Candida, America's Silent Plague
White-paper report from "Dr. Bob" Bob
Owen, Ph.D., D.Sc., C.R.,
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Candida: The Paradox
Candida is the medical paradox of our times.
Some health practitioners believe it infects as many as 89% of U.S.
citizens, but many physicians appear reluctant to acknowledge it.
Candida albicans is a most frequently colonizing, most virulent and
most pathogenic species (Wingard). Yet non-albicans species have
also proven to be destructive pathogens in oncology
patients.
Candida can be described as a disease that's
like a vampire; it can manifest itself in many forms, and like a
vampire, it seems impossible to track down. Anyone can be a victim.
It seems to draw strength from the strong, leaving them drained. It
has almost a mythic presence. But it simply follows the classic
pattern of a disease...
Candida has variously been defined as a plague
or an epidemic. It is sometimes called stomatitis or thrush when it
appears in the mouth; onycholysis, when it appears in or around the
fingernails or toenails; vulvovaginitis, moniliasis or genital
candidiasis, when it appears in the reproductive organs of females,
and jock itch in men. These and other manifestations are symptoms of
the overgrowth of Candida albicans, a fungus or mold (the terms are
used interchangeably) that's common in the human intestinal tract.
However, these conditions are most frequently referred to as "the
yeast syndrome," "yeast infection," or simply Candida.
Candida - as it is referred to by most people
and professionals - actually should be called "Pathogenic Albicans,"
which is a form of fungus, a single cell fungi which belongs to the
vegetable family. It seems to spread rapidly in the body when your
resistance has been lowered due to sickness, injury or
surgery.
This yeast normally lives on the mucus membranes
of the intestines/digestive tract and the vagina, as do billions of
friendly germs. Unfriendly bacteria, viruses, allergens and other
enemies find their way into other membrane-lined passageways and
cavities. But, when the immune system is strong, they aren't able to
break through the blood stream or deeper tissues and cause
problems.
Many health professionals suggest that it is
possible to prevent and/or recover from Candida overgrowth - along
with other irritating and/or painful degenerative conditions -
simply by removing the following items from their diets: o White
flour and white flour products o Cigarettes and alcohol o
Chlorinated water (purified water is safer) o Meats and fowl (that
are usually loaded with antibiotic, hormone and pesticide residues)
o Packaged foods (most are usually loaded with chemicalized salt,
hydrogenated oils and bleached sugar) o Antibiotics (except when
absolutely necessary) o Birth control pills * (a major offender) o
Mercury dental fillings (insist on non-mercury fillings, such as
ceramic or plastic) o Overuse of processed, enzyme-deficient food o
Overuse of sugar and sugary products o Overuse of soft drinks
("pop") (Please refer to Candida/Fungus Self-Test)
* Birth control pills are composed of
progesterone-like hormones that, in addition to their intended use,
alter the vaginal mucosal allowing Candida albicans to overgrow.
Yeast prefers dark, moist or humid places, whether it's in or on
your body or in your basement. Increased progesterone is also
released during pregnancy, which accounts for the frequent vaginal
infections many women now experience at that time.
Candida and Children
Nobody, especially children, is exempt from Candida overgrowth.
Many or most children with ear or other infections are given
antibiotics, that set them up for a leaky gut, which allows
allergens from milk, wheat and other foods to be absorbed. (Candida
Yeast, William G. Crook, M.D.)
The explosive use of Ritalin or Prozac among all children is a
growing matter of deep concern, as are their diets, which lack many
essential nutrients. How can children be healthy when the bulk of
their food consists of fabricated foods containing sugar, food
coloring and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats? Such diets
are also deficient in magnesium, zinc and other nutrients, that
people need if their bodies and brains are to function properly.
Pollutants in the air, food, soil and water also play a part, along
with the burgeoning use of pesticides. All these scenarios create
fertile environments for the proliferation of Candida overgrowth,
and along with that, a lifetime of impairment in every area of their
lives.
