Candida – home test

There are many types of yeast fungi that live in our digestive tract and, in women, in the vagina. Under certain circumstances (such as bacterial imbalance after a course of antibiotics), these fungi can become aggressive and lead to many health problems. Modern lifestyle, fast food, excessive intake of sugar and white flour, stress, routine prescription of antibiotics, birth control pills, etc., can lead to infections with pathogenic forms of fungi that cause many chronic disorders in the body. The most common is an infection with the yeast candida albicans, which attacks the skin, nails, and oral, vaginal, urinary, and anal mucosa, and can also attack the bronchi and lungs.

Under normal circumstances, benign bacteria in our intestines, the immune system, and the proper pH value keep yeast fungi under control. But if the intestinal flora is disturbed, fungi turn into a pathogenic form. The presence of candida can be diagnosed with tests. Depending on the laboratory, a stool analysis for fungi, saliva or blood analysis for antibodies (IgG and IgA) to candida, or a urine analysis indicating the presence of fungi (yeast/fungal dysbiosis markers) can be performed.

However, a test can also be done at home with high precision. Below is a home test for candida:

Test for Candida Albicans in saliva

• Before you go to bed, fill a glass with clean water and leave it by your bed.
• The next morning, immediately after waking up, spit into the water.
• Do not try to gather a large amount of saliva; just spit what little you have in your mouth upon waking.
• Leave the glass for 15 minutes.
• Find a light source and look into the glass.
• If your saliva stays on the surface or dissolves, you are fine. It is normal if there are air bubbles in the water.
• If the water becomes cloudy, you see strings descending downward, or if the saliva collects at the bottom, there is a high chance that you have an excess of candida in your body.
• In this case, we suggest consulting your doctor or trying to get rid of candida naturally.

The most common symptoms of yeast infection are: strong craving for sweet foods, bread, pasta, etc., bad breath, white coatings on the tongue, gas and bloating during and after meals, feeling of fullness, infections and inflammations, frequent colds, allergies or sensitivities, dry mucous membranes, dry skin and eczema, concentration problems, chronic fatigue, frequent headaches, blood sugar imbalances, psychological instability and mood swings, PMS, cold hands and feet, hemorrhoids, diarrhea or constipation, vaginal infection/pain, itching, vaginal discharge.

The parasitic form of candida secretes waste products that burden the liver and the whole body. For example, candida can produce a type of false estrogen which signals the body that there is enough estrogen. This disrupts the natural production of this hormone, which can lead to menstrual cycle disorders. If blood sugar levels are high, the fungus can produce ethanol, i.e., alcohol. Another byproduct of fungal activity is acetaldehyde, a substance similar to formaldehyde, which is noticeable in bad breath.

Infection with candida can lead to various biochemical disorders in the body, such as disrupting collagen production, oxidizing fatty acids, and blocking normal nerve functions. Therefore, candida is a very serious disease. Due to the diversity in severity and type of symptoms, it is difficult to estimate how many people have a candida infection, but statistics show that every third person in Western countries has or had some parasitic form of candida.

The most common causes of candida infection are: excessive intake of foods rich in sugar and starch, antibiotic treatments, use of birth control pills, cortisol therapies, hormonal changes, intolerance to gluten and casein, lack of stomach acid, acid-alkaline imbalance in the body. All these factors can disrupt the delicate balance between good and bad microorganisms in the intestinal flora, easily leading to infections. This imbalance negatively affects the protective function of the intestinal flora and thus weakens the body’s natural resistance to diseases.

Franjo Lenac