Oral thrush — also called oral candidiasis (kan-dih-DIE-uh-sis) — is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans accumulates on the lining of your mouth. Candida is a normal organism in your mouth, but sometimes it can overgrow and cause symptoms.
Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on your tongue or inner cheeks. Sometimes oral thrush may spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums or tonsils, or the back of your throat.
Although oral thrush can affect anyone, it's more likely to occur in babies, the elderly, and in people with suppressed immune systems or certain health conditions, or those who take certain medications. Oral thrush is a minor problem if you're healthy, but if you have a weakened immune system, symptoms of oral thrush may be more severe and difficult to control.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Initially, you may not even notice symptoms of oral thrush. Depending on the underlying cause, signs and symptoms may develop slowly or suddenly, and they may persist for days, weeks or months. Signs and symptoms may include:
In severe cases, the lesions may spread downward into your esophagus — the long, muscular tube stretching from the back of your mouth to your stomach (Candida esophagitis). If this occurs, you may experience difficulty swallowing or feel as if food is getting stuck in your throat.
In addition to the distinctive white mouth lesions, infants may have trouble feeding or be fussy and irritable. They can pass the infection to their mothers during breast-feeding. The infection may then pass back and forth between the mother's breasts and the baby's mouth.
Women whose breasts are infected with candida may experience these signs and symptoms:
If you or your child develops painful white lesions inside the mouth, see your doctor or dentist. If thrush develops in older children or teenagers, seek medical care. An underlying medical condition or certain treatments may be the cause.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Normally, your immune system works to repel harmful invading organisms, such as viruses, bacteria and fungi, while maintaining a balance between "good" and "bad" microbes that normally inhabit your body. But sometimes these protective mechanisms fail, increasing the number of candida fungi and allowing an oral thrush infection to take hold.
Oral thrush and other candida infections can occur when your immune system is weakened by disease or by drugs such as prednisone, or when antibiotics disturb the natural balance of microorganisms in your body.
These diseases and conditions may make you more susceptible to oral thrush infection:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Oral thrush can usually be diagnosed simply by looking at the lesions, but sometimes a small sample is examined under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.
In older children or teens who have no identified risk factors, an underlying medical condition may be the cause of oral thrush. If your doctor suspects that's the case, he or she will likely perform a physical exam and recommend certain blood tests to help find the source of the problem.
Thrush that extends into the esophagus can be serious. To help diagnose this condition, your doctor may ask you to have one or both of these tests:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Oral thrush is seldom a problem for healthy children and adults, although the infection may return even after it's been treated. For people with lowered immunity, such as from HIV or cancer, however, thrush can be more serious. Untreated oral thrush can lead to more-serious systemic candida infections.
If you have a suppressed immune system:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
These measures may help reduce your risk of developing candida infections:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
These suggestions may help during an outbreak of oral thrush:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Anyone can develop oral thrush, but the infection is more common in certain people. Risk factors include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
We respect your privacy and aim for the best website experience in compliance with local laws. Allowing cookies enables a tailored experience, while disabling them may reduce personalization. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.