9 Home Remedies for Thrush

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

• Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
• Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
• Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Oral thrush is treated with antifungal medication, but you can also ease uncomfortable symptoms with home remedies such as salt water, yogurt, clove oil, apple cider vinegar, and more.

Oral thrush, also called oral candidiasis, is a yeast infection of the mouth. It happens when there’s a buildup of the Candida albicans fungus in the lining of the mouth.

Oral thrush may occur in adults or children.

If you have oral thrush, you’ll need antifungal medication to clear the yeast. However, you may be able to help manage bothersome symptoms with home remedies, too.

Read on to learn how you can help treat the symptoms of this condition at home.

It’s important to treat oral thrush as soon as possible to contain the infection. Doctors often prescribe antifungal medications in the form of mouthwashes, pills, or lozenges.

Mild cases of oral thrush may go away on their own.

The following home remedies, used in addition to antifungal medications, may help relieve symptoms of the infection.

1. Salt water

Salt has antiseptic, cleansing, and soothing properties. This makes it a common home remedy for many oral problems.

Rinsing your mouth with salt water could help relieve symptoms of oral thrush.

To use:

1. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt in 1 cup warm water.
2. Swish the solution throughout your mouth.
3. Spit out the salt solution.

2. Baking soda

Rinsing your mouth with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) may help treat oral thrush.

In a 2009 study, researchers looked at the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate as a disinfectant of Candida albicans adhered to acrylic resin. The test was meant to simulate the daily disinfecting of dentures.

Researchers concluded that, although not the most effective form of disinfectant, baking soda was a “viable alternative.”

To use:

1. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in 1 cup warm water.
2. Swish the rinse throughout your mouth.
3. Spit out the rinse.

3. Yogurt

Probiotic yogurt contains live, “good” bacteria cultures that may help treat oral thrush.

The cultures don’t kill Candida. Instead, they stop its growth. They may also help restore the proper balance of good to bad bacteria in the mouth.

Since it’s soft, yogurt is also a great food to eat if you’re having trouble swallowing due to painful mouth and throat lesions.

To use:

1. Eat yogurt a couple times daily at the first sign of oral thrush.
2. Choose unsweetened varieties of yogurt since Candida thrives on sugar.
3. If you don’t like yogurt, you can get the same benefits by taking a daily probiotic supplement.

4. Lemon juice

Lemon juice is thought to have antiseptic and antifungal abilities that help it fight against the fungus that causes thrush.

According to a small 2009 study, lemon juice was found to be a more effective treatment for oral thrush than gentian violet among people with HIV. (Gentian violet is another home remedy for oral thrush, but recent evidence shows it may cause cancer. ) Since the study was small, more research is needed.

To use:

1. Add the juice of half a lemon to 1 cup warm or cool water.
2. Drink the mixture, or use as a mouth rinse.

Some people apply lemon juice directly to thrush lesions, but the lemon’s acidity may cause burning and irritation.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric gets its vibrant yellow color from curcumin. Curcumin is a powerful compound thought to have anti-inflammatory abilities.

According to a 2010 study on mice, curcumin may treat oral thrush. The study found curcumin to be an antifungal against both albicans and non-albicans species of Candida, especially when combined with piperine.

Piperine is a compound found in black pepper that helps the body absorb turmeric. Further research is needed on humans.

To use:

1. Make “golden milk” by combining 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon turmeric paste (store-bought or homemade) with a dash of black pepper and 1 cup filtered water or milk of your choice.
2. Heat in a saucepan until warm.
3. Swish the mixture throughout your mouth as you drink it.

6. Clove oil

People have used clove oil as a folk remedy for oral problems for centuries. It’s still used in dentistry today as an antiseptic and pain reliever.

According to a 2005 in vivo and in vitro study on immunosuppressed rats, the main compound in clove oil (eugenol) was found to be as effective in treating oral thrush as the antifungal drug nystatin (Mycostatin).

Further research on humans is still needed, but it may work as a beneficial addition to treatment.

To use:

Take clove oil as a dietary supplement as directed by the manufacturer or your doctor. You can also make a clove mouth rinse:

1. Steep 1 teaspoon whole ground cloves in 1 cup boiling water for at least 5 minutes.
2. Strain the solution, keeping the liquid.
3. Swish the liquid around your mouth.
4. Spit out the solution.

Cloves may cause an allergic reaction or a numbing effect in the mouth in some people.

Buy clove oil here.

7. Oregano oil

Oregano oil is used to flavor foods, but it also has antimicrobial and antifungal abilities.

