Oral thrush — also called oral candidiasis — 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.
Symptoms
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:
- Creamy white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks, and sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils
- Slightly raised lesions with a cottage cheese-like appearance
- Redness or soreness that may be severe enough to cause difficulty eating or swallowing
- Slight bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scraped
- Cracking and redness at the corners of your mouth (especially in denture wearers)
- A cottony feeling in your mouth
- Loss of taste
When to see a doctor
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.
Causes
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:
- HIV/AIDS. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) — the virus that causes AIDS — damages or destroys cells of your immune system, making you more susceptible to opportunistic infections that your body would normally resist.
- Cancer. If you have cancer, your immune system is likely to be weakened from the disease and from treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.
- Diabetes mellitus. If you have untreated diabetes or the disease isn’t well-controlled, your saliva may contain large amounts of sugar, which encourages the growth of candida.
- Vaginal yeast infections. Vaginal yeast infections are caused by the same fungus that causes oral thrush.
Risk factors
Anyone can develop oral thrush, but the infection is more common in certain people. Risk factors include:
- Being an infant or elderly
- Having a weakened immune system
- Wearing dentures
- Having other health conditions, such as diabetes
- Taking certain medications, such as antibiotics or oral or inhaled corticosteroids
- Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer
- Having conditions that cause dry mouth
Complications
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:
- Thrush is more likely to spread to other parts of your body, such as your digestive tract, lungs, liver and heart valves
- You may have especially severe symptoms in your mouth or esophagus, which can make eating painful and difficult
- The infection can spread to the intestines, making it difficult to receive adequate nutrition
Tests and diagnosis
If thrush is limited to your mouth
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.
If thrush is in your esophagus
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:
- Throat culture.
- Endoscopic exam.
Treatments and drugs
The goal of any oral thrush treatment is to stop the rapid spread of the fungus, but the best approach may depend on your age, your overall health and the cause of the infection.
- Your doctor may recommend antifungal medication. This comes in several forms, including tablets, or a liquid that you swish in your mouth and then swallow.
Lifestyle and home remedies
- Practice good oral hygiene.
- Try warm saltwater rinses
- Use nursing pads.
Prevention
These measures may help reduce your risk of developing candida infections:
- Rinse your mouth. If you have to use a corticosteroid inhaler, be sure to rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after taking your medication.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss daily or as often as your dentist recommends.
- Clean your dentures. Clean your dentures daily. Ask your dentist for the best way to clean your type of dentures.
- See your dentist regularly, especially if you have diabetes or wear dentures. Ask your dentist how often you need to be seen.
- Watch what you eat. Try limiting the amount of sugar- and yeast-containing foods you eat. These may encourage the growth of candida.
- Maintain good blood sugar control if you have diabetes. Well-controlled blood sugar can reduce the amount of sugar in your saliva, discouraging the growth of candida.
- Treat any vaginal yeast infections that develop during pregnancy as soon as possible.