Oral Thrush Causes

Oral thrush is a medical condition, in which the fungus Candida albicans infects the mouth parts. The most noticeable oral thrush symptoms are white lesions covering the inside of the cheeks, roof of the mouth and tongue. When irritated, these lesions are painful and at times, bleed. If left untreated, these lesions may spread to the gums, tonsils and throat. Other signs of oral thrush include cracking at corners of mouth and loss of taste. Getting an idea on oral thrush causes will help prevent the risk factors, which lead to this painful condition.

Causes of Oral Thrush

Our body contains bacteria and other microorganisms in a balanced manner. Consequently, candida is found in many people, without causing infection symptoms. But, when there is an abnormal change in the body systems, candida population increases significantly, causing infection. Though anyone can get infected with candida fungus in the mouth, oral thrush is more frequent among babies and certain sections of people. Listed below are some of the probable causes of oral thrush:

Sugar Rich Diet: One of the causes of candida infection is consuming diet that is very rich in sugar. It is to be borne in mind that any fungus, including candida requires sugar and moisture for survival. With high sugar intake, candidiasis risk becomes higher. This is also the reason why, diabetic patients with high blood glucose levels have complained of oral thrush and other fungal infections than others.

Wearing Dentures: A good oral hygiene is imperative to avoid fungal or bacterial infections. With an ill-fitted denture, the gums and mouth parts are prone to constant irritation and inflammation. Also, it is very difficult to clean the corners of the teeth and mouth. In short, food and other accumulated particles may retain in the mouth even after brushing and flossing. Both these factors increase the susceptibility to oral thrush.

Underlying Health Problem: As many of us are aware, candidiasis or candida infection mostly occur when an individual has a weakened immune system. In simple terms, people who have an underlying disease are at a higher risk of getting oral thrush than healthy individuals. Thus, patients of diabetes, HIV/AIDS and cancer often get candidiasis in the mouth and other bodily areas.

Too Much of Antibiotics: Administration of antibiotic medications for an extended period increases the risk of developing oral thrush. This is because, long-term antibiotic treatment kills useful bacteria, thus disturbing the balance. Thus, in the absence of defending bacteria and other microbes, candida fungus can infect the mouth and other body parts easily.

Other Oral Thrush Causes: As per medical data, advocating oral or inhaled corticosteroids is another major cause for oral thrush infections. These oral medicines lower the immune response and at the same time, affects the normal flora of the mouth. An expecting mother may transfer candida infections to her newborn baby, which is the leading cause of oral thrush in babies. Other causes of oral thrush include smoking, dry mouth, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and side effects of medicines.

Treatment and Remedies for Oral Thrush

Apart from antifungal treatment and other therapeutic intervention, there are effective remedies and herbs for oral thrush treatment. The most effective way to cure oral thrush is gargling with dilute tree tea oil, grapefruit extract or apple cider vinegar. To mention a few other remedies, consuming garlic, onions, coconut milk, buttermilk and yogurt help in speeding up the treatment of oral thrush symptoms.

At a glance, oral thrush is not a serious health condition in babies and adults. Nevertheless, it may worsen and cause complications among patients, particularly if the infection is not addressed in the early stages. On the safer note, understanding the oral thrush causes and treatment will help people who are at a higher risk of infecting this painful condition.