Symptoms of Candida
Candida
is such a difficult condition to diagnose because it can affect each sufferer in a different way, on a different part of their body,
in a way that may even be unique to that person.
For this reason, Candida is often misdiagnosed and the symptom is treated instead of the underlying cause, rather like taking a lozenge for a throat infection!
Practically, patients often have to diagnose themselves because the symptoms of Candida are so confusing. The consensus is that many more people are suffering from Candida than those few who are diagnosed correctly.
Candida Symptoms
You may find yourself suffering from any or all of the following symptoms if you have Candida:
Abdominal pain - sometimes confused with IBS
Fatigue - you struggle to get up in the mornings
Bloating and indigestion - again, sometimes confused with IBS
Oral Thrush - sometimes appearing as white film on the tongue
Joint pain - sometimes confused with arthritis
Weight gain - very resistant to dieting
Fungus - on your fingernails, or athlete's foot
Confusion - you struggle to keep up with life
Urinary infections - antibiotics won't help
Red, itching eyes - no eye remedies help
Rashes and itching - from a yeast infection
Depression or mood swings - occur randomly and without warning
Expert Leon Chaitow says in his book that, "Candida is possibly the least understood, most widespread cause of continuing ill health currently in our midst." Think of all the people suffering from the above symptoms, think of the number of times that you yourself have suffered from them, and you can see how this might be true!
Candida Misdiagnosis
Your doctor might confuse any of the following conditions with Candida. The reason is that the symptoms are often exactly the same, and Candida may manifest itself in any combination of those symptoms.
We have listed here some of the possible misdiagnoses, together with the symptom that your doctor has focused on. Remember, your doctor is relying on you for an accurate description of your symptoms, so make sure you tell him everything!
IBS - abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, indigestion
Arthritis - joint pain
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - constant fatigue
Diaper Rash - rashes and Itching in infants
Athlete's Foot - Fungus on toenails
Crohn's Disease - abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, indigestion
Gastroenteritis - abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, indigestion
A Candida misdiagnosis can actually encourage Candida to grow further. If your doctor believes that you have IBS, Crohn's Disease or Gastroenteritis, he may prescribe the anti-inflammatory Cortisone. This introduces steroids to the gut, which will increase the growth of Candida colonies.