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What Leads To Oral Thrush In Adults & Can It Be Cured?

It is a disease of the mouth caused by the abnormal reproduction of Candida fungus present in the mouth. It is a type of opportunistic infection that often occurs when body resistance or immunity is low. If white moss appears in the mouth or if you feel uncomfortable, consult an oral surgery department.(1)

What Leads To Oral Thrush In Adults?

Oral thrush and other yeast infections are caused by C. albicans. If you take medicines that reduce the number of friendly microorganisms in your body, such as antibiotics, you can cause the growth of white Candida to grow and cause thrush.(2)

The cause of oral thrush is the overgrowth of a fungus called Candida albicans. It is caused by poor immunity, insufficient cleaning of the oral cavity such as dentures, and insufficient secretion of saliva. Other causes include antibiotics, antiallergic drugs, immunosuppressants, anticancer drugs, and steroids. If you have a pre-existing illness and are on medication, you should consult your doctor before stopping the medicine due to oral thrush.(3)

Can Oral Thrush Be Cured?

You may use gargles and lacquers with antifungal activity to stop the spread of the disease. At the same time, oral intake of vitamins and lactic acid bacteria may be helpful.

Stop using the drug if a drug such as an antibiotic is suspected to be the cause. Temporary symptoms in newborns and infants are often followed up because of the high likelihood of spontaneous healing. Test and treat underlying causes if the disease is prolonged.

Every primary care physician can treat or diagnose oral thrush. Older children, adolescents, and adults without an obvious reason for the development of thrush (for example, an improper technique using inhaled corticosteroids) should undergo a thorough examination to check for serious underlying illness. (weakened immune system).

Anti-fungal drugs can be oral, topical cream, and mouthwash.

Prevention can be achieved by:

  • It is necessary to brush your teeth regularly and keep your mouth clean
  • If you have dentures, care and clean regularly
  • Moisturizes the mouth
  • In the case of infection of the newborn, monitor whether it is going away spontaneously within 1-2 weeks
  • Drugs that inhibit the synthesis of fungal cell membranes and treat fungal infections such as tinea and candidiasis

Fungal infections such as trichophytosis and candidiasis are diseases caused by a fungal infection, especially when the immunity is reduced. The fungus is covered by a cell membrane and cannot survive without this cell membrane. This drug inhibits fungal cell membrane synthesis and exhibits antifungal activity. (4)

Are There Any Over-The-Counter Medications That Can Cure Oral Thrush?

No oral antifungals are available over-the-counter that can cure oral thrush. In the mail order, medicines for oral Candida imported from overseas may be sold, but it is not recommended because there are many counterfeits. Further, if you use a commercially available antifungal drug that is not exclusively for the mouth, applying it to the mouth may cause unexpected side effects, so do not use the drug on your own.

Oral thrush in adults can also be caused by diseases that significantly reduce immunity, such as HIV infection, severe diabetes, and cancer. Therefore, if you have any suspicious symptoms of oral thrush, you should visit the hospital as soon as possible to receive appropriate examination and treatment.(3)

Prevention And Self-Care

It is important to keep the oral cavity healthy to prevent oral thrush. Those with dentures need to use special detergents and keep them clean. Keep the oral cavity moist to avoid dryness in the oral cavity.

If you have any worrisome symptoms such as whitish tongue or tingling, consult your doctor.

Keeping the mouth clean is the key to reducing the risk of oral thrush. Especially for those with dentures, keep your oral health in mind.(5)

Symptoms Of Oral Thrush

Oral Candida is often “pseudomembrane” in which something like white moss grows in the oral cavity. Since white moss can be removed by wiping, it can be checked by visual inspection. In addition to pseudomembranous, there are also “atrophic” and “erythematous” types, which have the characteristic of burning sensation in the mouth during eating and drinking. Symptoms such as bitterness and discomfort may also appear. Oral thrush can lead to pneumonia if left without treatment.(2)

References:

  1. Vila T, Sultan AS, Montelongo-Jauregui D, Jabra-Rizk MA. Oral Candidiasis: A Disease of Opportunity. Journal of Fungi. 2020;6(1):15.
  2. Taylor M, Raja A. Oral Candidiasis (Thrush). StatPearls [Internet]: StatPearls Publishing; 2019.
  3. Porter S, Mercadante V, Fedele S. Oral manifestations of systemic disease. British dental journal. 2017;223(9):683.
  4. Giardino G, Cirillo E, Gallo V, Pignata C. Oral Thrush and Onychomycosis. Pediatric Immunology: Springer; 2019:371-376.
  5. Jena A, Patnaik S. Stress and Oral Health: A Literature Review. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development. 2019;10(11).

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:May 1, 2020

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