According to older research from 2001 conducted on mice and in vitro, oregano oil was effective against Candida albicans. Further research is needed.

To use:

1. Combine 2 drops oregano oil with 1 cup water.
2. Swish the mixture throughout your mouth.
3. Spit out the solution.

Never use undiluted oregano oil orally or topically.

Buy oregano oil here.

8. Apple cider vinegar

People with dentures have a higher risk of oral thrush. Dentures that don’t fit properly or that aren’t cleaned well provide the ideal environment for Candida to thrive. This may cause a condition similar to thrush called denture stomatitis.

According to a 2015 in vitro study, apple cider vinegar has antifungal properties against Candida and may be a good alternative treatment option for people with denture stomatitis.

To use:

1. Add 1 teaspoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to 1 cup water.
2. Swish the rinse throughout your mouth for at least 15 seconds.
3. Spit out the mixture.

Some natural health professionals recommend rinsing with undiluted apple cider vinegar, but this may cause a painful burning sensation in your mouth.

Buy apple cider vinegar here.

9. Vitamin C

Vitamin C (also called ascorbic acid) is necessary for proper immune system function. It does this by encouraging white blood cell production, which helps protect your body against infection.

It also helps these cells function more effectively and protects them against harmful molecules.

A healthy immune system helps bring balance back to your body. Increasing your intake of vitamin C if you’re deficient may help boost your body’s ability to beat the infection.

Oral thrush almost always causes symptoms, although they range in severity and duration.

Common symptoms are:

• raised white lesions that resemble cottage cheese on the tongue, inner cheeks, gums, the roof of the mouth, and tonsils
• mouth redness or soreness
• mouth bleeding
• loss of taste
• feeling like your mouth is full of cotton
• difficulty eating and swallowing if lesions spread to your throat or esophagus

For most people, oral thrush isn’t a serious problem. If your immune system is compromised, however, it may spread and become a systemic infection.

Contact your doctor right away at the first signs of oral thrush if you have a compromised immune system.

Other conditions mimic oral thrush, such as oral hairy leukoplakia and lichen planus. See your doctor for a proper diagnosis before self-treating.

Since most home remedies have been researched on animals, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor before trying them.

Breastfed babies with oral thrush may transmit the infection to their mother’s breasts. If you’re breastfeeding and develop redness around your nipples or pain, see your doctor.

Many home remedies aren’t appropriate for infants and children. Talk with your pediatrician before using.

Home remedies for oral thrush may help relieve symptoms, but they won’t cure the yeast infection.

Home remedies are meant to support, not replace, antifungal medications that treat oral thrush. You may still need an antifungal to get rid of the Candida fungus entirely.

Once you’ve eliminated oral thrush, you can reduce your risk of getting it again by brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily. Replace your toothbrush to prevent reinfection.

To help prevent Candida yeast from taking up residence in your mouth or other areas of your body, follow these tips:

• Rinse your mouth after meals and each time you use a corticosteroid inhaler.
• Keep your dentures clean, and remove them every night.
• Treat dry mouth.
• If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to manage your blood sugar.
• If you’re pregnant, treat vaginal yeast infections promptly.
• If you smoke, consider quitting. Visit Smokefree.gov to create a quit plan that will work for you.

Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Prevention

Thrush is a yeast (fungus) infection that commonly occurs in the mouths of babies and toddlers. It’s rarely serious but can pass between babies and nursing parents.

It’s typical for a small amount of fungus to live in your mouth. But in some cases, the fungus may rapidly multiply and lead to a yeast infection.

Oral thrush happens when this type of yeast infection develops inside your mouth. It’s also known as oral candidiasis, oropharyngeal candidiasis, or simply thrush.

Oral thrush is more common in babies and older adults, who tend to have weaker immune systems. But it can occur at any age.

Read on to learn about oral thrush, what it can look like, who it affects, what causes it, and how it’s treated.

In its early stages, oral thrush may not cause any symptoms. But as the infection gets worse, one or more of the following symptoms may develop:

• white or yellow spots on your inner cheeks, tongue, tonsils, gums, or lips
• slight bleeding if the spots are scraped
• soreness or burning in your mouth
• a cotton-like sensation in your mouth
• dry, cracked skin at the corners of your mouth
• difficulty swallowing
• a bad taste in your mouth
• a loss of taste
• redness, irritation, and pain under dentures (denture stomatitis)

In some cases, oral thrush can affect your esophagus, though this is uncommon. The same fungus that causes oral thrush can also cause yeast infections in other parts of your body.

