Inner ear/fungal infection/Candida diet
November 24, 2015 6:18 PM Subscribe
I have a chronic inner ear fungal infection which was diagnosed 10 years ago and have a couple questions about diet.
At that time 10 years ago, I experienced vertigo and loss of balance. I have not experienced symptoms that bad since and I am otherwise quite healthy. Since then it has appeared only occasionally appeared as light-headedness. Additionally, I am constantly blowing my nose. In the last couple weeks it was pretty bad (though still no vertigo) due to an increased intake of milk, cheese, cookies and ice cream.
So I now think I need to make some level of commitment to a diet which will ameliorate the problems. Researching the last few days, this is apparently what the Candida diet is for. I could do the diet full-on, (which would be a lot of effort, it is very restricted) or I could do it partially (e.g. occasionally eating cheese or drinking a coke). A couple questions:
Can I attribute the constant nose-blowing to this infection?
If I were to do this diet full-on, how long would I need to do it to give it a fair chance?
At that time 10 years ago, I experienced vertigo and loss of balance. I have not experienced symptoms that bad since and I am otherwise quite healthy. Since then it has appeared only occasionally appeared as light-headedness. Additionally, I am constantly blowing my nose. In the last couple weeks it was pretty bad (though still no vertigo) due to an increased intake of milk, cheese, cookies and ice cream.
So I now think I need to make some level of commitment to a diet which will ameliorate the problems. Researching the last few days, this is apparently what the Candida diet is for. I could do the diet full-on, (which would be a lot of effort, it is very restricted) or I could do it partially (e.g. occasionally eating cheese or drinking a coke). A couple questions:
Can I attribute the constant nose-blowing to this infection?
If I were to do this diet full-on, how long would I need to do it to give it a fair chance?
I have done a lot of dietary stuff and alternative treatments. My experience has been that chronic, long standing ear and sinus issues cannot be fully resolved with just dietary changes or even oral drugs. I needed a combination of topical and systemic treatments at the same time or stuff just moved around and found some new place to hide. So, in addition to the diet, I would add other treatments.
Also, if you have had it years, it will take a long time to resolve using alternative treatments. Also also, expect problems to get worse before they get better. Anything that actually starts to kill this will have side effects of some sort while it dies.
Yes, your chronic nose blowing can be due to this infection. Ears and sinuses are interconnected.
posted by Michele in California at 7:07 PM on November 24, 2015
Also, if you have had it years, it will take a long time to resolve using alternative treatments. Also also, expect problems to get worse before they get better. Anything that actually starts to kill this will have side effects of some sort while it dies.
Yes, your chronic nose blowing can be due to this infection. Ears and sinuses are interconnected.
posted by Michele in California at 7:07 PM on November 24, 2015
I suggest you double check your diagnosis with an otolaryngologist, if you have not done so already. You had an inner ear infection that was diagnosed as fungal? That would be extremely unusual (here's an article with a table including the most common pathogens down to uncommon ones, even including chlamydia (!!), you can see that no fungal source is listed). Did someone do a culture to diagnose this?
I don't mean to question the premise, there might be something lost in translation here, but if what you have isn't actually a chronic Candidal infection then you don't have to worry about the Candida diet. Which I agree is currently being marketed for a lot of different quackery-type things.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:19 PM on November 24, 2015 [22 favorites]
I don't mean to question the premise, there might be something lost in translation here, but if what you have isn't actually a chronic Candidal infection then you don't have to worry about the Candida diet. Which I agree is currently being marketed for a lot of different quackery-type things.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:19 PM on November 24, 2015 [22 favorites]
Anything that actually starts to kill this will have side effects of some sort while it dies.
This isn't necessarily true, in fact it's rarely true in the case of infection treatment except for a few very specific infections (like syphilis), but the belief seems to have gained a lot of tread in non-mainstream medical beliefs since the increasing trend in self diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease.
Additionally, I wanted to note that one very common cause of frequent nose-blowing is allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis can occur with ear infections but it could be a separate issue - it is a common problem. Another good question for your primary care doctor or ENT.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:32 PM on November 24, 2015 [10 favorites]
This isn't necessarily true, in fact it's rarely true in the case of infection treatment except for a few very specific infections (like syphilis), but the belief seems to have gained a lot of tread in non-mainstream medical beliefs since the increasing trend in self diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease.