Candida and Constipation
Constipation, with few exceptions, is a constant companion of
Candida overgrowth. In fact, the two are like Siamese twins, and you
would rarely find one without the other. Most health professionals
will agree that constipation is a very troublesome condition,
causing hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, impaction, toxemia and
prolapsus. Although chronic poor bowel elimination is at the root of
most diseases, constipation is not natural or normal and there are
many contributing factors. As you examine the list below, a common
pattern begins to emerge:
- Poor diet: excessive refined and cooked foods lacking in fiber
and essential fatty acids
- Insufficient purified water
- Dryness of the colon producing dry, hard stools
- Poor lymphatic drainage due to acidity
- Out of balance pH
- Congested liver and decreased bile production
- Lack of exercise
- Habitually ignoring the urge to evacuate bowels
- "Up-tight" because of excessive stress
- Negative attitudes and emotions
Constipation is more than merely an inconvenience and nuisance;
it can result in lifelong sub-normal health, lack of energy and
worse. The good news, though, is this: Attention to your diet and
lifestyle can reverse constipation, with all of its attendant woes.
Laxatives are not the answer. They lead to dependence. The answer is
to be achieved in correcting the causes. And when you do succeed,
the benefits will be well worth the efforts.
Candida and Digestion
A diet that includes fiber and mycelium yeast forms will produce
large amounts of fiber to promote the growth of good bacteria in the
colon, which produces large quantities of vitamins and lactic acid.
Lactic acid production is essential if constipation is to be
prevented. Chronic constipation and chronic fatigue are usually
associated with Candida overgrowth. So, by healing your body of
constipation, you will go a long way in healing your body of
Candida.
This is the area where lactic-acid producing products such as
ThreeLac (see Sources), Lactic Acid Yeast (Sources) and others do
their major and most important work.
If the colon is to properly complete the digestive-eliminative
process, it must have "friendly" intestinal flora that exists
symbiotically (mutually beneficial) with the "bad" or unfriendly
bacteria. As with so many physiological functions in your body: it
is balance and homeostasis that counts.
Candida albicans is not a bad bacterium. Our bodies need it, and
it ordinarily lives quietly in a symbiotic relationship with other
bacterium. It's only when the pH of the colon becomes unbalanced
(alkaline) and is overwhelmed by an overgrowth of Candida that
problems begin. An alkaline colon is to be avoided or corrected. Dr.
Bernard Jensen taught for many years that "death begins in the
colon," a truth that has been verified repeatedly. Unless an
unhealthy colon is promptly detoxified and maintained, your body
will begin to degenerate and age prematurely.
Adequate fiber in the colon is vital for the growth of good
intestinal flora. A habitual diet of low fiber foods -highly
processed and cooked- with few, if any, fresh vegetables and fruit,
makes it impossible to develop the favorable intestinal flora needed
to produce daily requirements of B-complex vitamins, vitamin K (a
fat soluble vitamin) and lactic acid.
When these vitamins are deficient or in short supply, your health
will begin to degenerate and you may experience conditions such as:
Candida overgrowth, bladder infections, fatigue, cheilosis (cracks
/fissures in the corners of the mouth), thyroid dysfunction, bad
breath, hemorrhoids, constipation, burning and ulcerated tongue,
bruising, nose bleeds, damaged intestinal walls (leaky gut
syndrome), acne, vaginal infections, menstrual difficulties,
prostatitis and/or a number of others.
If your digestive system is to do its job, you must do yours.
First, of course, is the necessity of drinking a glass of water
20-30 minutes before eating, which enables your stomach to produce
adequate amounts of hydrochloric acid (HCL) and pepsin. Deficiency
of stomach hydrochloric acid makes it impossible to break down and
digest protein, calcium, iron, and other important nutrients.
The main clue for the need of supplemental HCL is intestinal gas,
which indicates a possible overgrowth of Candida, because
gas-forming bacteria exist only in an alkaline gastrointestinal
tract. Remember: your digestive system is not a simple "tube" from
mouth to anus. It is a total ecological system. To compromise any
part of it is to compromise the whole.
