Remedies For Oral Thrush
November 28, 2009
Oral thrush, also known as oral candidiasis, is a painful fungal infection of the mouth. White lesions develop inside the mouth, in the inner cheeks and tongue. Sometimes these lesions might develop on the roof of the mouth, gum, back of throat and tonsils.
Oral thrush causes
Overgrowth of the fungus Candida albicans causes oral thrush. Several factors that weaken the immune system usually increase the risk of oral fungal infection. Oral thrush can affect any individual irrespective of age. Infants are often vulnerable to this condition. Candida albicans, which causes oral thrush, is also responsible for vaginal yeast infection. It has been observed that if a woman suffers from vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy, during delivery she might pass the infection causing fungi to the child.
Consequently, the newborn would develop oral thrush. Wearing dentures could make a person susceptible to oral thrush. People suffering from diabetes and anemia might suffer from this oral fungal infection. Dry mouth, smoking, prolonged intake of antibiotics and corticosteroid medications and chemotherapy could cause fungal growth in the mouth.
Oral thrush symptoms
People suffering from oral thrush have white creamy lesions in the mouth. The lesions are painful and they mildly bleed when rubbed. The corner of the mouth might crack. You might experience a cottony sensation in the mouth and loss of taste. If the lesions spread to the back of the throat and tonsils, you might have difficulty in swallowing.
Oral thrush remedies
Usually doctors prescribe antifungal medications for treating oral thrush. You can prevent oral fungal infection and treat oral thrush by consuming fresh unsweetened yogurt. Intake of yogurt helps to arrest fungal overgrowth. For a healthy individual, oral thrush could be prevented with routine oral care. Rinsing your mouth with warm saline water helps to heal the infection. Oral thrush is an extremely painful condition for infants.
To prevent oral thrush in infants, pregnant women should treat vaginal yeast infection that might develop during pregnancy. If you are wearing dentures, remember to clean your dentures regularly. Folk healers recommend goldenseal for treating oral thrush. Garlic is a natural antifungal herb. Consuming two to three cloves of garlic daily could help to cure the infection.
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