What is Candida? Candida albicans is a functioning microorganism that is crucial to your gut health. Candida is a common fungus that colonizes the skin, intestines and mouth to establish a healthy ecosystem to benefit your immunity. However, in immunocompromised individuals, digestive balance is often disrupted and the opportunistic fungus proliferates causing pathogenic yeast-like conditions. Candida overgrowth or 'candidiasis' has been found to cause both superficial and systemic infection that can be difficult to diagnose and treat. It is usually a secondary manifestation of toxicity that is overwhelming normal organ function and healthy immune repair.
As a single cell organism, Candida reproduces asexually and thrives on sugar or excess waste by-products in the body. During extended periods of stress, after brief antibiotic use, or as a result of consuming abundant dietary sugars (alcohol included!), Candida takes advantage of fleeting digestive weakness and expands rapidly to monopolize your gut. In excess, it releases up to 79 byproducts including uric acid and acetaldehyde, a powerful neurotoxin that has been classified as a 'carcinogen' or cancer-causing agent. To reverse Candidiasis, its environment must be quickly altered, processed sugar and wastes need to be flushed, effectively removing its food source and rendering the fungal overgrowth inactive.
Common Symptoms of Candida include:
Allergies or asthma
Adrenal fatigue
Bad breath
Belching
Bloating or gas
Constipation or diarrhea
Chronic upper respiratory distress, including excess mucus, sinus or ear infections
Discharge or thrush
Fatigue and chronic fatigue
Frequent skin infections, including acne, athlete's foot, cysts, dermatitis, eczema, etc.
Food cravings (especially sugar!)
Headaches or migrains
Hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder
Hypersensitivity to light, fragrances or chemicals
Insomnia
Loss of sexual desire
Lassitude or malaise
Mood swings, crying spells, depression, irritability
Muscle aches, weakness or paralysis
Pain and/or swelling in the joints
Poor memory, difficulty focusing, ie. 'brain fog' or feeling 'spaced out'
Prostatitis
Vaginal itching, burning, or frequent yeast infections
Weight gain or stubborn weight loss
If you are suspicious that Candida overgrowth may be causing your symptoms, please review the questionnaire below evaluate your health risk. If you are in need of further testing, detoxification, or guidance and planning, please contact Dr. Wilde for a Personalized Program.
Candida Questionnaire and Score Sheet
Filling out and scoring this questionnaire should help you evaluate the possible role Candida albicans contributes to your health problems. If your overall results indicate a likely or certain risk of Candida albicans overgrowth, it may be necessary to seek further treatment and make necessary dietary changes to recover your health.
Section A: Medical History _______________________________________ (Points Assessed) _________
If your answer is ‘yes’ to any question, circle or highlight the associated points assessed and add the point values together for your total score.
Have you taken tetracyclines or other antibiotics for 1 month or longer? (35 points)
Have you at any time in your life taken broad-spectrum antibiotics or other antibacterial medication for respiratory, urinary or other infections for two months or longer, or in shorter courses four or more times in a one-year period? (35 points)
Have you taken a broad-spectrum antibiotic drug—even in a single dose? (6 points)
Have you, at any time in your life, been bothered by persistent prostatitis, vaginitis or other problems affecting your reproductive organs? (25 points)
Are you bothered by memory or concentration problems? Do you sometimes feel spaced out? (20 points)
Do you feel ‘‘sick all over’’ yet, in spite of visits to many different physicians, the causes haven’t been found? (20 points)
Have you been pregnant... Two or more times? (5 points) …One time? (3 points)
Have you taken birth control pills... For more than two years? (15 points) …For six months to two years? (8 points)
Have you taken steroids orally, by injection or inhalation? …For more than two weeks? (15 points) …For two weeks or less? (6 points)
Does exposure to perfumes, insecticides, fabric shop odors and other chemicals provoke… Moderate to severe allergic or asthmatic symptoms? (20 points) … Mild symptoms? (5 points)
Does tobacco smoke really bother you? (10 points)
Are your symptoms worse on damp, muggy days or in moldy places? (20 points)
Have you had athlete’s foot, ring worm, ‘‘jock itch’’ or other chronic fungal infections of the skin or nails? Have such infections been... Severe or persistent? (20 points) … Mild to moderate? (10 points)
Do you crave sugar? (10 points)