Remember: a healthy gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) depends
upon an alkaline mouth and saliva; highly acidic stomach; an
alkaline small intestine and slightly acidic colon. This is basic.
If your body departs from these norms, fatigue, loss of energy, and
a host of other harbingers of declining health and premature aging
make themselves known.
As mentioned above, Candida overgrowth is one -possibly the first
- early warning sign of possible organ malfunction. The use of
lactic acid producers such as ThreeLac, along with other necessary
lifestyle and/or diet changes, will turn you in the right direction.
No single product or lifestyle change will produce good health. Good
health requires consistent attention to your total lifestyle.
Candida and Roadblocks to
Digestion
A mistake being made by millions of people is to consider acid
reflux or "heart burn" an indicator of "too much stomach acid,"
causing them to seek something to neutralize stomach acids. This
lack of understanding, writes Dr. Jonathan Wright in his book, Why
Stomach Acid Is Good For You, "has given rise to the
seven-billion-dollar-a-year antacid industry in the United States."
Overuse of antacids over a long period of time can result in
achlorhydria: virtually no stomach acid. This will prevent or
greatly decrease your ability to digest and assimilate protein,
calcium, magnesium, potassium and other minerals.
The most common adverse effects of achlorhydria include diarrhea,
skin reactions, headache, which can sometimes be severe. And, since
anything that hinders complete digestion interferes with the pH
balance, making the colon alkaline instead of slightly acid, a
significant lack of stomach acid may also result in proliferation of
Candida and other yeast fungus organisms. Another troublesome
condition for the past-fifty individuals is leg cramps, a direct
result of the inability to digest and assimilate minerals.
Antacids are acid-blocking drugs designed and used to treat
ulcers and conditions commonly considered as being caused by "excess
stomach acid." These acid-suppressing drugs - H2-receptor blockers
and proton pump inhibitors - both effectively interfere with the
stomach's acid-producing mechanism. A few of these drugs include:
Tagamet, Zantac, Pepcid, Axid, Prilosec, Prevacid, AcipHex, etc.
Those who have read one of my earlier books, The Magic of
Minerals, have been introduced to their body's sodium-potassium pump
that's responsible for producing your body's hydroelectric power. In
this book you have been made familiar with stomach acids, including
hydrochloric acid, but few people have heard the term proton pump.
This refers to the mechanism inside certain highly specialized cells
and glands found only in your stomach lining that produces and
secretes hydrochloric acid (HCL).
You should be aware of proton pumps because they directly affect
your digestion. Of the two varieties of stomach acid suppressors,
proton pump inhibitors are the most potent. It takes only one of
these pills to reduce your stomach acid secretion by 90 to 95% for
the better part of a day.
Before considering an antacid, I urge you to look up the possible
adverse side effects of these and other drugs, because many of them
can be quite serious. As mentioned elsewhere, one of the best
resources for you to do this is Worst Pills, Best Pills, copies of
which are in most libraries and can be purchased at most large
bookstores.
Candida and Lactic Acid
Producers
Lactic Acid and lactic acid producing products, also called
probiotics - such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium
bifidum and fructooligosaccharices (FOS), etc. - help replenish
healthy bacteria in your digestive systems. The term probiotics is
derived from two Greek words meaning pro-life. Since an "invasion"
of Candida begins in your intestinal tract, if your eliminative
system is malfunctioning your whole immune system is
compromised.
Lactic acid is formed by the fermentation of lactose when milk
sours. The bacterial breakdown of milk sugar results in the acidity
of soured milk and yogurt. Small amounts of lactic acid are
constantly being formed and neutralized by various cells of the
human body, especially those in muscle tissue. During strenuous
exercise lactic acid accumulates faster than the body can neutralize
it and is responsible for muscle fatigue. Lactic acid can also be
produced from sucrose and other carbohydrates by the action of
microorganisms such as Lactobacillus acidophilus. ThreeLac, for
example, is made up of two spore-forming bacteria: Lactobacillus
Sporogenes, Bacillus Subtils, and the lactic acid bacteria -
Streptococcus Faecalis.
