Functional vs Conventional Laboratory Testing for Candida

So here’s the deal. In a previous post we talked about conventional laboratory testing. But now I know you’re wondering, what’s the difference between functional and conventional laboratory testing and why does it matter when attempting to treat a Candida infection?

Functional laboratory tests are distinctive from traditional pathology based screening because it can uncover just about any alterations in the body’s function that are a difference contrary to the convention. Conventional medical testing on the other hand concerns itself primarily with assessing if there is any pathology (disease).

Functional testing concerns itself with assessing any deviations from the normal healthy body which can then be rectified before pathology begins. Doesn’t this make sense? It sure does to me, yet most all medical practitioners concern themselves with disease and not wellness anyway, so testing for the function of the body becomes irrelevant because the person is not yet sick to actually require treatment.

This is critical because each person’s functional life is slightly different than the next person’s. While there are standard conventional norms for certain test results, or for blood pressure or heart rate, there are people who live quite comfortably with numbers that are slightly depressed or elevated – they’ve got their own normal functioning levels.

Depending on the particular functional test and their respective results, the main points which become relevant and which I raise with a patient after a careful consideration of their case-history along with their results are the following:

1. Diet modification
2. Lifestyle modification
3. Specific probiotic and nutritional supplementation recommendation.
4. Oral (or local) anti-fungal or anti-bacterial medications.
5. General supplements such as omega 3 fish oils and antioxidants.
6. Initiate detoxification protocols – when it is necessary and how.
7. Follow-up testing – when and which test.

The results of the functional tests, which I’ll cover in my next series of posts, are the results that really help me to determine what each of my patients needs for optimal recovery, but I never rely on testing alone.