The Quick Candida Checklist

The Quick Candida Checklist:

Candida—also known as yeast—is a condition that is commonly found (and often underdiagnosed) in those either currently on antibiotics, or who have taken them during their lifetime. Though the two conditions are distinctly different, Candida alone will create many of the same symptoms that beset lyme sufferers, such as fatigue, inability to concentrate, etc. I also believe that there are a number of recurrent external conditions (athlete’s foot, jock itch, vaginal infection, psoriasis) that are ultimately, simply an outward manifestation of an internal yeast condition. In the longer essay, The In-depth Candida Discussion, you may read that some of medical literature discusses this connection. For potential solutions, this page discusses some of the natural preparations that have worked for me with success.

At this site, there are a couple of diagnostic tools to help one begin to recognize, understand, and finally strategize against this condition. This first one, the checklist directly below, is a quick way to get an impression of Candida, both in terms of general information, or its likelihood. That longer Candida essay is a much more in-depth discussion: where it comes from, and what to do about it..

The below checklist allows you to click through your answers and come up with a calculated score. Or, if you prefer, you may print this out in pdf form. Keeping a tally of the responses should give a good idea as to whether or not candida might be a health factor. For the sake of comparison, my own score has ranged from a high of 193 (as a male—whose scorings are different from female), to a current 95, with that decrease largely due to a three month course of decreasing sugar consumption, and the taking of some of those natural preparations linked earlier.

Candida Questionnaire and Score Sheet

The following questionnaire is provided by the gracious work and permission of Dr. William Crook. For information on contacting Dr. Crook’s office, see below.

This questionnaire is designed for adults and the scoring system isn’t appropriate for children. It lists factors in your medical history which promote the growth of Candida Albicans (Section A), and symptoms commonly found in individuals with yeast-connected illness (Sections B and C).

For each “Yes” answer in Section A, circle the Point Score in that section. Total your score and record it on the line at the end of the section. Then move on to Sections B and C and score as directed.

Filling out and scoring this questionnaire should help you and your physician evaluate the possible role of candida in contributing to your health condition, more as an indicator, than an automatic “Yes” or “No” answer.

Section A: History

	Point Score:
1.	Have you taken tetracycline’s (or other antibiotics) for 2 months (or longer)?	25	No Yes
2.	Have you, at any time in your life, taken other “broad spectrum” antibiotics (Including Keflex®, ampicillin, amoxicillin, Ceclor®, Bactrim®, and Septra®*) for respiratory, urinary or other infections (for 2 months or longer, or in shorter courses 4 or more times in a 1-year period?	20	No Yes
3.	Have you, at any time in your life, been troubled by persistent vaginal problems or had 3 or more episodes of vaginitis in a year?	25	No Yes
4.	Have you been pregnant 2 or more times? — Have you been pregnant 1 time?	5 3	No Yes Yes
5.	Have you taken birth control pills for more than 2 years? — For 6 months to 2 years?	15 8	No Yes Yes
6.	Have you taken prednisone, Decadron® or other cortisone-type drugs for more than 2 weeks? — For 2 weeks or less?	15 6	No Yes Yes
7.	Does exposure to perfumes, insecticides, fabric shop odors and other chemicals provoke… Moderate to severe symptoms? — Mild symptoms?	20 5	No Yes Yes
8.	Are your symptoms worse on damp, muggy days or in moldy places?	20	No Yes
9.	Have you had persistent athlete’s foot, “jock itch”, or other chronic fungous infections of the skin or nails? Have such infections been… Severe or persistent? — Mild to moderate?	20 10	No Yes Yes
10.	Do you crave sugar?	10	No Yes
11.	Do you crave breads?	10	No Yes
12.	Do you crave alcoholic beverages?	10	No Yes
13.	Does tobacco smoke really bother you?	10	No Yes
	TOTAL SCORE, Section A:

Section B: Major Symptoms

For each symptom which is present, enter the appropriate figure in the Point Score column:
If a symptom is mild, score 3 points.
If a symptom is moderate, score 6 points.
If a symptom is severe or disabling, score 9 points.

Add total score for this section and record it on the line at the end of this section.

