Candida is a common condition but is also less well known. Many bodily disorders are associated with Candida, so it is important to recognize if you do have it.

Candida is yeast overgrowth and it can affect many different areas of the body. Yeast overgrowth emits toxins into the body that result in chronic illness and causes a variety of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and ‘foggy’ brain.

If you have Candida, don’t fret. We will go over how to test for it, understand its causes, recognize the symptoms, and offer holistic care options available to you for treating it.

Testing for Candida

A simple way to test whether you have a yeast imbalance is to take the spit test. This is something you should do first thing in the morning without having put anything in your mouth yet.

You will need to grab a clear glass and fill it with distilled or filtered water. Do not use tap water as it may contain many impurities that will affect your test. Collect saliva in your mouth with your tongue and spit it into the glass. Observe what happens to your spit for 15 minutes to see if yeast colonies are present in your saliva.

Yeast colonies are present if you see:

• Saliva stays at the top and you see thin strands that look like strings or spider legs extending downward
• Saliva floats to the bottom and looks cloudy
• You observe little specs floating in saliva

Symptoms

Candida can affect all parts of your body as it doesn’t discriminate. Here are different areas of the body that Candida effects and their symptoms:

Head: dizziness, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, depression, insomnia, bad breath, migraines, headaches, poor memory, brain fogginess in the morning, cravings for sugar, earaches, sinusitis, poor vision, floaters, and learning disorders

Body: joint pains, fibromyalgia symptoms, muscle weakness, rashes, itching, eczema, chronic fatigue syndrome, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, digestive problems, insomnia headaches, fever, swollen glands, exhaustion, swollen body and weight gain

Digestion: abdominal gas, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating after eating, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, GERDS, indigestion, vomiting, and stomach pains

Genito-urinary: Vaginal yeast infections, premenstrual syndrome, infertility, impotence, prostatitis, jock itch, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and acid reflux

Causes

The most common type of candida involves gut flora.  The health of intestines is key to the overall health of your body. When your gut flora is unhealthy, you will usually suffer adversely. Several other factors that influence yeast overgrowth in the body are:

• Antibiotics – One or more cycles of antibiotics is enough to weaken the digestive system.
• Regularly eating refined sugars, starches.
• Regularly drinking soda or alcohol.

Curing Candida with Holistic Care

If any of these observations occur, don’t panic as Candida and most diseases of the body can be easily addressed!  It takes just a little guidance and a bit of willpower for 3 months to rid oneself of unwanted yeast. You may need to change your diet as well as consider holistic care options such as acupuncture.

Our Relax Holistic Acupuncturists can address concerns of symptoms you may have arising from yeast, with acupuncture treatments that correct yeast imbalance and dampness in the body.

Relax Holistic has three convenient locations in West Hollywood, Marina del Rey, and Culver City. Call for a free consultation and they will be happy to discuss any health concerns with you.