It’s really hard to go to war when you don’t know who the enemy is.
The symptoms of candida are so broad that it may be something else that’s causing your issue, or you may have candida and spend years just treating the symptoms.
How can you know for sure that you have candida.
I know you can find simple hacks online to test to see if you have candida – some suggest using the spit test which isn’t the most accurate of tests in my opinion.
What are the common ways people find out that they have candida. I recently asked a whole bunch of people that claimed that they had candida, and asked how they knew. What was the test that they used to confirm that candida was their issue.
Below I’ll get you the most common answers.
How I Learned I Had Candida
Before I get into the results, I wanted to tell you a little about my story. I was recently diagnosed with candida and used several tests to confirm my candida diagnosis.
LEARN THE STEPS I TOOK TO CURE MY CANDIDA
After several years of being really sick, I discovered that I had Candida. Candida makes you feel terrible, and can rob you from the joy of living your life. I set out to build a blueprint to cure my candida for good. You can learn the exact steps that I took with the Candida Warriors program.
Note: Read my full story
The first test that I used was a simple allergy test. The allergy test showed that my body had an intolerance to candida that indicated that my body was currently fighting it.
I also did a simple blood test which showed my Immunoglobulin A levels extremely high. High levels of these antibodies indicate an issue with candida.
My results are below.
My naturopathic doctor also inspected my blood under a microscope and noticed that I had inflammation in my bowels, candida in my blood, as well as signs of leaky gut.
From these three tests, it was confirmed that I had an issue with candida. I started right away eliminating sugars and carbohydrates from my diet, taking vitamins to help with the fight, taking probiotics every day and using a candida cleanse.
The problem with candida is that it affects everyone in different ways.
It’s important to know for sure that you really have candida, so that you can create a custom plan to defeat it.
The connection between IBS and candida isn’t coincidental, and most doctors won’t test for candida with a high percentage believing there is no such thing.
Related: Is Candida Real?
How do you get the answers you need? How can you know for sure that you’re fighting candida and not some other illness?
Let’s look at what others did to find out if they have candida.
How People Tested For Candida
I asked several people how they found out that they had a candida problem. Below are the top answers.
1. Blood Test
A simple blood test will give you the IgG, IgA and IgM antibody levels in your blood. High levels of these antibodies show candida in the body.
Most of the people that I asked, used this test to confirm an issue with candida.
You can order this test at any lab and see the results yourself, or go to a doctor and ask for the test to be done. Also, a naturopathic doctors can order this type of test.
I went to a naturopathic doctor when I was looking for answers and showed him my blood test, but he didn’t connect high levels of IgA with candida. So not every naturopathic is equal or understand the connection.
2. Allergy Test
You can also get a blood test to determine if you have any allergies. Most of the time, an intolerance to candida shows that your body is fighting it off which would naturally indicate candida overgrowth.
You don’t have to get a blood test to show you if you have any type of intolerance, there are several different tests available that will give you the same results.
A naturopathic doctor would be able to direct you to a specialist to perform an allergy test.
Most people in my survey used the allergy test to determine they had candida. As listed above, I also used this test as an indicator that candida was present in my intestines.
3. The Spit Test
The spit test is a simple test that you can perform at home. All you have to do is spit into a glass of water and see if you get long tentacles forming from the salvia and moving toward the bottom of the glass.
The spit test was started in the mid-90s by a multilevel marketing company that was selling a anti-candida product. The test was suppose to be a simple, easy way to show that you have candida but there is a big problem with the test. It’s not accurate!
There are many reasons why your saliva can be thick and cause legs to form in the water – including dehydration. A spitting out a thick mucus could also be a bacteria, a virus, food allergies or even colder weather.
In my opinion, I would not use this test if you’re serious about your health and want to know if you really have candida.
I read about this test when I was really sick and gave it a try; this test did indicate that I had candida. I didn’t reply on those results though, and went to a doctor to get more testing done.
If you form legs from your salvia it could be candida, but a positive test doesn’t confirm a candida diagnosis.
3. GI Map Test
Most people that I asked used a GI map test to determine they had candida. This is a stool test that will tell you everything that’s going on inside your intestines.
A GI Map Test will give you the following details.
- Types of Bacteria in your gut
- Types of Fungi /Yeast in your gut
- Parisites in your gut
These test are comprehensive and won’t just tell you if you have high levels of candida albicans, but several different types of yeast.
The problem with these tests is that they are not cheap. They will cost between $500-$700. The good news about a GI Map test is you’ll know what’s causing your problem.
I believe that this is probably your best bet if you want to see if you have candida in your gut because it tests the source.
4. Candida DNA Test
This is done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that detects several types of candida in the bloodstream.
This isn’t a common test for candida, but gives you accurate results. Only a few people used this test to determine they had candida overgrowth.
5. Microbial Organic Acids Testing
How does this determine you have candida?
Well, it’s a little complicated but mindbodygreen.com explains it this way.
D-arabinitol is a metabolite of the 5-carbon sugar arabinose that can be detected in the urine. Candida species produce arabitol, which is absorbed and then converted to arabinose by the liver. The kidney secretes the final metabolite. If it’s high, it suggests gut yeast overgrowth.
None of the tests that I listed above are perfect, but will give you an idea if candida is the root problem you’re facing.
6. Questionnaire
Most people looking to see if they have candida began with a simple questionnaire. There are lots of these tests on the internet, so whether you use the one below from thecandidadiet.com, or another one – it’s going to give you an idea if you have candida.
A score of 11 or higher suggests you have a problem with candida.
Obviously, this isn’t going to be perfect, but it’s a great start. If this questionnaire says that you may have a candida issue, then you can move on to another test.
Conclusion
The conclusion is that it’s important to know for sure that you have candida.
A simple spit test or questionnaire is a good start, but isn’t a reliable source to determine if you really have candida.
In my opinion, I would suggest that you use a GI Map Test to determine what’s exactly happening inside your GI tract.
A GI Map will tell what type of yeast, bacteria or even parasite that’s causing the problem and how you can get rid of it properly.
You can order this test online, and get the results right to your home. Results with a high percentage of candida in your intestines will give you the confidence you need to battle and defeat it.