TOTAL SCORE, Section A _______________________________________________________________
Section B: Major Symptoms __________________________________________________________________
For each of your symptoms, enter the appropriate figure in the Points Assessed column:
If a symptom is occasional or mild .............................…….. 3 points
If a symptom is frequent and/or moderately severe ....... 6 points
If a symptom is severe and/or disabling ............................ 9 points
Points Assessed
________________ Fatigue or lethargy
________________ Feeling of being ‘‘drained’’
________________ Depression or manic depression
________________ Numbness, burning or tingling
________________ Headache
________________ Muscle aches
________________ Muscle weakness or paralysis
________________ Pain and/or swelling in joints
________________ Abdominal pain
________________ Constipation and/or diarrhea
________________ Bloating, belching or intestinal gas
________________ Troublesome vaginal burning, itching or discharge
________________ Prostatitis
________________ Impotence
________________ Loss of sexual desire or feeling
________________ Endometriosis or infertility
________________ Cramps and/or other menstrual irregularities
________________ Premenstrual tension
________________ Attacks of anxiety or crying
________________ Cold hands or feet, low body temperature
________________ Hypothyroidism
________________ Shaking or irritable when hungry
________________ Cystitis or interstitial cystitis
Add the above points for your total score
TOTAL SCORE, Section B _______________________________________________________________
Section C: Contributing Symptoms___________________________________________________________
For each of your symptoms, enter the appropriate figure in the Points Assessed column:
If a symptom is occasional or mild ..................................... 1 point
If a symptom is frequent and/or moderately severe ....... 2 points
If a symptom is severe and/or disabling ............................ 3 points
Points Assessed
________________ Drowsiness or chronic fatigue
________________ Irritability
________________ Incoordination
________________ Frequent mood swings
________________ Insomnia
________________ Dizziness, vertigo or loss of balance
________________ Pressure above ears, feelings of head swelling
________________ Sinus problems… tenderness of cheekbones or forehead
________________ Eczema, itching eyes
________________ Psoriasis
________________ Chronic hives (urticaria)
________________ Indigestion or heartburn
________________ Sensitivity to milk, wheat, corn or other common foods
________________ Mucus in stools
________________ Rectal itching
________________ Dry mouth or throat
________________ Mouth rashes, including ‘‘white’’ tongue or thrush
________________ Bad breath
________________ Foot, hair or body odor not relieved by washing
________________ Nasal congestion or postnasal drip
________________ Nasal itch
________________ Sore throat
________________ Laryngitis, loss of voice
________________ Cough or recurrent bronchitis
________________ Pain or tightness in chest
________________ Wheezing or shortness of breath
________________ Urinary frequency, urgency or burning
________________ Spots in front of eyes or erratic vision
________________ Burning or tearing eyes
________________ Recurrent infections or fluid in ears
________________ Ear pain, ringing or deafness
Add the above points for your total score
TOTAL SCORE, Section C _______________________________________________________________
Section D: Candida Assessment
Total Score, Section A _______________________
Total Score, Section B _______________________
Total Score, Section C _______________________
Add the above points for your total score
GRAND TOTAL SCORE ______________________
The Grand Total Score help you to decide if your health problems are yeast-connected. Scores in women will run higher, as seven items in the questionnaire apply exclusively to women, while only two apply exclusively to men.
Candida-related health problems are almost certainly present in women with scores more than 175, and in men with scores more than 135.
Candida-related health problems are likely present in women with scores more than 115, and in men with scores more than 85.
Yeast-connected health problems are possibly present in women with scores more than 55, and in men with scores more than 35.
With scores of less than 55 in women and 30 in men, yeasts are less apt to cause health problems.
If your questionnaire score indicates that Candida is likely or certainly present, you may require additional help in immune recovery and treatment. Please contact Dr. Wilde at SarahPWilde@protonmail.com to find out more on how to get started today.