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I have been undergoing treatment for Candida for a month and have just noticed that my eyes aren’t nearly as dry and red as they were. My eye Dr said they were extremely dry and recommended steroid drops which I was considering because I’ve had so much trouble wearing my contact lenses when inside, especially when there are fans running. I found this web-site when I googled to see if there was any correlation between dry eye and Candida.
I’m definitely no expert, but I thought I’d share some of the things I have learned. My Candida was probably caused by excessive antibiotic use. Unfortunately, many conventional physicians don’t seem to believe in Candida and it was my Chiropractor who diagnosed me. I understand somewhat because any google search will bring up multitudes of Candida-cure web-sites, many looking to sell products. I urge you to google any of these products with the word scam after them, just in case. Maybe the web-sites that come up are just competitors looking to get the upper hand, but at least you can be fully informed before buying treatments. Some sites suggest you can self diagnose if you answer yes to a certain number of questions on a questionnaire or do the “spit in the cup test”. This may all be true, but my unprofessional opinion is that the best way to be diagnosed with Candida is by using a credible lab that has sufficient technology to diagnose it. Many labs don’t have that capability. Two that I know for sure that do are Metametrix Clinical Laboratory and Genova Diagnostics. They have a link on their web-sites to find health care professionals in your area who use their labs. It is important to not start antifungal treatment until you have been tested because Metametrix is able to grow out the yeast to determine what course of treatment would be the most effective. It is also important to get tested because Candida can mimic other diseases, such as Lyme disease. This is not Systemic Candida, which is usually only found in people with AIDS, etc., it is simply an overgrowth of yeast in my intestines. The yeast makes it difficult for nutrients to be absorbed, which can cause many problems. Unfortunately, my insurance did not cover this testing, which boggles my mind. It makes me so sad to think some people will never be diagnosed because of the attitude of the medical community. I’ve heard that it can be dangerous to take high doses of some antifungals. Please use caution and if really is important to work with an experienced professional.
The Candida diet I’m on is extremely challenging. People with Candida are often sensitive to wheat, gluten, dairy, soy and especially sugar, beer and some alcohol. Please be aware that going on this diet can cause deficiency in some vitamins, minerals. Another controversial diagnosis is Leaky Gut Syndrome, also referred to as Intestinal Permeability. The Candida can cause the digestive tract to become damaged. Spaces open up, allowing large food particles to be absorbed into the body, which are then regarded as 'foreign' to the body's defense system. This can cause antibodies to be produced to fight what were once harmless foods, creating new, out of the blue, food allergies.
In the last month, I have experienced an improvement in my many digestion issues as well my emotional and focus (brain fog) issues. Studies have shown a definite gut/mind link. I have been on anti-depressants, other meds for many years that I am hopeful I’ll be able to eventually cut back on. My skin is much less dry, my fingernails are actually growing instead of cracking and splitting, my eyebrows are growing in thicker and I’m hoping that my hair, which is very dry and damaged, will have some of the natural oils restored soon.
After reading through some of the forum entries, it appears many here have been on antibiotics for long periods. I’m sure there are very good reasons for doing this, antibiotics can be a very powerful and effective treatment for many different conditions. There is so much controversy about all of this, nothing has been proven conclusively, but if I ever need antibiotics again, I will definitely take probiotics, natural antifungals and eat lots of live culture yogurt at the same time to ensure the good bacteria in my gut is replaced.
I’m sorry that so many of you have to suffer with dry eye problems. I am grateful I found this site because it convinced me to take Lasik surgery off my “to do eventually” list.
I hope this information might help someone find relief, as I have, and save them the frustration and time I spent trying to get this all figured out. Again, I’m no expert, please do your own research if any of this applies to you. I’m just trying to get through this, dealing with a very restrictive diet and the side effects from the treatment, feeling very let down by my PCP, and grateful for the Chiropractor that has given me so much hope for the future.
