Thrush – The Facts Including Treatment And Prevention

The fungus Candida Albicans is a microorganism, one of many in fact, that lives on our bodies and it is the overgrowth of that fungus that leads to yeast infections. Like all fungi it prefers moist, dark and warm environments – so yeast infections tend to develop in such places on the body like the genitals, anus, folds of skin, and the mouth. You may find that an oral yeast infection is referred to as Thrush.

How Thrush happens: Candida lives on all of us in small numbers harmlessly. Amongst the many other microorganisms living on us we also have healthy or good bacteria. These keep the fungus at low numbers and therefore help us to avoid yeast infections. If the numbers of healthy bacteria go down for whatever reason, the number of fungus will go up and this overgrowth generates a yeast infection. There are a number of reasons the body can become out of balance such as taking of corticosteroids, using antibiotics over a long period of time, being diabetic, poor diet, certain illnesses particularly those that weaken the immune system, treatment for cancer and hormonal times such as pregnancy for women.

What Thrush looks like: It is quite recognizable when you have Thrush. White spots appear on the inside of the mouth, cheeks, tongue and possibly going back down the throat. When touched, they hurt and if scraped the area may bleed and lesions may appear. If it has spread back and to the esophagus then it may be hard to swallow and consume anything, with the feeling of food being lodged at the back all the time.

Prevention: Brush your teeth at least twice a day and maintain good oral hygiene. Avoid mouthwashes and sprays as they upset the balance in the mouth. Smoking should be stopped as smokers have a much higher risk of getting Thrush.

Treatments: Yogurt is great for soothing the symptoms. Use the live bacteria kind and it will top up the good bacteria in your mouth to help fight the fungus. However you also need to deal with the root of the infection – find out what caused it in the first place and make lifestyle changes. There are over the counter treatments that can be tried, and if these do not work, visit your doctor for something stronger.

For more info on how to deal with candida, check out our candida symptoms and cure website, where you can find plenty of information on the subject. Today’s special: yogurt yeast infection cure