Diagnosing Systemic Yeast Infections
When Carla Jones was 22 years old, she began to experience a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, muscle pain and digestive problems. Repeated visits to the doctor brought no answers. Instead, doctors insinuated that the problem may be in her head. One even suggested that she take up a new hobby.
A few years later, Carla was still experiencing the troublesome symptoms, and some of them were getting worse. Every now and then she’d try a different doctor, only to be told that nothing showed up on the lab tests.
She began to think that maybe the doctors were right, and there really was nothing physically wrong with her. After years of suffering, a doctor during a routine visit decided to perform a simple lab test, and the results would finally bring Carla relief.
The doctor told her that she was suffering from systemic yeast infections. Carla, like many women, associated yeast infections with the vaginal area. Vaginal yeast infections are the most common form among women, but other forms, such as thrush (oral yeast infection) also exist.
Unlike the other types, systemic yeast infections can be very serious. With a vaginal or oral yeast infection, the fungus remains in one area. Systemic yeast infections, however, occur in the tissues of the body and can have an impact on the internal organs and affect the heart and respiratory systems. It can also invade the bloodstream.
Yeast is always present in the body, and the good bacteria that helps fight off other infections also helps to keep yeast under control. When, for whatever reason, the balance between yeast and these good bacteria is upset, the result can be a yeast infection.
Some people are at a higher risk for this type of infection. High risk groups include men or women who have been on antibiotics or steroids and people with a compromised immune system. Some experts think that certain types of birth control medications can also put women at a higher risk for systemic yeast infections.
While many women can self-diagnose a vaginal yeast infection, do not try to self-diagnose systemic yeast infections. The only way that a proper diagnosis can be made is with a simple lab test. Also, the best treatment for the condition is a long regimen of prescription medication.
So why did Carla go undiagnosed for so long? Simply because the doctors didn’t do the test for a systemic yeast infection. The symptoms are similar to so many conditions, including common viruses, that many people end up suffering for years just because the doctors don’t test for this.
Carla is not alone. Many men and women put up with such symptoms for years before being correctly diagnosed. If you have had any of the symptoms mentioned above for any length of time, ask your doctor to test for a systemic yeast infection.
The treatment is simple and most people are able to begin feeling better within a couple of weeks of starting the medication. Of course, as with any antibiotic, you should always finish the entire course of treatment, even if you feel better.
Systemic yeast infections are easy to diagnose with a simple test. If your story sounds similar to Carla’s, talk to your doctor today.
