Oral Thrush - Treatments - Better Medicine

How is oral thrush treated?

Treatment of oral thrush begins with seeking regular medical care throughout your life. Regular medical care allows your health care professional to assess your risks of developing oral thrush and promptly order diagnostic testing for oral thrush and possible underlying conditions, such as diabetes. These measures greatly increase the chances of diagnosing and treating underlying causes of oral thrush in their earliest stages.

Oral thrush treatment includes:

Antiseptic mouthwashes
Diagnosing and treating any underlying diseases such as HIV/AIDS and diabetes. Treating the high blood sugar levels of diabetes may resolve a current infection of oral thrush and is critical to minimizing the risk of developing recurrent infections.
Eating yogurt or taking acidophilus supplements, which can help correct the abnormal balance of microorganisms in the mouth
Medications, including prescription oral antifungal medications such as fluconazole
Warm salt-water mouth rinses

In many cases, oral thrush in infants can disappear within two weeks and may need no treatment other than watching the progress of the mouth lesions. Because oral thrush may be painful and affect feedings, the pediatrician should still be notified if symptoms appear in an infant.

What are the possible complications of oral thrush?

Complications of oral thrush can be serious for people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS or those on chemotherapy or taking steroid medications. In these cases, candidiasis can spread throughout the body, causing yeast infections in vital organs, such as the heart and the brain. This can result in critical, life-threatening complications, such as:

Endocarditis
Meningitis
Nephritis

Seek prompt medical care if you are experiencing symptoms of candidiasis and you have diabetes or HIV/AIDS, are being treating with chemotherapy, or are taking steroid medications.

INTRODUCTION

What is oral thrush?

Oral thrush is an infection of the mouth caused by a fungal microorganism called Candida albicans. Oral thrush is also known as oral candida and a yeast infection of the mouth. Oral thrush is most common in infants and is generally not a serious condition in healthy adults or infants. However, it can be uncomfortable and lead to difficulties with infant feeding if it does not resolv... Read more about oral thrush introduction

SYMPTOMS

What are the symptoms of oral thrush?

The classic symptoms of oral thrush are yellow-white patchy lesions in the mouth, in the throat, and/or on the tongue. The lesions are raised and may appear as white streaks. The patches may become sore, raw and painful enough that it is difficult to eat and swallow.... Read more about oral thrush symptoms

CAUSES

What causes oral thrush?

Oral thrush is an infection caused by a fungal microorganism called Candida albicans. Candida albicans can also cause a yeast or thrush infection in the vagina, resulting in the exposure of an infant’s mouth to the infection during vaginal birth. Candida albicans can also cause an infection in a woman’s nipples, which can then be transmitted to an infant’s mouth during breastfeeding.... Read more about oral thrush causes