overview
- Photo with spots of oral thrush on the tongue.
- Oral ThrushOpen popup dialog
- Oral thrush – also called oral thrush (kan-dih-DIE-uh-sis) – is a disease in which the fungus Candida albicans accumulates on the lining of the mouth. Candida is a normal organism in your mouth, but it can sometimes overgrow and cause symptoms.
Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on the tongue or the inside of the cheeks. Sometimes oral thrush can spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums or tonsils, or your throat.
Although oral thrush can affect anyone, it is more likely to occur in babies and older adults due to their decreased immunity. in others with weakened immune systems or certain health conditions; or people taking certain medications. Oral thrush is a minor problem when you are healthy, but when your immune system is weak the symptoms can be more severe and difficult to control.
symptoms
Children and adults
At first, you may not even notice the symptoms of oral thrush. Signs and symptoms can include:
- Creamy white lesions on the tongue, inner cheeks, and sometimes on the roof of the mouth, gums, and tonsils
- Slightly raised lesions with the appearance of cottage cheese
- Redness, stinging, or pain that may be severe enough to cause difficulty eating or swallowing
- Slight bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scratched
- Cracks and redness in the corners of the mouth
- A cotton feeling in the mouth
- Loss of taste
- Redness, irritation and pain under the denture (denture stomatitis)
The reasons
Typically, your immune system protects harmful invading organisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi while maintaining a balance between the “good” and “bad” germs that are normally found in your body. But sometimes these protective mechanisms fail, increasing the number of Candida fungi and allowing oral thrush infection.
The most common type of candida fungus is candida albicans. Various factors, such as a weakened immune system, can increase your risk of oral thrush.
Risk factors
If you experience any of the following problems you may be at increased risk of oral thrush infection:
- Weakened immunity. Oral thrush is more common in infants and older adults due to decreased immunity. Certain diseases and treatments can weaken your immune system, such as: B. Cancer and its treatments, organ transplants and necessary drugs that suppress the immune system, and HIV / AIDS.
- Diabetes. If you have untreated diabetes or the disease is not well controlled, your saliva can contain high amounts of sugar, which can promote the growth of candida.
- Vaginal yeast infections. Yeast infection is caused by the same fungus that causes oral thrush. They can pass the infection on to your baby.
- Medication. Medicines such as prednisone, inhaled corticosteroids, or antibiotics, which disturb the natural balance of microorganisms in your body, can increase your risk of oral thrush.
- Other oral conditions. Wearing dentures, especially dentures, or conditions that cause dry mouth can increase your risk of oral thrush.
prevention
These steps can help reduce your risk of getting candida infection:
- Rinse out your mouth. If you need to use a corticosteroid inhaler, be sure to rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after taking your medicine.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day and flow daily or as often as your dentist recommends.
- Check your dentures. Remove your denture at night. Make sure the dentures are properly seated and not causing irritation. Clean your denture every day. Ask your dentist how best to clean your denture type.
- Visit your dentist regularly, especially if you have diabetes or wear dentures. Ask your dentist how often you need to be seen.
- Watch what you eat Try to limit the amount of foods that contain sugar that you eat. These can encourage the growth of candida.
- Maintain good blood sugar control if you have diabetes. Well-controlled blood sugar can reduce the amount of sugar in your saliva.