There are many kinds of yeast; for example, the one the baker
uses that changes carbohydrate to carbon dioxide to make bread rise,
or the one the brewer uses that changes carbohydrates to alcohol.
There is also mycelium-type yeast that changes carbohydrate to
lactic acid. Lactic acid bacteria (LAPs, "lactic acid producers," is
a term borrowed from Majid Ali, M.D.) or their fermented products
induce changes in the intestinal microflora. By stimulating
phagocytic activity and increasing the number of natural killer
cells in the blood, LAPs stimulate phagocytic activity and increase
the number of natural killer cells in the blood. (The Lactic Acid
Bacteria in Health and Disease, Vol. I, from the chapter titled
"Probiotics - A General View," Havenaar & Jos. H.J. Huis in't
Veld, Department of Biotechnology, Netherlands.)
Our lives quite literally depend upon the untiring efforts of
normal bowel bacteria to do constant battle against the invasion of
toxic-acid producers. Your bowel ecosystem is the key to your
health. It teams with life and is as rich in biologic diversity as
any other ecosystem on Planet Earth. The benefits of lactic acid
producers are numerous, including:
- They eliminate or hold in abeyance the "bad guys" of the bowel
ecosystem, i.e., the pathogens that overgrow, disrupt the bowel
ecology and eventually invade the tissues, causing serious
infections and breakdowns.
- LAPs are able to break down most dairy products into simpler
sugars by the enzymes they produce. Thus, LAP health guardians
make it possible for many individuals to overcome lactose
intolerance.
- They also improve the poor protein digestion that's common
among those with compromised bowel ecology.
- They produce many life-giving molecules, such as members of
vitamin B complex (folic acid and biotin) and vitamin K.
- They support "good" intestinal flora and enable your body to
assimilate proteins and minerals, especially calcium.
- They increase the HDL/LDL ratio.
- By normalizing bowel transit time and helping lower tissue and
blood levels of free phenols, ammonia and polypeptides, they play
a direct role in detoxification.
- By helping acidify and detoxify our colon.
You should be aware that if the intestinal tract is not healthy,
then the rest of your body couldn't be, because this area is where
and how your food and nutrients are absorbed. Your small intestine
is responsible for two major functions: 1. It completes the chemical
breakdown of food that began in your stomach and, 2. It provides a
place from which the products of your digestion can pass into the
bloodstream.
This last action is accomplished by millions of absorptive villus
that line the entire 22-foot length of the small intestine.
Nutrients being moved through the small intestine by peristalsis are
absorbed into the bloodstream by osmotic pressure. If Candida is
allowed to overgrow, its invasive roots inflame your intestinal
lining and poke holes through the semi-permeable membrane. This
causes the so-called "leaky gut" that allows unusually large food,
bacteria, toxins and other "foreign" substances to enter your
bloodstream.
Your body reacts instantly." Even if these extra large food
particles are good food, they are larger than your body can normally
handle. Since your defense system does what it was meant to do with
these extra-large molecules, it attacks and attempts to destroy
them. Additionally, it develops an antibody (see Glossary) that will
recognize that substance any future time it appears in your
bloodstream. This is how your body develops "allergic reactions" or
allergies symptoms such as:
- Fatigue and depression
- Chronic skin infections, i.e., rashes, acne, etc.
- Indigestion and/or abdominal bloating
- Intestinal gas
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Chemical sensitivities
- Hypoglycemia
- Premenstrual tension
- Brain fog, inability to concentrate, memory loss
- Frequent mood changes
- Rheumatoid arthritis, and more
When a "leaky" condition has developed, the stage is set for
other "invasions." These large spaces will now allow the absorption
of toxins that normally would have been unable to penetrate the
protective barrier of the gut. These toxins may further overload
your liver so that chemicals can't be detoxified. Now you have both
food and chemical sensitivities, and your liver is unable to cope
with both assaults, as well as keep your normal levels of Candida in
check.
