Education Is The First Step

If you suspect this generalized type of candida problem, the first step should be to visit your doctor for a complete history and physical examination including appropriate blood tests to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms as low thyroid function, other glandular abnormalities, anemia, low blood sugar, viral infections or parasitic infections. It is important to remember that each of these conditions can mimic chronic yeast infections or co-exist with them.

The next step involves educating yourself about candida in its many and varied manifestations.

Seven books are recommended:

THE YEAST CONNECTION AND THE WOMAN, by Dr. William Crook (Professional books Inc, 1995).

BACK TO HEALTH, by Dr. D.W. Remington and B.W. Higa (Vitality House, 1987).

THE YEAST SYNDROME, by Dr. J.P. Trowbridge and M. Walker (Bantam 1986).

THE MISSING DIAGNOSIS, by Dr. C.O. Truss (1985), Box 26508, Birmingham, Alabama 35226.

CANDIDA, by Dr. Luc De Shepper (1986), 2901 Wilshire Blvd, #435, Santa Monica, CA, 90403.

WHO KILLED CANDIDA? by Vicki Glasburn (Teach Service, Brushton, New York, NY, 12916, published 1991).

THE BODY ECOLOGY DIET: Recovering Your Health And Rebuilding Your Immunity, by Donna Gates (BED Publications, 1993).

If the problem is detected in its early stages, treatment is much more successful. Treatment involves dietary and lifestyle changes as well as the use of either prescription or non-prescription anti-yeast medications (taken by mouth) on a long-term basis.

The Ground-breaking Work Of Dr. Orian Truss And Other Pioneers

Dr. Truss, author of The Missing Diagnosis, is an internist in Birmingham, Alabama. He has had more than 20 years of clinical experience with over 3,000 candida patients. He is convinced that yeast is implicated in a wide variety of human ills, from depression and hormonal disturbances to allergic reactions and auto-immune diseases. Chronic yeast infections, he believes, may be a causative factor in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, schizophrenia, myasthenia gravis and lupus.

Truss feels one of the most important questions a doctor can ask is, "When did you last feel well?" Truss then tries to figure out if the onset of symptoms coincided with the use of antibiotics, birth control pills, steroids, other drugs or medical procedures, and/or repeated pregnancies.

The candida diagnosis, he believes, has been often missed due to two factors. The first factor is that, "This yeast lives in virtually every human being," making it difficult to track down.

The second factor is that depression, agitation, loss of memory and concentration are "almost always prominent." This combined with the multitude of symptoms can easily lead to the convenient label of psychosomatic illness. A woman may then be prescribed tranquilizers or referred to a psychiatrist. A thorough case history combined with a high index of suspicion will help a physician make the proper diagnosis.

According to Truss, the most frequent manifestation of chronic yeast are:

• Mental depression, anxiety, hyperactivity and hyper-irritability.

• Recurrent urinary tract symptoms usually diagnosed as cystitis.

• Increased susceptibility to allergic reactions to inhaled or injected chemicals, including food or drugs.

• Many indications of interference with hormonal functions like acne, rough dry skin, almost any type of disturbance of the menstrual cycle, decreased or absent libido, decreased breast size, and progressively more severe premenstrual tension. Miscarriages and endometriosis were common.