Oral Thrush – Causes, Symptoms and Prevention tips

Oral thrush is a condition which is caused by fungus accumulation in the mouth. Whilst it is common and pretty harmless in most cases, it is not to be taken lightly. For people with a not so strong immune system, oral thrush can definitely cause symptoms that might be categorized as serious.

It is usually recognizable by a white rash in the mouth. Especially common amongst kids and toddlers, the infection can also manifest in other ways such as diaper rash in infants.

Causes of oral thrush

Prevention of a disease is always better than after care. The major risk factors for the onset of oral thrush are:

• Presence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus. (HIV)
• Cancer increases the risk factor for occurence of oral thrush. It is understood that chemotherapy or radiotherapy causes the increase in the risk of occurrence.
• Folks with high blood sugar. (enhanced diabetes)
• People taking steroids.
• People who frequently indulge in smoking.
• Dry mouth.
• Poor dental hygiene.
• High dose of antibiotics over a long period of time.

Symptoms of oral thrush

Here is how to detect oral thrush if you suspect you have one:

• Lesions present in the surface of the mouth.
• You have pain when swallowing food particles.
• Feeling of a lump that is present in the mouth.
• Fever.
• Loss of taste in your tongue.
• Occasional bleeding present in mouth due to the presence of patches.

If you are suffering from one or more of these symptoms, you ought to consult a dentist who might be able to advise you on the next steps when it comes to combating oral thrush.

Prevention of oral thrush:

After your dentist takes a look at the oral thrush, he/she may either take a sample of your throat culture (via a swab) or undertake an endoscopy to understand more about the symptoms if he/she is unable to identify the details accurately.

The dentist would then prescribe antifungal medicines which can be either in the form of a tablet/liquid gels that you can apply in the affected region. The medication ought to be usually used for a period of 1-2 weeks.

Prevention

Here is how to reduce the risk of contracting oral thrush:

• Get frequent oral health checkups.
• Brush after every meal/at least twice a day to prevent accumulation of plaque.
• Avoid smoking if you have a high risk of contracting oral thrush or have already contracted it once.
• Control your intake of sugar if you have diabetes.
• Remove your dentures before sleep if you are wearing one.
• Limit foods rich in carbs and sugar.