photo by Seattle Municipal Archives
There’s a lot you can do to get rid of Candida and start living again – and your doctor can be a great resource. Here are 7 questions to help you start a dialog with your doctor and begin your journey to coping with Candida infection.
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What do you think is causing my problem?
Some risks for Candida infection – like your medical history, age, or gender – can’t be changed. Other factors, however, are well within your control. You may be able to slow the progression of the condition by making specific dietary changes, getting regular exercise, avoiding antibiotics and birth control pills, and making other lifestyle changes that your doctor can outline for you.
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How will you treat my Candida yeast infection?
There are several options for treating Candida infection, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs and creams, alternative treatments, and lifestyle measures. Based on the severity of your symptoms and how long you have had yeast infection, your doctor may recommend you one or a combination of these approaches to relieve your discomfort.
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Can complementary and alternative treatments help?
Recent research has identified a number of promising natural treatments for Candida infection, including probiotics and natural antifungals (supplements like ThreeLac and Caproil
). Depending on your doctor’s comfort and familiarity with natural treatments, he or she may help you make sense of this information or may even refer you to other health care professionals with expertise in complementary medicine.
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What foods do you recommend I avoid?
Because poor diet establishes a breeding ground for Candida, your doctor may ask you to follow an eating plan to avoid nutrient poor, high-carbohydrate foods that encourage Candida proliferation.
You can also ask about which foods specifically can negatively affect your Candida treatment.
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How can I manage the stress of having Candida infection?
Having any chronic condition can be stressful and yeast infection is no exception. As I wrote in article Candida and Lifestyle, making simple lifestyle changes, such as incorporating deep breathing, meditation and yoga into your daily routine, can significantly help you cope with the emotional effects of living with Candida yeast infection.
If you’ve never done this, it may very well sound silly to you. So let it seem silly, and do it anyway.
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What types of exercise can help minimize my Candida symptoms?
Inquire about activities such as stretching and aerobics that can help you ease common Candida symptoms like fatigue and muscle weakness. You should also inquire about how your daily activities will change.
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Do you have any suggestions on how to explain my condition to friends, relatives and coworkers?
Your doctor can often provide advice on how to tell your loved ones about Candida.
Other questions to consider
I wish I could stop at seven questions, but Candida infection is such a complex condition that I’ll list a few more questions that came to my mind:
- What is your experience in treating this condition?
- Aside from your own partners, who would you go to for medical treatment if you had this condition?
- If my symptoms worsen, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?
- Are there any warnings I should know about since I’m pregnant?
- How long will it take before I feel relief? How long before I’m cured of my Candida infection?
- Where can I find more information?
Don’t be afraid to ask these questions or to ask for clarification as needed. Learn about your disease, take an active role in your treatment, and you can help to greatly reduce your chances of having something go wrong.
There’s a lot to digest in this post I know – but I’m certain that among the eCandida readership there’s a lot of wisdom and experience that could be added – so what what was your experience with your doctor? Was he receptive? Did she get upset? Do you have advice for others? Share your experience in the comment section bellow!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
My doctor doesn’t believe in candida infections outside of what he can see unfortunately, but when they found no other reasons for my problems and I knew I had a round of antibiotics and prednisone at the same time while on birth control recently….my research showed candida as the culprit. I’m just glad I realized that now rather than years down the road. The main knowledgeable person I have to help is my friend’s mom who happens to be a colon therapist, and provides my probiotics.
I was not even able to find a doctor who knew anything about Candida, Or at least they would not admit that they even knew what it was. I had to go to an herbalist plus treat it myself.
The doctors treated me like I was from Mars and STUPID to boot. I am pretty much fed up with doctors.