Candida and Lymphatics
Your Lymphatic System is a vast, complex network of capillaries,
thin vessels, valves, ducts, nodes and organs that help to protect
and maintain the internal fluid environment of the entire body by
producing, filtering and conveying lymph and producing various blood
cells" (Mosby's Medical, Nursing & Allied Health Dictionary).
The importance of this system is of primary concern to your
health.
Lymph needs nutrition to remove waste matter from your cells, and
is then filtered through lymph nodes back to the bloodstream by
which it is eliminated. You may recognize these tiny "garbage pails"
as the occasional painful lumps in your armpits and groin. There is
no other route through which excess proteins and large particulate
matter - that seeps from the blood capillaries into these spaces
around the cells - can return to the circulatory system.
This protein/particulate matter - including overlarge fat
molecules from a leaky gut - called "trapped proteins" "must be
removed from the spaces between cells, or we would die within 24
hours" [emphasis added] (Textbook on Medical Physiology, Ninth
Edition, Guyton & Hall). Much of the protein and other debris
Dr. Guyton refers to consists of Candida, alive and dead, picked up
from the GI tract, that has become trapped, causing fluid retention
in the spaces around the cells. So-called "trapped" proteins that
are unable to find their way back into the bloodstream produce
inflammation, pain and disease.
Your Lymphatic System has no pump, such as the heart that pumps
and circulates your blood, it depends upon exercise to keep it
moving, especially walking and weight bearing exercise. This is so
because it's the expansion and contraction of muscles that pumps and
moves the lymphatic fluid throughout the body.
For example, routine exertion pushes lymph through its network at
the rate of only about 4.25 ounces per hour. However, vigorous
exercise boosts this amount to as much as 61 ounces, or
approximately two quarts of fluid. Too little exercise will result
in lymphatic stagnation, edema of lower limbs and inadequate removal
of waste matter from around the cells. It is this congestion that
allows infection to flourish. (The Seven Golden Plus One, C. Samuel
West, N.D.)
It's a vicious cycle: Because of Candida over-growth you
developed a leaky gut condition, which allows foreign invaders into
your bloodstream. This results in the formation of antibodies to
oppose the invaders creating even more overgrowth! Round and round
it goes - until such debris is trapped by your lymphatic system and
eliminated from your body.
Candida and Your Pancreas
Many of the degenerative diseases common today are linked to an
underactive or suppressed pancreas that's responsible for producing
the widest variety of digestive enzymes in your body. These powerful
enzymes play a very large role in helping you control the overgrowth
of Candida. Your pancreas changes the partially digested, highly
acidic contents from the stomach to alkaline by the bicarbonate
solution that it produces.
Your pancreas produces and secretes digestive enzymes that help
digest various kinds of food. When it's in good condition your
pancreas works tirelessly to help keep you healthy. However, a
weakened or worn out pancreas can lead to several problems,
beginning with "untamed acids," from a lack of bicarbonate
production, leading to ulcers; incomplete breakdown of proteins,
which can lead to leaky gut syndrome, allergic responses, breathing
difficulties, fever and hives or even worse, not the least of which
could be Candida growing out of control.
One of the best ways to care for your pancreas is for you to
drink a full glass of water one-half hour before each meal. This
simple act accomplishes a number of important functions. First, it
supplies your stomach with sufficient water with which to produce
stomach acid to start the digestion of your food. Second, it
supplies your pancreas with sufficient water to produce pancreatic
enzymes.
Finally, this water brings your blood to the correct viscosity
(consistency) necessary to flow through your system. Without this
extra water half an hour prior to taking food - especially if it is
made up of fat or protein - your blood might be too thick to flow
easily through your circulatory system, which is a problem you
certainly want to avoid.