Learn more about the symptoms of oral thrush.

What are the symptoms of oral thrush in babies?

Oral thrush most often affects infants and toddlers. About 65% of infants have Candida albicans (C. albicans). fungus in their mouths. About 5-7% of babies under one month old will develop the infection.

Babies can contract the fungus from their birthing parent during pregnancy, delivery, or nursing or just from yeast that is naturally present in their environment.

If your baby has oral thrush, it may develop the same signs and symptoms that can affect adults with the condition. It may also cause difficulty feeding and irritability or fussiness.

Read more about thrush in babies, as well as thrush and breastfeeding or chestfeeding.

Oral thrush and other yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of C. albicans. It exists naturally in the microbiomes of 50% of the population.

It’s typical for a small amount of C. albicans to live in your mouth without causing harm. When your immune system is working properly, beneficial bacteria in your body help keep C. albicans under control.

But if your immune system is compromised or the balance of microorganisms in your body is disrupted, the fungus can grow out of control.

Oral thrush is the most common opportunistic infection in people living with HIV. It can also develop with other conditions or medications that weaken your immune system, such as:

• cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• cancer like leukemia
• uncontrolled diabetes

Other risk factors include:

• being a baby or older adult
• having a condition that causes dry mouth
• taking corticosteroids, or immunosuppressant drugs
• smoking
• wearing dentures
• taking antibiotics

If your immune system is weakened, you’re more likely to develop complications from thrush.

Without proper treatment, the fungus that causes thrush may enter your bloodstream and spread to your heart, brain, eyes, or other body parts. This is known as invasive or systemic candidiasis.

Systemic candidiasis can cause problems in the organs it affects. It can also cause a potentially life threatening condition known as septic shock.

To treat oral thrush, your doctor may prescribe medications. These include:

• fluconazole (Diflucan)
• generic nystatin
• itraconazole (Sporanox)
• amphotericin B (AmBisome, Fungizone)

Learn more about antifungal medications.

Once you begin treatment, oral thrush usually goes away within a couple of weeks. But in some cases, it can return.

For adults who have recurring cases of oral thrush with no known cause, their healthcare professional will evaluate them for underlying medical conditions that might be contributing to thrush.

Infants may have several episodes of oral thrush in their first year of life.

In addition, your doctor may also recommend some home remedies for oral thrush.

Treatment for babies and nursing parents

If your baby develops oral thrush or you develop a breast or nipple yeast infection, your healthcare professional may advise you to do the following:

• Treat your baby with antifungal medications and apply an antifungal cream to your breasts. Make sure to wipe the cream off your breasts before nursing.
• Sterilize your baby’s pacifiers, teething rings, bottle nipples, breast pump pieces, and any other items they put in their mouth.
• Keep your nipples clean and dry between feedings. If you use nursing pads, avoid those that have a plastic liner, which may trap moisture and create favorable conditions for fungus to grow.

Your doctor may be able to diagnose oral thrush simply by taking a history of your symptoms and examining your mouth for the characteristic lesions that it causes.

They may do a biopsy of the affected area to confirm the diagnosis. They may also do a throat swab culture or endoscopy to see if you have a fungal infection in your throat or esophagus.

If you need help finding a primary care doctor, then check out our FindCare tool.

To reduce your risk of oral thrush, try the following:

• Avoid sharing cups and utensils with others.
• Eat a nutritious diet and practice an overall healthy lifestyle to support the functioning of your immune system.
• Practice good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing every day, and visiting your dentist on a regular basis.
• If your mouth is chronically dry, make an appointment with your doctor and follow their recommended treatment plan.
• If you have dentures, remove them before you go to bed, clean them daily, and ensure they fit properly.
• If you have a corticosteroid inhaler, rinse out your mouth or brush your teeth after using it.
• If you have diabetes, take steps to manage your blood sugar levels.

If you develop a yeast infection in another part of your body other than your mouth, get treatment. In some cases, an infection can spread from one part of your body to another.

Get more tips for managing the risk of yeast infection while breastfeeding or chestfeeding.

Is oral thrush contagious?

Transmission of oral thrush can occur via:

• kissing
• contact with yeast infections in other body parts
• vaginal sex, anal sex, or oral sex
• breastfeeding or chestfeeding when you have a breast yeast infection or nipple yeast infection
• breastfeeding or chestfeeding when your baby has oral thrush

Though C. albicans can pass from one person to another, it doesn’t always cause infection. Also, developing an infection may not mean that you contracted it from someone else, as C. albicans is so common in our environment.

