient oxygen levels in cells, stress, accumulated toxins within the body, and genetic component of unhealthy nutritional status transferred to the child upon conception.
Luckily, even if a spit or blood based diagnosis for candida overgrowth cannot be made, natural treatment if you suspect an affliction, exists. natural healing is the most effective solution for your long term health, and involves dietary and lifestyle changes and regular intake of vitamin supplements, that ultimately can increase overall well-being anyways, regardless of whether you have candida overgrowth or not.
However, because many signs of candida overgrowth can mimic potentially serious medical conditions, consulting your health care provider is always recommended, even if this article has already answered your question of how to test for candida. You can still talk to your doctor about suspected candida overgrowth and why you think you may be suffering from same, however do not ignore potentially tell tale symptoms that could be signs of underlying disease or illness.
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