I’m definitely no expert, but I thought I’d share some of the things I have learned. My Candida was probably caused by excessive antibiotic use. Unfortunately, many conventional physicians don’t seem to believe in Candida and it was my Chiropractor who diagnosed me. I understand somewhat because any google search will bring up multitudes of Candida-cure web-sites, many looking to sell products. I urge you to google any of these products with the word scam after them, just in case. Maybe the web-sites that come up are just competitors looking to get the upper hand, but at least you can be fully informed before buying treatments. Some sites suggest you can self diagnose if you answer yes to a certain number of questions on a questionnaire or do the “spit in the cup test”. This may all be true, but my unprofessional opinion is that the best way to be diagnosed with Candida is by using a credible lab that has sufficient technology to diagnose it. Many labs don’t have that capability. Two that I know for sure that do are Metametrix Clinical Laboratory and Genova Diagnostics. They have a link on their web-sites to find health care professionals in your area who use their labs. It is important to not start antifungal treatment until you have been tested because Metametrix is able to grow out the yeast to determine what course of treatment would be the most effective. It is also important to get tested because Candida can mimic other diseases, such as Lyme disease. This is not Systemic Candida, which is usually only found in people with AIDS, etc., it is simply an overgrowth of yeast in my intestines. The yeast makes it difficult for nutrients to be absorbed, which can cause many problems. Unfortunately, my insurance did not cover this testing, which boggles my mind. It makes me so sad to think some people will never be diagnosed because of the attitude of the medical community. I’ve heard that it can be dangerous to take high doses of some antifungals. Please use caution and if really is important to work with an experienced professional.
The Candida diet I’m on is extremely challenging. People with Candida are often sensitive to wheat, gluten, dairy, soy and especially sugar, beer and some alcohol. Please be aware that going on this diet can cause deficiency in some vitamins, minerals. Another controversial diagnosis is Leaky Gut Syndrome, also referred to as Intestinal Permeability. The Candida can cause the digestive tract to become damaged. Spaces open up, allowing large food particles to be absorbed into the body, which are then regarded as 'foreign' to the body's defense system. This can cause antibodies to be produced to fight what were once harmless foods, creating new, out of the blue, food allergies.
In the last month, I have experienced an improvement in my many digestion issues as well my emotional and focus (brain fog) issues. Studies have shown a definite gut/mind link. I have been on anti-depressants, other meds for many years that I am hopeful I’ll be able to eventually cut back on. My skin is much less dry, my fingernails are actually growing instead of cracking and splitting, my eyebrows are growing in thicker and I’m hoping that my hair, which is very dry and damaged, will have some of the natural oils restored soon.
After reading through some of the forum entries, it appears many here have been on antibiotics for long periods. I’m sure there are very good reasons for doing this, antibiotics can be a very powerful and effective treatment for many different conditions. There is so much controversy about all of this, nothing has been proven conclusively, but if I ever need antibiotics again, I will definitely take probiotics, natural antifungals and eat lots of live culture yogurt at the same time to ensure the good bacteria in my gut is replaced.
I’m sorry that so many of you have to suffer with dry eye problems. I am grateful I found this site because it convinced me to take Lasik surgery off my “to do eventually” list.
I hope this information might help someone find relief, as I have, and save them the frustration and time I spent trying to get this all figured out. Again, I’m no expert, please do your own research if any of this applies to you. I’m just trying to get through this, dealing with a very restrictive diet and the side effects from the treatment, feeling very let down by my PCP, and grateful for the Chiropractor that has given me so much hope for the future.
It's good that your dry eye symptoms have gotten better. With you cutting so much out of your diet, it's hard to possibly pinpoint what may have helped reduce your dry eye symptoms. I am trying to change my diet and eat healthier and avoid processed food, cut back on sodium intake and cutting sugars except for fresh fruits. Just like diabetes and high blood pressure, perhaps there are other illnesses and diseases that are rooted in a bad diet.
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