Learn more about how you get thrush.

What should I eat with oral thrush?

Some studies suggest that eating certain probiotic foods or taking probiotic supplements might help limit the growth of C. albicans. However, more research is needed in this area.

Some people believe that limiting or avoiding certain foods may also help curb the growth of C. albicans. The “candida diet” has been developed based on these beliefs. However, this diet lacks scientific support.

It’s a good idea to speak with your doctor or your child’s pediatrician before beginning any supplement of making any dietary changes.

Oral thrush is a yeast infection in the mouth. It most often affects babies but can also occur in adults. Fungi normally live in our mouths, but rapid multiplication can cause an infection.

This is more likely to occur in those with weaker immune systems, but anyone can develop it. If you or your baby develop oral thrush, there are home remedies and medical treatments that can help. It’s usually not a serious infection, but in rare cases can lead to a life threatening blood infection.

symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

Contents of the article

1. Symptoms and signs of candidiasis
2. Causes of vaginal candidiasis
3. Routes of transmission of thrush
4. Risk factors for disease
5. Complications after thrush
6. When to see a doctor
7. Preparing for a doctor’s appointment
8. Diagnosis of thrush in women and men
9. Treatment and features
10. Home remedies, myths and misconceptions
11. Prophylaxis
12. How to make an appointment with a gynecologist or urologist

Thrush refers to urogenital diseases of a fungal nature. The second name is candidiasis. The causative agent is a fungus of the genus Candida. They affect the genitourinary system, but do not belong to sexually transmitted infections. Most often diagnosed in women, but men also have cases of infection with these opportunistic pathogens. Their habitat is the vagina, human intestines and skin. Under certain conditions, the fungal microflora begins to multiply and exceed the allowable amount, which leads to a diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with thrush are treated on an outpatient basis.

Symptoms and signs of candidiasis

Not everyone knows what thrush looks like in women at the onset of the disease. It is accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms:

• severe itching in the intimate area;
• swelling of the vaginal mucosa;
• burning sensation during intercourse;
• Sour smell of white or yellowish cheesy discharge.

Signs of fungal candidiasis in men

Appeared thrush in men shows symptoms in the form of painful urination, swelling of the glans penis, redness and white plaque under the foreskin. Unpleasant sensations can intensify after intercourse, which should alert. In a state of calm, thrush in men is less pronounced.

Causes of vaginal candidiasis

The causes of thrush are associated with a decrease in immunity. The list of provoking factors also includes:

• taking oral contraceptives;
• taking antibiotics;
• pregnancy;
• violation of the microflora in the body;
• hygiene products with unsuitable Ph.

Ways of infection with thrush

Thrush during pregnancy appears due to changes in the hormonal background and the composition of the microflora. In other cases, in women, the risk of infection depends on the state of health. Thrush can also appear in men if there was unprotected intercourse with a Candida carrier. The fungal microflora is transmitted if hygiene is not observed (foreign towels, shared bedding). Pools and beaches are often places of infection. There may be signs of thrush after a kiss. Oral contact is a common route of infection because Candida can be found on any mucous membrane of the body.

Risk factors for disease

Risk factors depend on external exposure and health status. The chances of getting a diagnosis increase with frequent stress, hypothermia, the use of condoms, due to recent infectious diseases. Thrush often appears during pregnancy in women, which become a risk factor for men as well.

The list also includes the following items:

• diabetes mellitus;
• HIV infection;
• chemotherapy;
• beriberi;
• dysbacteriosis.

Complications after thrush

At first, thrush symptoms are less pronounced. Especially during menstruation, when the alkaline environment in the vagina changes. Then the thrush eliminates these causes and the regression of recovery begins. Without treatment, the disease will progress, provoking the development of complications:

• extensive reddening of the mucosa in the intimate area;
• sores and fissures;
• frequent relapses of candidiasis;
• infection of internal organs;
• outbreaks of inflammatory processes;
• weakening of the immune system;
• risk of infertility in women and sexual dysfunction in men.

When to see a doctor

If the occurrence of thrush in women or men is recorded, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor. Over-the-counter medications may not work as expected. In addition, before making a diagnosis, you need to take smears for laboratory analysis. According to the clinical picture, it is not always possible to determine the nature of mycosis: bacterial vaginosis, thrush or colpitis. Gynecologists of JSC “Medicina” (clinic of Academician Roitberg) in the center of Moscow are engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. If you haven’t been exposed to Candida before, don’t self-medicate. Especially in the case of illness in children under the age of 12, with regular relapses and with an allergic reaction to ointments, suppositories. Any drugs for thrush are selected according to individual criteria.