To reemphasize: It is poor food choices over a long period of
time, such as an overabundance of highly processed and overcooked
food (with few or no food enzymes), that forces your overworked
pancreas to deplete its own store of enzymes. Many years of such a
diet makes tissue and body breakdown inevitable. We are seldom
immediately aware of the fruits of our poor food and eating habits.
Only years later do we see the resultant damage of such habits.
Candida and Sugar
Why all the concern about sugar? The majority of health
professionals, medical doctors and researchers are in agreement that
the single most important factor in Candida overgrowth is overuse of
sugar. The abuse of this substance is closely followed by the
exploding overuse/misuse of antibiotics and other immune suppressing
substances.
How widely used is sugar? Various estimates range from 120 pounds
to 150+ pounds annually for every person in the United States. This
is roughly 100 times the amount that was used by our grandparents
and great-grandparents 100 years ago. Our bodies were never intended
to get sugar in the amount and in the refined form as we do.
Originally all our sugar came from the eating of fruits and
vegetables, plus a small amount of honey. How greatly this has
changed!
"The United States has consumed one-fifth of the world's
production of sugar every year but one since the Civil War. . .
Through war and peace, depression and prosperity, drought and flood,
sugar consumption in America has risen steadily. It is doubtful
there ever has been a more drastic challenge to the human body in
the entire history of man." (Dufty, op cit.)
Candida Out of Control
As stated earlier, when an overgrowth of Candida albicans occurs
in your intestinal tract, it damages your gut lining by poking holes
in it, allowing large protein molecules to pass directly into your
bloodstream. The result is creating increased intestinal
permeability, also known as "leaky gut syndrome." That's just the
beginning. Candida overgrowth causes cravings. Cravings for breads,
sugars, starches, yeast containing foods of all kinds. This becomes
a vicious cycle. The sugary, starchy foods feed the Candida, which
creates even more demand for the very foods that started the whole
thing in the first place.
Candidias (yeast overgrowth) is quite widespread (estimates range
from 80% to 95% of the population), yet is generally overlooked by
the mainstream medical establishment. This may be at least partially
the case because the multiplicity and wide variety of its symptoms
(see partial listing below) closely mimic those of many other
conditions.
- Chronic fatigue, especially after eating
- GI problems: intestinal cramps, bloating, gas, constipation,
diarrhea, heartburn
- Severe PMS
- Depression
- Rectal itching
- Recurrent vaginal or urinary infections
- Memory loss, severe mood swings, feelings of being mentally
disturbed
- Food and/or airborne allergies
- Impotence
- Lightheadness after minimal amounts of wine, beer or certain
foods.
These and other such symptoms may worsen in moldy places,
basements, damp climates, exposure to environmental toxins such as
insecticides, farm or orchard herbicides and synthetic fertilizers,
and/or after eating or drinking sugary or yeasty foods.
(Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide, The Burton Goldberg
Group.) Alternative physicians recognize the seriousness of
candidiasis, and where conventional medicine has often been
ineffective in treating it, various alternative methods offer much
hope for success.
Testing for Candida
Current testing for Candida is very involved, and entails a
detailed questionnaire plus a two-stage test. The first stage is
called the Micro-ELISA Technique, designed to detect circulating
levels of Candida antigens, antibodies and certain immune complexes.
(The same as used to test for the AIDS virus.) In the second phase
the patient's lymphocytes (white blood cells) are "challenged" with
Candida.
The Fast-and-Free-Spit Test (below), though not "scientific" is
quite accurate: When you awaken in the morning, before you put
anything into your mouth, gather a small amount of saliva and spit
it into a clear glass of water. (See illustration below.) Look at
the glass every few minutes for up to 30 minutes. If there are
cloudy strings hanging down from your saliva, if the saliva turned
cloudy, or if your saliva sank to the bottom, you have Candida
overgrowth.
