The Best of Dr. Bakkar - Women & Candida

I promised to post the best from Candida Expert Dr. Bakker. I was very impressed with this article, although I wish he would have focused more on our sickly immune system.
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How Do I Know If I Have A Women’s Yeast Infection?

by ERIC BAKKER N.D. on APRIL 6, 2012. Updated JULY 13, 2013
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Are you suffering from following symptoms?

constant irritating discomfort itch down there in your vaginal area?
irritability, urinary issues
Itchiness and burning/pain when urinating
discharge
More on symptoms click here
Hello,

My name is Naturopath Eric Bakker and I have seen thousands of women with complaints and symptoms just like this. If you have one of those symptoms then you are suffering from yeast infection. In many cases it could literally take over your life! I have seen many patients saying they would rather die than live with this persistent itch down there which drives them crazy.

This article will cover the topic in detail and give you some solutions to get back your life. It’s never a good idea to leave yeast infection untreated as it can lead to many other complications. I will cover some important points and then give you a treatment option.

Yeast infections are very common, in fact a lot more common than you think and affect many men and women today. Unfortunately, not many yeast infections are detected by conventional medical practitioners in my experience, and many are simply dismissed or just treated with antibiotics or other drugs. Candida albicans can cause a severe weakening of the immune system and if it is not recognized and treated in time can cause significant weakness of a person’s immune system, even leading to a major immune malfunction and possibly even contributing to premature death.

How Do I Know If I Have A Women Yeast Infection

The 6 most common signs of a woman’s yeast infection are:

1.You may notice an unrelenting itch in and around the affected area. This can range from occasional minor discomfort right through to an embarrassing vaginal itch that drives you literally crazy. It is important to remember that yeast infections favor the dark, warm and moist areas of your body, including the vagina and groin region, armpits, the rectal area, and the ear, nose and throat which are all potential yeast infection hot spots.

2.You may notice bloating, flatus or a painful and even burning digestive system. Yeast infections not only affect a woman’s vagina, they also commonly affect her digestive system and can produce a myriad of signs and symptoms of which “no cause” will be generally found. I have seen women take all manner of drugs from their doctor to relieve various yeast-related digestive discomforts including heartburn drugs, acid blockers, and constipation aids including laxatives. Some women end up at their gastroenterologist to have an endoscopy or colonoscopy to investigate their digestive pains only to be told that all is well. Suspect a yeast infection if all the investigations reveal what you doctor calls NAD. (no abnormal diagnosis)
(Grizz: The complete list of diseases here: http://www.candidalibrary.org/cand_lib/article.php?id=619 )

3. You may notice an increasing sensitivity to household chemicals. The cleaning products or cosmetics which previously were OK to use now are starting to cause skin rashes, irritability or severe itching. You may notice that you are becoming increasingly sensitive to common dietary allergens like cow’s milk, eggs, wheat/gluten, peanuts, oranges, corn and even sugar and especially yeast containing foods like breads.

4. You may notice mental, emotional or physical changes. I have certainly noticed that some women who are affected by a yeast infection can tend to have some difficulties in mental, emotional and particularly in physical coordination. They may complain to me of a “stuffy head” or even feel “out of it” at times. Their co-ordination can range from feeling a little dizzy at times right through to feeling stoned or drunk for no apparent reason. They may also become quite irrational, negative, suffer from mood swings and lack motivation. You will be able to read a lot more about these kinds of changes in my book Candida Crusher, where I outline the role of Candida metabolites like gliotoxins and mannan, and how they are linked with mental and emotional changes.

5. You may notice cravings for sweet or carbohydrate foods and/or drinks. A yeast infection needs feeding, just like a baby does and will prompt you to supply it with a steady source of food. Do you like or feel compelled to eat bread, cookies, muesli bars, pancakes and syrup, bagels, chocolate, coffee (with sugar), a nice glass of wine, soda drinks, candy, sugary breakfast cereals or any other source of sugar or refined carbohydrates? How do you feel if you stop eating your favorite sweet treat, lousy? Many women commonly do, and most with a yeast infection can really relate to some kind of sweet craving. My book Candida Crusher outlines in detail how and why many women like sweet things in their diet, and how to finally overcome these sweet cravings and addictions once and for all. Who knows, this may be the number one reason why you just can’t seem to lose weight in spite of all the dieting and exercising you have tried!
(Grizz - The cravings for sweets & alcohol get worse and become UNCONTROLLABLE adictions )

6.You may notice a white vaginal discharge, and especially if there is an itch present, suspect candida. My book Candida Crusher has an excellent protocol for you to crush your woman’s yeast infection once and for all. Do you have a whitish vaginal discharge, especially if there is no significant odor? Your discharge may smell a bit moldy or it could have the odor of beer, bread and even have an appearance like cottage cheese. If you have a bacterial related discharge (gardnerella, bacterial vaginosis) it will be much more offensive indeed and the discharge will be thinner and grayish.

