Thrush

Overview Of Thrush

Thrush is a yeast infection of the tongue and lining of the mouth.

Commonly Associated With

Candidiasis – oral; Oral thrush; Fungal infection – mouth; Candida – oral

Causes Of Thrush

Certain germs normally live in our bodies. These include bacteria and fungi. While most germs are harmless, some can cause infection under certain conditions.

Thrush occurs in children and adults when conditions permit too much growth of a fungus called candida in your mouth. A small amount of this fungus normally lives in your mouth. It is most often kept in check by your immune system and other germs that also live in your mouth.

When your immune system is weak or when normal bacteria die, too much of the fungus can grow.

You are more likely to get thrush if you have one of the following:

• You are in poor health.
• You are very old. Young babies are also more likely to develop thrush.
• You have HIV or AIDS.
• You are receiving chemotherapy or drugs that weaken the immune system.
• You are taking steroid medicine, including some inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• You have diabetes mellitus and your blood sugar is high. When your blood sugar is high, some of the extra sugar is found in your saliva and acts as food for candida.
• You take antibiotics. Antibiotics kill some of the healthy bacteria that keep candida from growing too much.
• Your dentures do not fit well.
• Candida can also cause yeast infections in the vagina.
• Thrush in newborns is somewhat common and easy to treat.

Symptoms Of Thrush

Symptoms of this condition include:

• White, velvety sores in the mouth and on the tongue
• Some bleeding when you brush your teeth or scrape the sores
• Pain when swallowing

Exams & Tests

Your health care provider or dentist can usually diagnose thrush by looking at your mouth and tongue. The sores are easy to recognize.

To confirm you have thrush, your provider may:

• Take a sample of a mouth sore by gently scraping it.
• Examine mouth scrapings under a microscope.

In severe cases, the fungus can grow in your esophagus as well. The esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. If this occurs, your provider may:

• Take a throat culture to see what germs are causing your thrush.
• Examine your esophagus and stomach with a flexible, lighted scope with a camera on the end.

Treatment Of Thrush

If you get mild thrush after taking antibiotics, eat yogurt or take over-the-counter acidophilus pills. This may help restore a healthy balance of germs in your mouth.

For a more severe case of thrush, your provider may prescribe:

• Antifungal mouthwash (nystatin).
• Lozenges (clotrimazole).
• Antifungal medicines taken as a pill or syrup, these medicines include fluconazole (Diflucan) or itraconazole (Sporanox).