Preparing for a doctor’s visit

Thrush in women causes and symptoms are almost the same, so you need to follow the general rules for preparing for the visit. It is recommended to come in the first days after the end of menstruation. Before visiting a gynecologist:

• don’t douche, just take a shower;
• refrain from sexual intercourse 2-3 days before taking;
• Do not take medication 2 weeks before your appointment.

Diagnosis of thrush in women and men

During the diagnosis, the clinical picture is taken into account. This is the patient’s well-being, discharge with thrush and the presence of a number of symptoms. At the appointment at JSC “Medicine” (clinic of Academician Roitberg) near the Mayakovskaya metro station, a gynecologist conducts an examination and takes tests to study the microflora. Thrush has different causes. Truth can only be found by inspection. And for this, men need to contact a urologist. The clinic has the necessary doctors, its own laboratory and equipment that allow you to quickly get the result and make an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment and its features

Thrush in women is treated depending on the tests and the severity of the symptoms. If they are not very pronounced, topical medications will be prescribed: antifungal creams, vaginal suppositories, ointments. After that, preparations are used to restore microflora and probiotics. But chronic thrush requires a more systematic approach and antibiotic therapy. You also need to follow a diet. Sweets, store-bought juices, fatty foods, smoked meats, starchy foods, sweet fruits, pickles, and alcohol should be excluded from nutrition. It is worth knowing about the diet, how to treat thrush in women and maintain the microflora to stop relapses.

Home remedies, myths and misconceptions

Traditional medicine knows how to cure thrush at home. Douching, baths and tampons are used. The traditional way: dilute 1 tsp. soda in 1 liter of water. You need to douche 2 times a day. Decoctions of herbs are also suitable for this method: St. John’s wort, yarrow, chamomile, oak bark, knotweed, sage, juniper. A common myth is that there is no need to buy a cure for thrush. You can quickly and cheaply get by with folk remedies. No, that’s not possible. Treatment with herbs and lotions takes about 2-3 weeks. And not the fact that they will help. Thrush requires treatment without fail. It doesn’t go away on its own.

Prevention

Often, thrush in women appears due to the use of daily sanitary pads and wearing tight synthetic underwear. In order to prevent, it is worth abandoning these habits. Cotton underwear is the best choice. Avoid hypothermia at any time of the year, dress warmly. Do not use scented hygiene products, select the appropriate composition and Ph level. With symptoms of the disease, do not self-medicate, any candles and tablets for thrush should be prescribed by a doctor. Avoid stress and overwork, and do not abuse alcohol and sweets.

How to make an appointment with a gynecologist or urologist

You can make an appointment with the specialist you need online. To select an appointment date, you can also call the 24-hour available phone number +7 (495) 775-73-60. Thrush, although a common disease, requires competent treatment. The clinic operates in the Central District at the address: Moscow, 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskoy pereulok, 10, Mayakovskaya metro station. There are also metro stations nearby: Belorusskaya, Tverskaya, Novoslobodskaya and Chekhovskaya. Convenient location allows you to come to the clinic at any time and visit the consultation. For each person, thrush has individual symptoms and treatment, so make an appointment and diagnosis with experienced specialists at Medicine JSC (clinic of academician Roitberg).

Let’s cope with thrush without medicinal methods

In the press, on television, in outdoor advertising, advertisements of various drugs against an unpleasant fungal disease – thrush quite often appear. However, the expectant or nursing mother is afraid to take medications, although it is “in position” and after childbirth that the thrush attacks the female body especially aggressively. Are there other ways to deal with this disease?

Where do mushrooms come from?

Thrush is a fungal disease caused by the fact that candida fungi begin to multiply actively on the mucous membranes of a person. If a person is completely healthy, the presence of these fungi in the body does not cause concern – the immune system keeps them in check. However, during pregnancy, a heavy burden falls on the body, and the immune response can fail. This may be due to both hormonal processes and the fact that the immune system is weakened by the fight against a viral infection.

Symptoms of thrush are known to many: cheesy discharge, sometimes very abundant, which is often accompanied by itching and burning in the perineum. (It happens that fungi also affect other organs, such as the oral mucosa, and then you have to deal with the symptoms of stomatitis).

