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Frequently Asked Questions #19

1. I urinate very frequently. What could be the cause of it?

Frequent urination can be a sign of a bunch of things. Urinary tract infection, kidney infection, bladder infection are some of the causes of frequent urination. It could be also due to drinking too much fluid in a day. If you are urinating often, and have fever, with some pain in the abdomen, you are most likely dealing with a UTI. Diabetes can cause frequent urination too. Most women pee often during the first trimester of their pregnancy as the uterus gets bigger and starts putting more pressure on the bladder.

Another cause of your frequent need to use the washroom could be candiduria. It is a nosocomial infection of the urinary tract. Some of the risk factors include urinary indwelling catheters, antibiotics, old age, and diabetes mellitus. Because candiduria is asymptomatic, it may not be associated with candidemia. Asymptomatic candiduria is usually harmless. It does not require local or systemic antifungal treatment. Your doctor can diagnose it by doing a second sterile urine sample. It can cause mortality in those who are debilitated or have a weakened immune system.  No matter the cause of your frequent urination, it can be quite uncomfortable.

2. How do I know I have Raynaud’s and what can I do about it?

When you have Raynaud’s disease, parts of your body (such as fingers, toes, nipples) can feel numb and cold as a response to cold temperatures or stress. The arteries that are responsible for pumping blood to the skin get narrowed, therefore restricting blood circulation to the affected areas. Raynaud’s affects women in greater number than men. Breastfeeding mothers deal with it as well. It’s very common with people living in colder climates. Symptoms of Raynaud’s are feeling cold in the fingers, toes or nipples, changes in color of the skin when the person is cold or stressed. There is also a numb and prickly feeling as the affected areas starts warming up. The person will notice blanching of the areas, and after warming, the normal blood flow is back.

Many times, women who are breastfeeding and who are dealing with Raynaud’s are misdiagnosed with candidiasis (thrush of the nipple). They are asked to follow the treatment protocol for thrush and when that doesn’t work, doctors will look into other possibilities. Prevention of Raynaud’s can ensure easily avoidable situations for women who are breastfeeding. Avoiding stress, coffee, smoking, and alcohol can help in reducing the effects of Raynaud’s. Additionally, those suffering from Raynaud’s should dress warm and keep room temperature warm to avoid painful episodes. Because the symptoms of Raynaud’s can be mistaken for thrush, you have to ensure you rule thrush out as the cause of discomfort.

3. Why do I see blood in my stool?

At any stage of life, you may pass some blood in your stool. It could be either big or small in amounts. Most times, you may not even notice the blood in your stool if you are not used to inspecting your stool after a bowel movement. Some are a result of a hemorrhoid, some a result of intestinal parasite or infection. If it is happening from time to time, there is likely no reason to be worried. Some people also notice their stool with hints of red after they eat foods that are red (beets often do that!). However, if you’re noticing blood regularly, it definitely warrants further investigation by a doctor. They can get a blood test done to find out what the cause of regular blood presence in your stool is. If accompanied by fatigue, tiredness, poor immune function, rectal itching, brain fog, then you may be looking at a candida overgrowth.

While the most common cause can be hemorrhoid, you want to ensure it is not something more dangerous like a stricture or a problem with the colon or bowel cancer. Many people have bowel cancer where it’s never diagnosed. A good diet can help prevent diseases like bowel cancer.  Avoid heavy alcohol use and eating too much red meat. Bowel cancer can be caused by obesity or high stress. Getting a complete blood count down can also shed light on your iron counts and red blood cells. Low red blood cells can cause low ferritin, which is an iron storage protein. Low ferritin can cause bleeding. Eric Bakker talks in detail about this issue in this video.

4. My stool has a white and stringy material in it. What is it?

If you see a white and stringy material in your stool, it is most likely candida. The material will look like a string of cheese. It can also look frothy, resembling yeast in bread when it’s rising. Candida in stool shows up as a result of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, use of antibiotics, or dead if you are going through a candida treatment.

Many also notice their stool with such white stringy materials especially during a candida treatment. What to look for? Stringy threads that are whitish, yellowish or light brown in color. Sometimes, it may have the frothy look to it and sometimes it doesn’t. The treatment kills the overgrowth of candida which then is flushed out during normal bowel movements. Please note that candida may not look the same from one person’s stool to another. The foods you eat along with many other factors can make it look different.

Definitely see your doctor if you have candida in your stool for more than 2 weeks, if you have difficulty in going about your regular day activities, experience anxiety as a result. Sometimes candida is passed through the stool without any treatment being done by the person. This is your body’s way of ridding itself from candida overgrowth and detoxing. Treatment for candida overgrowth usually can be done through a candida diet, supplements to help keep candida checked and lifestyle changes.

5. Why is my urine always foamy, has an odour and is yellow?

Cloudy urine is not usually something bad. A urine culture can show you whether there is a bacterial or a fungal infection going on. Its common to have discolored or cloudy urine from time to time. In some cases, it can signify a urinary tract infection, especially in women. Some females get recurring UTIs, or bladder infections. Cloudy urine accompanied with pain is a sign that you should not ignore. Pain in the lower back can signify kidney pain. Additionally, if you see blood or pink urine, that can be cause for concern as well.

If you get a consistent pattern of cloudy urine with blood or pain, you need urgent attention. A urine culture can show sings of infection such as e-coli. Eric Bakker explains what cloudy urine signifies in detail in this video.

Normal urine is supposed to be clear. Sometimes, a cloudy urine can be attributed to mild hydration. This goes away after the afflicted person drinks enough liquids per day. Blood in urine can also contribute to it looking cloudy and foamy. Cloudy urine that is consistently happening for days can also indicate kidney stone problems. In some cases, STD or vaginitis can also cause urine to look cloudy. If you are drinking enough per day and have a good diet but still have urine that is cloudy and different in color for days, please see your doctor who can do a urine test to rule out any conditions or diseases.

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