Hello.
I am a 19 year old male. About 5 months ago, I had painful white patches in my throat, which turned out to be diagnosed as a yeast infection, or Candida. After taking three medicines prescribed by my ears, nose, and throat doctor, most of it cleared up. But I also refuse to go back to him because it is becoming costly. Now, sometimes the yeast comes back, not as white patches, but as redness and rawness throughout my throat. My mouth is also very dry when they come back. I smoke about half a pack a day, and drink alcohol on the weekends. But other than that, my diet has virtually eliminated all processed sugars, and have been eating very well. I'm not on any particular diet, and yeast sometimes is part of my diet. I have been taking acidopholis for a month or so, but it does not completely eliminate it. And very recently, I can feel a strange, but slight pain in my ear. The ear is on the left side of my head, which is the side where most of the redness appears in my throat. I have been going insane with it, thinking it's a tumor, or that I have cancer, but refuse to read into it any futher, and hope that it goes away. I'm sorta stuck and wanted to know if anyone had any ideas or opinions on the matter.

Much thanks,

Laymon