(Grizz-Candida can actualy produce so much alcohol in your blood that you can fail a breathalyser test by police ! )

The above six points were some of the more common and general things to look out for, but there are a few more highly specific signs and symptoms to look out for:

1. Painful sexual intercourse or painful urination. Sex may be a big turn-off if you have a yeast infection, and your partner may even be transferring the infection back to you. Be sure to observe a very high level of hygiene in any sexual relationships. Trips to the toilet may be quite uncomfortable and cause a stinging or burning sensation, making you think you have a urinary tract infection when in fact it could well be a yeast infection.

2. Oral symptoms. Look for whitish patches inside the mouth or on the tongue. The corners of your mouth may be cracked, your throat may be dry and lot and so can your mouth. You may have a recurrent sore throat, swallowing can be difficult for some, and you may even be prescribed an antacid because the doctor says you have heartburn. This is very common.
(Grizz-An iodine/water mix gargled each morning can treat this problem )

3. Respiratory related yeast infection. Some patients I have seen complain of wheezing, and are in the habit of coughing up phlegm or mucus in the morning, some have a blocked nose (often on one side), recurrent sinusitis which can be AFS (allergic fungal sinusitis). Some patients I have seen have even been diagnosed as “asthmatic”, when in fact they had a severe form of yeast infection of the respiratory system. Always remember that yeast infections favor dark, warm and moist areas, and the bronchial tubes, lungs as well as the ears/nose/throat region are all perfect breeding grounds for yeast infections.

(Grizz- YES! I suffered with Asthma for over 30 years while doctors lied to me )

4. Nail problems. I’ve given up counting how many women I’ve seen with fungal toe nails and even yeast infections of the finger nails. Always treat the digestive system for 3 – 4 months if you have a chronic case of toe nail fungus. Some female patients have been harder to diagnose when it comes to nail infections due to nail polish and artificially overlaid nails. There are lots of hints and tips on how to finally beat that fungal nail infection once and for all in the book Candida Crusher, so be sure to read all about it.

5. You may feel that you have never been quite well since that last antibiotic prescription. Your doctor prescribed an antibiotic, and your digestion has not been quite the same, or you have been noticing vaginal thrush since. Definitely suspect a yeast infection in such instances.

Treatment Options

To my knowledge based on my 25 years of clinical experience treating well over 15000 patients with yeast infection I can tell you there is no “MAGIC PILL” or “QUICK FIX” if you are looking for such a solution to get your old happy self back then QUIT THIS PAGE and GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. However, if you want your life back and want to put some effort into it then continue reading!

1. The Right Diet

CHANGE YOUR DIET. Yes you heard it right, you have to give up on various foods and control your cravings. A diet rich in seeds, nuts, vegetables and healthy oils. At the same time making sure you are avoiding sugars and carbohydrate foods.

2. Bring On The Good Bacteria

If you have been exposed to antibiotics/oral pills/steroids then you want to increase your good bacteria intake. You need a good high quality supplement. There are tons of those supplements out there but I would make sure I buy one that contains live bacteria. So a probiotic with LIVE BACTERIA.

3. Rest Your Immune System

Food allergies are most common with candida. The things you crave are frequently what the yeast itself craves. Try to identify any possible sensitivities or allergies and weed them out. This can be of enormous benefit to you, as you will be side-stepping those foods and drinks that are challenging your immune system the most.

4. Identify And Avoid Chemicals And Toxins

To further reduce load on your immune system, avoid as much as possible car fumes; chemical pollutants; insecticides, sprays, artificial colors; preservatives; emulsifiers and as mentioned food allergens as well as any inhaled allergens. Do you have amalgam (mercury) fillings and can’t seem to shake recurrent yeast infections? Take a look at what mercury does to your gut; every time you swallow you ingest a tiny amount of methylated mercury in your bowel on which candida can potentially thrive. Why not do a cleansing program yourself?

5.Lifestyle Changes

Your lifestyle should be your main concern as far as yeast infection recovery is concerned, and that is why I have left some of what I consider to be some of the best information until last in my book Candida Crusher. As far back as 1983, Dr. William Crook (The Yeast Connection) pointed out that the influence of lifestyle was paramount in both the creation and the ultimate recovery from a yeast infection.

If you are serious about YOUR HEALTH and want your life back then I would recommend you STOP spending your money on quick fixes and antifungal creams that will only give you short relief and the yeast will come with vengeance next time. In my book I have following options regarding vaginal yeast infection treatment:

Complete article with imbedded links and details on his book:
http://www.yeastinfection.org/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-a-womens-yeast-infectio...

Candida References:
http://tinyurl.com/Iodine-Candida

Best to all,
Grizz