Additionally, I wanted to note that one very common cause of frequent nose-blowing is allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis can occur with ear infections but it could be a separate issue - it is a common problem. Another good question for your primary care doctor or ENT.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:32 PM on November 24, 2015 [10 favorites]
Came to say pretty much what Treehorn+Bunny said, but she's an actual doctor, I just play one on TV.
I actually had/have a fungal infection called coccidomycosis, Valley Fever as it's more commonly known. I've lived in the two places it's endemic, Phoenix and Stockton, and I've had it since I was a kid. Mine affects my lungs so I'm more prone to getting bronchitis when I catch a cold.
I did two courses of oral anti-fungal meds for a different reason and it's helped immensely. I experienced no side-effects and not having crippling coughing a few times a year, well, that's awesome!
I would go to a specialist and find out what the issue is. To echo my cousin, autumn is full of allergens, tree, grass, etc. I'm pretty allergic to fall in general and a constant runny nose is my companion. Have you tried an OTC allergy medicine? That's something to discuss with your specialist as well.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:05 AM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I actually had/have a fungal infection called coccidomycosis, Valley Fever as it's more commonly known. I've lived in the two places it's endemic, Phoenix and Stockton, and I've had it since I was a kid. Mine affects my lungs so I'm more prone to getting bronchitis when I catch a cold.
I did two courses of oral anti-fungal meds for a different reason and it's helped immensely. I experienced no side-effects and not having crippling coughing a few times a year, well, that's awesome!
I would go to a specialist and find out what the issue is. To echo my cousin, autumn is full of allergens, tree, grass, etc. I'm pretty allergic to fall in general and a constant runny nose is my companion. Have you tried an OTC allergy medicine? That's something to discuss with your specialist as well.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:05 AM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I have to second treehorn+bunny. Fungal infections in the ear are almost always limited to the outer ear, and I can't really imagine otomycosis (ear fungus) spreading beyond the ear canal or causing any sort of typical inner ear symptoms like vertigo. When you received this diagnosis, were you prescribed any sort of antifungal?
In any case, the nose-blowing is probably unrelated to anything affecting your inner ear, though allergies and such can sometimes cause more superficial ear symptoms like pain or fullness. The light-headedness is also unlikely to be caused by anything in your ear. Vertigo is really distinct from light-headedness, and the two are not generally related if the origin of the vertigo is in the ear.
The Candida diet is unlikely to improve or have any real affect on your symptoms.
When you had your initial episode of vertigo ten years ago, do you remember anything about it? Like how long it lasted? And has your hearing remained normal?
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:27 AM on November 25, 2015
In any case, the nose-blowing is probably unrelated to anything affecting your inner ear, though allergies and such can sometimes cause more superficial ear symptoms like pain or fullness. The light-headedness is also unlikely to be caused by anything in your ear. Vertigo is really distinct from light-headedness, and the two are not generally related if the origin of the vertigo is in the ear.
The Candida diet is unlikely to improve or have any real affect on your symptoms.
When you had your initial episode of vertigo ten years ago, do you remember anything about it? Like how long it lasted? And has your hearing remained normal?
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:27 AM on November 25, 2015
Last I checked, antibiotics -- aka something that actually kills infection -- consistently has side effects, such as diarrhea. I am not talking anything as serious as sepsis. All I am saying is that if you think dietary changes or other alternative treatments will somehow magically get you better with zero downside, think again. Just like with antibiotics, alternative treatments that actually kill infection commonly cause diarrhea and other side effects. People who don't bat an eyelash about prescription drugs having side effects very frequently see side effects from alternative remedies as a dealbreaker.
There is no free lunch. If you think you found a magic bullet solution that will make everything all better without the side effects routinely caused by conventional medicine, you are in for an unpleasant surprise.
posted by Michele in California at 11:00 AM on November 25, 2015
There is no free lunch. If you think you found a magic bullet solution that will make everything all better without the side effects routinely caused by conventional medicine, you are in for an unpleasant surprise.
posted by Michele in California at 11:00 AM on November 25, 2015
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I'm not gonna argue with the premise of your question but I'll point out that people suggest the Candida diet for all kinds of crazy shit and it's good to have a really solid idea of whether it will work for your symptoms, or else you might end up torturing yourself for months with no results. I was pretty sure because I had an immediate strong flare-up from eating Marmite--literally yeast.
posted by clavicle at 6:49 PM on November 24, 2015 [2 favorites]