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What is Oral Thrush?

Oral Thrush is a yeast infection that Candida Fungus causes. Anyone can get Oral Thrush, but it commonly occurs in toddlers, older adults, and people who have weak immune systems. It is also known as oral candidiasis, and it’s a minor infection that can be treated easily when you are healthy [1, 2].

What are the symptoms of Oral Thrush?

Oral Thrush usually never shows any symptoms in the early stages. However, things take a turn when the infection starts spreading in the body, making the patient feel uneasy since it shows multiple symptoms. These symptoms include:

• Creamy white and yellowish patches or bumps on your tongue, mouth, inner cheeks, or throat.

• Loss of taste. A person may temporarily lose his ability to taste food if they get Oral Thrush.

• Severe Pain, Burning, or Soreness during food intake. If you have Oral Thrush, there are chances that you may have problems while eating food.

• A cotton-like feeling on your mouth.

• Dry and cracked skin in the corners of your mouth.

In some cases, Oral Thrush may also spread in your esophagus, causing more severe symptoms like the feeling of your food stuck in your chest or Fever. While it’s pretty uncommon, one should take proper care when one starts feeling these symptoms [3-5].

How does one diagnose Oral Thrush?

One needs to visit a professional doctor since diagnosing Oral Thrush at the comfort of your home isn’t possible. Your doctor will tell you if you have developed thrush by looking at your mouth’s white or yellowish bumps.

In some cases, your doctor may ask you to take a blood test to identify the medical condition that caused Oral Thrusts in your body. In addition to this, your doctor may also take the help of endoscopy if he suspects that you have Oral Thrush in your esophagus.

What Causes Oral Thrush?

Having Candidiasis in the mouth is uncommon for healthy adults having a proper immune system [5-7]. Yet there are several risk factors and illnesses that can cause Oral Thrush in adults, and they are listed below:

• Antibiotics and Other Medications: Oral Thrush is caused when fungus goes out of control. Sometimes, the side effects of taking antibiotics or any other medications can do this, which causes Oral Thrush.

• Weakened Immune System: A weakened immune system increases the chances of developing Oral Thrush in grown adults.

• Stress and Medical Conditions: When a person is stressed, he is more likely to get Oral Thrush. In addition to this, Oral Thrush often develops in people going through medical conditions like Diabetes, HIV, and Cancer.

• Dentures: This might be surprising for a few people; however, people who wear dentures are more likely to develop Oral Thrush. It usually happens if a person fails to take the proper care of their dentures and does not take them off while they sleep.

• Smoking: Along with lung problems and several other diseases, smoking is also known to cause Oral Thrush, and hence it is recommended that you stop smoking as soon as possible.

• Dry Mouth: Having a dry mouth or having less saliva in your mouth makes you more prone to developing Oral Thrush.

Is Oral Thrush contagious?

The answer to this question differs from person to person. If you are someone with a weak immune system, you can quickly develop Oral Thrush, which might be contagious for you.

On the other hand, healthy people who aren’t dealing with diseases such as HIV, Diabetes, and Cancer and have a perfectly fit immune system are unlikely to get Oral Thrush from someone else.

However, suppose you come in contact with someone’s saliva who is already dealing with Oral Thrush. In that case, we’d recommend you wash your hands properly before you indulge in any other activities [8].

What measures can be taken to prevent Oral Thrush?

Having a robust immune system is the most important thing that enables you to prevent oral thrush. In addition to this, you can follow these tips to avoid Oral Thrush:

• Use Dental Floss and start brushing your teeth regularly

• Make sure you get regular dental checkups if you wear dentures

• Avoid foods that encourage Candida growth

• Quit Smoking

Lastly, if you are going through orthodontic treatment, make sure to clean your teeth properly. If you are someone using Invisalign aligners, you need to clean your Invisalign correctly before use to prevent yeast infection from developing within the aligners [5,9].

How to Treat Oral Thrush?

• Oral Tablets

Doctors usually prescribe Antifungal medications when someone has Oral Thrush. One has to take these tablets for 10 to 14 days to recover from an Oral Thrush completely. Patients can also choose to go for syrups when Oral Thrush is caused in a baby.

• Oral Gel

Oral Gels have also been beneficial to fix Oral Thrush, and many people prefer to use them along with their medicines. It is recommended to use a sugar-free oral gel to prevent the risk of tooth cavities [10].

• Mouthwash

If your doctor recommends you a Mouthwash, then using it daily can help you fix the problems that come with Oral Thrush.

What are the Home Remedies for Oral Thrush?

While it’s recommended to consult a doctor while you are dealing with Oral Thrush, a person can follow some home remedies to avoid recurring Thrush and fix up his current problems [11,12]. For more information, have a look at the Home Remedies mentioned below:

• Be sure to clean and disinfect your dentures by following the process recommended by your dentist.

• Use saltwater, baking soda, and yogurt when you notice signs of Oral Thrush. Start consuming them regularly for 10 to 15 days to make you feel better.

• Women who are breastfeeding should keep breast pump parts clean.

Oral Thrush & Breastfeeding

Since toddlers can catch Oral Thrush easily, breastfeeding can be a significant problem for all moms. If mothers develop a thrush infection around their breasts or nipples, it can get transferred to their child quickly, and the treatment for toddlers could be risky.

Oral Thrush & Diet

While you have Oral Thrush, it is recommended to change what you eat [13]. Have a look at the food mentioned below that you should intake when going through an Oral Thrush:

Protein: One should increase the consumption of Chicken, Egg, Meat, and Protein while dealing with Oral Thrush.

Dairy Products and Low Sugar Fruits: Consuming Dairy Products like Butter and Ghee and low sugar fruits like Lemon and Berries can help you deal with Oral Thrush.

Lastly, the intake of probiotic supplements may also help you to deal with Oral Thrush.

I wish to extend my special thanks to my team at Brite Orthodontics, NY for their help in researching and developing the manuscript.

I declare to have no conflict of interest.

1. Brunilda Nazario (2020)
2. Anna Giorgi (2019)
3. Mayo Clinic Staff (2021)
4. Tim Newman, Adam Rowden (2021)
5. , (2008).
6. Zhang LW, Fu JY, Hua H, Yan ZM (2016) Oral Dis 22(3): 185-195.

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7. Alhamadi W, Al-Saigh RJ, Al-Dabagh NN, Al-Humadi HW (2017) Biomed Res Int 2017: 1802875.

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9. Satish P (2021)
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11. Dan Brennan (2020)
12. Satish P (2021) .
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