In addition to diseases and specific hormonal disorders of pregnant and lactating women, which are difficult to influence without the help of a doctor, the reasons for the increased growth of fungal colonies in the body can be ignorance, our bad habits, and sometimes even simple laziness. The first reason on this list is ill-conceived nutrition. Fungi have a “lip is not a fool” – most of all they love flour and sweets. That is, the features of immunity, metabolism and the functioning of the excretory system of a person who eats unhealthy food work for the fungus.

The second reason is lack of personal hygiene. The fungus loves moisture very much, and we often help it with this. How? Very simple! Beautiful synthetic underwear does not remove sweat from the body, does not allow secretions to dry quickly – and in such a “greenhouse” fungi multiply quickly. Disposable “everyday” pads that we wear, embarrassed by secretions and their smell, also interfere with air circulation and increase humidity. Particularly harmful are the air-tight pads that women use during critical days or with lochia after childbirth. After all, most of the pads that are actively advertised now do not “leave the skin dry and clean” at all, but turn the liquid into a gel and help fungi multiply and multiply.

The third reason is the notorious “chemistry”, all kinds of fragrances, detergents and preservatives. For example, the same pads quite often contain harmful substances with which the manufacturer flavored the pad. No less harmful to a weak mucosa can be panties that are poorly rinsed or washed with an inappropriate powder for you.

The fourth reason is the stagnation of blood in the small pelvis. A sedentary lifestyle, restrictions on sexual life and active movements that pregnancy and childbirth impose on a woman – all this leads to congestion in organs and tissues. And where the blood supply worsens, fungi live better there.

Is thrush dangerous?

Unfortunately, yes. Chronic thrush can conquer more and more expanses of your body and harm many organs, complicate breastfeeding, and the baby can become infected with it, passing through the birth canal.

How to be?

How to be, if it is impossible to put up with thrush, and one does not raise one’s hand to “poison” oneself with potent medicines? It is best to spend energy on the prevention and treatment of thrush in the early stages, in order to prevent a severe form when you can’t think of anything else.

Purchase cotton underwear (preferably white), wash it to get rid of the “chemistry” that inevitably resides in the fabric and wear without pads unless critical days require it. If necessary, change the linen more than once a day, wash it in a machine with a boiling mode and a minimum of detergent – it is best to use special eco-powders and gels or children’s washing powder. In the rinse cycle, run the machine twice. At home, if possible, go without underwear in a skirt or bathrobe, for better air circulation.

Use cellulose pads on critical days. There are cheap domestic ones, there are more expensive imported ones. The main thing is to change them as often as possible. Adjust your nutrition. Minimize “empty” carbohydrates, foods that contain a lot of sugar, yeast, or ferment when cooked (beer, wine, muffins, desserts, etc.). Beware of old cheese, raw mushrooms, chocolate, dried fruits, honey, nut pastes, pickles and marinades, potatoes, soy sauce, vinegar. Reduce milk intake – leave only low-fat sour-milk products.

Drink green tea 3-4 times a day – this can help cleanse the body of excess yeast. There should be more vegetables and fruits on your table. Eat fish, gluten-free grains (brown rice, millet, buckwheat), avoid foods containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, semolina and pasta, oats). Consume dietary supplements that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.

If the desired balance in the body has already been disturbed, you can, after consulting with your doctor, try to help yourself with long-known home remedies. The most famous of these is douching with apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons per liter of water, 2-4 times a day). At night, you can also put “garlic candles” (a clove of garlic is peeled from the upper rough shell, so as not to damage the clove itself, and is placed in the vagina). The effect is noticeable after 3 days. It is also useful to make baths for the perineum: with a decoction of oak bark, calendula, yarrow, rosemary (3 tablespoons of a decoction according to a standard recipe for each liter of water, sit in a warm bath for 15-20 minutes). Take inside bifidobacteria and put tampons with them, as well as treatment of concomitant viral infection.

For breastfeeding mothers

A symptom of thrush in a breastfeeding mother can be severe burning pain on the surface of the nipples or deep inside the breast. Unlike the pain of nipple cracks and mastitis, which gradually subsides while the baby suckles, this pain lasts throughout the feeding, continues immediately after it, and sometimes persists between feedings. Sometimes a sharp, shooting pain radiates from the nipple to the chest, back, or arm. All this is accompanied by increased sensitivity of the nipples, itching. If you are sure that the cause of the pain is not improper attachment or lactostasis, and you do not suffer from eczema, herpes or psoriasis, then it is most likely that you have thrush. Tests will help to confirm the diagnosis.

Warning: You don’t have to stop breastfeeding at all. To treat thrush in a child’s mouth, your doctor may prescribe special antifungal drops.