Candida/Fungus Self Test
Research indicates that most people harbor four or five fungi
other than Candida in their systems, often more. Such infestation
produces fatigue or weakness, resulting from "friendly flora"
destruction. Fungi overgrowth consumes your much-needed nutrition,
leaving their toxic waste for you to dispose of. The test below is
designed for adults only. Take the test to determine whether or not
you have fungus/Candida in your body. For each yes answer, score
yourself the number of points indicated.
- Have you taken tetracycline or other antibiotics for acne for
one month or more? (25 pts.) ____
- Have you taken broad-spectrum antibiotics for any infection
for 2 months or longer, or shorter courses in a 1-year period? (20
points) _____
- Have you ever been bothered by persistent prostatitis,
vaginitis or other problems affecting your reproductive organs?
(25 points) _____
- Have you been pregnant 1 time only? (3 points) Two or more
times? (5 points) _____
- Have you taken birth control pills 2 years +? (15 points) Less
than 2 years? (8 pts.) _____
- Have you taken Prednisone or other cortisone-type drug for
less than 2 weeks? (6 points) For more than 2 weeks? (15 points)
_____
- Does exposure to fragrances, mall odors or chemicals provoke
mild symptoms? (5 points) Moderate to severe symptoms? (20 pts)
_____
- Are these symptoms worse on damp, muggy days or in moldy
places? (20 points) _____
- Have you had athlete's foot, jock itch, ring worm, or chronic
fungus infection of skin / nails? Mild to moderate? (10 points)
Severe to persistent? (20 points) _____
- Do you crave sugar? (10 points) _____
- Do you crave bread? (10 points) _____
- Do you crave alcoholic beverages? (10 pts.)____
- Does tobacco smoke bother you? (10 pts.) _____
Rate the following symptoms as follows:
Occasional or mild: 3 points. Frequent and/or moderately severe:
6 points. Severe and/or disabling: 9 points.
- Fatigue or "feeling drained"? _____
- Poor memory; feeling spacey or "unreal"? ___
- Depression? _____
- Numbness, burning or tingling? _____
- Muscle aches, weakness or paralysis? _____
- Pain and/or swelling joints? _____
- Abdominal pain? _____
- Bloating, constipation or diarrhea? _____
- Persistent vaginal burning/itching? Troublesome vaginal
discharge? _____
- Prostatitis? _____
- Impotence or loss of sexual desire? _____
- Endometriosis, PMS, menstrual irregularities, or other
reproductive organ concerns? ____
- Spots in front of the eyes; erratic vision? _____
For each of the following symptoms, rate yourself:
Occasional or mild - 1 point. Frequent and/or moderately severe -
2 points.
- Frequent drowsiness ___
- Frequent irritability and/or jitteriness ___
- Frequent lack of coordination ___
- Frequent inability to concentrate ___
- Frequent mood swings (ups & downs) ___
- Frequent headaches ___
- Frequent dizziness/loss of balance ___
- Feeling of head swelling & tingling ___
- Frequent itching anywhere on body ___
- Frequent or persistent rashes ___
- Frequent heartburn and/or indigestion ___
- Belching, burping & intestinal gas ___
- Mucus in stools ___
- Hemorrhoids ___
- Frequent dry mouth___
- Rash or blisters in/around mouth ___
- Bad breath ___
- Joint swelling or arthritis ___
- Nasal congestion, itching or discharge ___
- Postnasal drip ___
- Frequent sore or dry throat ___
- Frequent unexplained cough ___
- Pain or tightness in chest ___
- Wheezing or shortness of breath ___
- Urinary urgency or frequency ___
- Burning on urination ___
- Noticeably failing vision ___
- Recurrent infections or fluid in ears ___
- Ear pain or deafness ___
Your total score can help you determine if your health concerns
are yeast related. (Women's scores will be higher as 7 items apply
only to women; only 2 apply exclusively to men.)
Score: women above 180 - men above 140: almost certainly yeast
related. Women up to 120 - men up to 90: probably yeast related.
Women: up to 60 - men up to 40: possibly yeast related. Below 60 for
women and 40 for men probably not yeast related.
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