Candida: From Diagnosis to Recovery

by Eric Bakker N.D.

Before you embark upon Candida treatment, you must test for it. Never simply assume that you have Candida. Over half the people I see who swear they have Candida have no yeast infection at all. We couldn’t find it in the stool test or culture. It wasn’t detected with a microscope. In fact, they had no Candida. Instead, what they generally had was a bacterial imbalance in terms of lack of beneficial bacteria or an imbalanced flora. For example, they may have higher than expected amounts of Citrobacter or Klebsiella in their gut. Both bacteria are normal in stool, but at elevated levels can become a problem.

When you have too many of certain bacteria, they can cause massive health problems. The excess bacteria can interfere with beneficial gut bacteria. A bacterial imbalance can also contribute to inflammation, which can cause all sorts of problems.

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If you Candida infection was confirmed through testing, you can tell if it is getting better by retesting your stool. If your Candida treatment was effective, you should also notice a complete absence of symptoms and that you are feeling very good. Full recovery means that your energy is good, your sleep patterns are great, your appetite is good, you have no pain, there is no bloating or gas, and you have normal bowel movements every day.

I always like the idea of testing and measuring. Testing something to see if there’s a problem, fixing it, measuring response, and then retesting. This is the exact approach I recommend for anyone with Candida.
In addition to stool testing to diagnosis and monitor Candida levels, I also recommend yearly blood work. I suggest measuring your iron, B12, vitamin D, liver function, kidney function, and any other tests deemed appropriate by your healthcare provider. Having annual blood tests allows you to compare how you are doing from year to year. The results should tell you whether your health is improving or whether you have some work to do.

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About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.