Category: Candida Crusher FAQ Videos

Good day, Eric Bakker, naturopath, author of Candida Crusher with a female FAQ.

Eric, can yeast infections be caused by taking birth control pills?

That’s an interesting question. Estrogen has a particular effect on helping to increase the proliferation of Candida in the body. And it will do so by a couple of different mechanisms. One theory with why yeast infections can increase at certain parts of the cycle, for example, is because estrogen can be heightened premenstrually, which will change the lining of the vagina so the mucous will change and the secretions will become thicker which allows more of a breeding ground for Candida and bacteria.

One theory I’ve been reading is some experts believe that it’s the delicate balance between estrogen and progesterone that is a thing with Candida proliferation at certain parts of the cycle. Estrogen and progesterone are balanced quite finely in the body. When this balance becomes disturbed, it can allow for an increase in opportunistic Candida.

Now you can understand why many women experience more vaginal discomfort and yeast infection just before their period. And also many women during perimenopause and menopause but also women who take the pill, Estradiol or synthetic estrogen, can also experience an increased incidence of a yeast infection. I’ve seen many women who begin taking the pill at a young age and then develop yeast infections. I also see many women who begin taking hormone replacement therapy and start noticing yeast infections. And also when they stop these pills, of course, they’re going to get a change in estrogen level.

Any time you begin taking a hormonal drug like this or cease taking it, you may notice some changes occurring there. Yes, the birth control is certainly linked up with an increased incidence of Candida albicans. I hope that answers your question.

Hi there, Eric Bakker, author of Candida Crusher with another FAQ; another lady’s one.

Can yeast from my vagina be spread to the nipple area?

It could, but it’s not really likely. You need to be careful if you have oral thrush with sexual relations particularly to be careful. There is a chance of moving yeast around the body by engaging in oral sex, but it’s quite remote though. It’s not something I’ve generally discovered in clinical practice.

A yeast infection can occur in the nipple area, so it’s very important with lactation to keep that area quite clean and dry and to maybe use a tiny bit of oil around the nipple region because oils and fats generally are anti-fungal. So just a tiny little bit of oil around the region maybe quite beneficial; a little bit of coconut oil, a little bit of wool fat or lanolin is quite good to help look after that nipple region.

It’s not really likely that you’re going to spread a yeast infection, thrush, vaginal yeast infection to the nipple region. If you are breastfeeding, and you have got vaginal thrush, I recommend that you follow my two-stage protocol in Chapter 5 of my book, Candida Crusher. It will give you some very, very good outlines on how to get rid of this thing once and for all. It’s helped many women, and I’m sure it can help you, too.

Coming back to the nipples, if you do have a yeast infection there, you’ll need to use local treatment and also systemic; always get a better result when you do that. Try and follow a few of those ideas and there is a lot more in my book you can read regarding recovery in this area.

So I hope that answers your question. Thanks for your question.

Hi there, Eric Bakker, naturopath, another question here. Here’s a question from Susie in Tennessee.

Would a vaginal swab be sufficient to detect my yeast infection?

That’s a good question, Susie, and one I get asked every now and then from different patients. Women are often used to going to a doctor for a vaginal swab to determine the presence of a yeast infection to make sure it’s a bacterial infection or a yeast infection. I just want to know what kind of infection I’ve got. So it’s important to remember, though, that a swab does not differentiate between a Candida infection and a vaginal colony of normally occurring vaginal Candida.

The cotton swab is sampling the surface of the vaginal wall, and it won’t tell you if your immune system is actually involved or if it’s been producing antibodies against the Candida itself. The test will only indicate what’s going on locally and not systemically. Another problem with a vaginal sampling is that if you’re using a pessary or been douching the area or it’s been sanitized to a degree, then it might return a false reading; you may not get a positive response and that could really throw you out and then you really won’t know what’s going on there. You didn’t think about those points, did you? I’ll bet you didn’t. This catches quite a few people out, so you need to be careful about interpreting Candida tests, including vaginal swabs.

So the results could be negative; the results could be positive, so how do you really know what’s going on there? Don’t make any false assumptions there. And a vaginal swab doesn’t necessarily always determine the presence of a yeast infection for that reason. You may want to think carefully about having that douche or that pessary just prior to getting the vaginal sampling done. That’s a good point there.

So look at the totality of your symptoms as well to see what other kind of problems do you have? Like fatigue, digestive problems, gas, bloating, sugar cravings, these things could also alert you toward a yeast infection. Be particularly careful there. I hope this answers your question.

There are a lot more questions and a lot more answers you’ll find on my YouTube channel, so be sure to have a look. And if the question is not there, go to candidacrusher.com and ask me the question and I’ll be sure to reply. And please subscribe to my Candida Crusher YouTube channel. And furthermore, if you really want to know about the female yeast infection, do my online survey at yeastinfection.org that will give you some good pointers as well.

I hope that answers your question. Thank you.