	Point Score:
1.	Fatigue or lethargy.	No Mild Moderate Severe
2.	Feeling of being “drained”	No Mild Moderate Severe
3.	Poor memory	No Mild Moderate Severe
4.	Feeling “spacey ” or “unreal”	No Mild Moderate Severe
5.	Depression	No Mild Moderate Severe
6.	Numbness, burning or tingling	No Mild Moderate Severe
7.	Muscle aches	No Mild Moderate Severe
8.	Muscle weakness or paralysis	No Mild Moderate Severe
9.	Pain and/or swelling in joints	No Mild Moderate Severe
10.	Abdominal pain	No Mild Moderate Severe
11.	Constipation	No Mild Moderate Severe
12.	Diarrhea	No Mild Moderate Severe
13.	Bloating	No Mild Moderate Severe
14.	Troublesome vaginal discharge	No Mild Moderate Severe
15.	Persistent vaginal burning or itching	No Mild Moderate Severe
16.	Prostatitis	No Mild Moderate Severe
17.	Impotence	No Mild Moderate Severe
18.	Loss of sexual feeling	No Mild Moderate Severe
19.	Endometriosis	No Mild Moderate Severe
20.	Dysmenorrhea	No Mild Moderate Severe
21.	Premenstrual tension	No Mild Moderate Severe
22.	Spots in front of eyes	No Mild Moderate Severe
23.	Erratic Vision	No Mild Moderate Severe
	TOTAL SCORE, Section B:

Section C: Other Symptoms

For each symptom which is present*, enter the appropriate figure in the Point Score column:
If a symptom is mild, score 1 points.
If a symptom is moderate, score 2 points.
If a symptom is severe or disabling, score 3 points.

Add total score for this section and record it on the line at the end of this section.

*Note: While the symptoms in this section occur commonly in patients with yeast-connected illness, they also occur commonly in patients who do not have candida.

	Point Score:
1.	Drowsiness	No Mild Moderate Severe
2.	Irritability or jitteriness	No Mild Moderate Severe
3.	Incoordination	No Mild Moderate Severe
4.	Inability to concentrate	No Mild Moderate Severe
5.	Frequent mood swings	No Mild Moderate Severe
6.	Headache	No Mild Moderate Severe
7.	Dizziness / loss of balance	No Mild Moderate Severe
8.	Pressure above ears…feeling of head swelling and tingling	No Mild Moderate Severe
9.	Itching	No Mild Moderate Severe
10.	Other rashes	No Mild Moderate Severe
11.	Heartburn	No Mild Moderate Severe
12.	Indigestion	No Mild Moderate Severe
13.	Belching and intestinal gas	No Mild Moderate Severe
14.	Mucus in stools	No Mild Moderate Severe
15.	Hemorrhoids	No Mild Moderate Severe
16.	Dry mouth	No Mild Moderate Severe
17.	Rash or blisters in mouth	No Mild Moderate Severe
18.	Bad breath	No Mild Moderate Severe
19.	Joint swelling or arthritis	No Mild Moderate Severe
20.	Nasal congestion or discharge	No Mild Moderate Severe
21.	Postnasal drip	No Mild Moderate Severe
22.	Nasal itching	No Mild Moderate Severe
23.	Sore or dry throat	No Mild Moderate Severe
24.	Cough	No Mild Moderate Severe
25.	Pain or tightness in chest	No Mild Moderate Severe
26.	Wheezing or shortness of breath	No Mild Moderate Severe
27.	Urgency or urinary frequency	No Mild Moderate Severe
28.	Burning on urination	No Mild Moderate Severe
29.	Failing vision	No Mild Moderate Severe
30.	Burning or tearing eyes	No Mild Moderate Severe
31.	Recurrent ear infections	No Mild Moderate Severe
32.	Fluid in ears	No Mild Moderate Severe
33.	Ear pain or deafness	No Mild Moderate Severe
34.	Tubes in ears	No Mild Moderate Severe
35.	Other symptoms:	No Mild Moderate Severe
	TOTAL SCORE, Section C:

GRAND TOTAL SCORE (Total Score for Sections A, B, and C):

Evaluation:

(Note that the scoring will be different for females and males as seven questions apply exclusively to women, while only two apply exclusively to men.)

If your point score is over 180 in women (and 140 in men), candida almost certainly plays a role in causing your health problems.
If your point score is over 120 in women (and 90 in men), candida probably plays a role in causing your health problems.
If your point score is 60 to 120 for women (and 40 to 90 in men), candida possibly plays a role in causing your health problems.
If your point score is less than 60 for women (and 40 for men), candida is less apt to be playing a significant role in causing your health problems.

Information on contacting Dr. Crook:

For anyone interested in contacting Dr. Crook’s office directly, his address (now many years ago) is below. When I first contacted him those years ago, I have found his office exceptionally gracious, caring, and more than willing to help. I thank Dr. Crook for his pioneering work in this field.

Location:
45 Conrad Drive., Ste. 100,
Jackson, TN 38305

Phone contact:
(901) 660-5027