Oral thrush is an infection that can affect almost any part of your mouth and throat. It’s caused by a type of fungus called Candida, which is normally present on the skin and inside the mouth. However sometimes the fungus can grow out of control leading to an infection inside the mouth.
Some people are more likely than others to get oral thrush. This is usually because they have another health problem that makes thrush more likely, or because they are taking medicines that weaken their immune system.
Your immune system helps your body fight off infections. When it's weakened, types of fungus that usually live in your body without causing any problems can grow out of control.
People who are more likely to get oral thrush include:
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People whose immune systems are weakened by medical treatments, such as anti-cancer (chemotherapy) drugs, steroids (their full name is corticosteroids), or radiotherapy
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People whose immune systems are weakened by other conditions, such as AIDS and leukaemia
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People with diabetes. If you've got diabetes, you have too much sugar in your blood. Thrush grows best in a high-sugar environment, which can happen if sugar levels in your blood and saliva are high. Oral thrush can be caused by both type 1 and type 2 diabetes
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People with asthma who take corticosteroids through an inhaler
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Those with a severe, long-term dry mouth. Thrush grows more easily in a mouth where there isn't much saliva. You can get a dry mouth when you take certain drug treatments, and after radiotherapy or surgery on your neck or head.
Babies are also more likely to get oral thrush because their immune systems aren’t fully developed.
Oral thrush is also more common in people who:
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Smoke
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Wear badly fitting dentures or have poor oral hygiene
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Have recently taken antibiotics (antibiotics can kill friendly bacteria as well as harmful bacteria, and this can allow thrush to grow)
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Are malnourished.
Symptoms
✅Oral thrush usually appears as white patches in your mouth.
✅Your mouth may feel sore and you may get a burning feeling on your tongue.
✅If you've got thrush in your throat, you may not be able to speak or eat properly. This can make you feel very unwell. Some people find that things taste different when they have oral thrush or that some foods are painful to swallow
Treatment
Mild to moderate symptoms of oral thrush are usually treated with antifungal medication. If your symptoms present as oral thrush we maybe able to prescribe medication to help clear the infection, following a consultation with our clinician.