What are the symptoms of oral thrush. How is oral thrush diagnosed. What causes oral thrush to develop. Who is at higher risk for oral thrush. How is oral thrush treated. Can oral thrush be prevented. What is the outlook for people with oral thrush.

Understanding Oral Thrush: A Common Fungal Infection

Oral thrush, also known as oral candidiasis, is a fungal infection that affects the mouth and throat. It’s caused by an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a type of yeast that naturally occurs in small amounts in the human body. While typically harmless, certain conditions can lead to an overgrowth of this fungus, resulting in the characteristic symptoms of thrush.

What does oral thrush look like?

Oral thrush often presents as white, cottage cheese-like patches on various surfaces inside the mouth, including the tongue, inner cheeks, gums, and throat. In some cases, it may appear as red, irritated areas, particularly on tissues covered by dentures or other oral appliances.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Oral Thrush

Identifying oral thrush early can lead to more effective treatment. Common symptoms include:

• White, creamy lesions on the tongue, inner cheeks, gums, or throat
• Redness or soreness in affected areas
• Burning sensation in the mouth
• Changes in taste perception
• Difficulty swallowing (in severe cases)

It’s important to note that some individuals may not experience any symptoms at all, making regular dental check-ups crucial for early detection.

Risk Factors and Causes of Oral Thrush

Understanding the underlying causes of oral thrush can help in prevention and management. Several factors can increase the risk of developing this condition:

Who is most susceptible to oral thrush?

• Newborn babies
• Elderly individuals, especially those wearing dentures
• People with weakened immune systems (e.g., HIV/AIDS patients)
• Individuals undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy
• Organ transplant recipients
• Those with dry mouth conditions
• People taking certain medications (e.g., antibiotics, corticosteroids)

What triggers oral thrush development?

Oral thrush typically occurs when the balance of microorganisms in the mouth is disrupted. This can happen due to:

• Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics
• Corticosteroid use (inhaled or systemic)
• Compromised immune system
• Dry mouth conditions
• Poor oral hygiene
• Ill-fitting dentures
• Smoking

Diagnosing Oral Thrush: What to Expect

Proper diagnosis of oral thrush is essential for effective treatment. Healthcare providers typically follow these steps:

1. Visual examination: A dentist or doctor will inspect the mouth for characteristic white lesions.
2. Medical history review: They’ll inquire about symptoms, medications, and underlying health conditions.
3. Scraping test: A small sample may be taken from the affected area for microscopic examination.
4. Culture test: In some cases, a culture may be grown to confirm the presence of Candida.

Can oral thrush be mistaken for other conditions?

Yes, oral thrush can sometimes be confused with other oral conditions such as leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, or even oral cancer. This is why professional diagnosis is crucial.

Treatment Options for Oral Thrush

The treatment of oral thrush depends on its severity and the underlying causes. Common approaches include:

What medications are used to treat oral thrush?

• Antifungal medications: These may be prescribed in the form of lozenges, tablets, or liquid solutions.
• Topical treatments: Antifungal gels or creams may be applied directly to the affected areas.
• Systemic antifungals: In severe cases or for immunocompromised patients, oral or intravenous antifungal drugs may be necessary.

Are there effective home remedies for oral thrush?

While medical treatment is often necessary, some home remedies may help alleviate symptoms and support recovery:

• Saltwater rinses
• Probiotic yogurt consumption
• Good oral hygiene practices
• Replacing toothbrushes regularly
• Using a soft-bristled toothbrush

It’s important to note that these remedies should complement, not replace, prescribed medical treatments.

Preventing Oral Thrush: Proactive Measures

Prevention is key in managing oral thrush, especially for those at higher risk. Here are some effective preventive strategies:

How can you reduce the risk of developing oral thrush?

• Maintain excellent oral hygiene
• Rinse your mouth after using corticosteroid inhalers
• Control blood sugar levels if you have diabetes
• Quit smoking
• Limit sugar and yeast-containing foods in your diet
• Clean and soak dentures properly
• Treat any underlying medical conditions

Regular dental check-ups can also help catch and address any early signs of oral thrush.

Complications and Long-term Outlook of Oral Thrush

While oral thrush is generally a manageable condition, understanding potential complications and the long-term outlook is important.

Can oral thrush lead to serious complications?

In most healthy individuals, oral thrush is not serious and can be effectively treated. However, in people with weakened immune systems, it can potentially spread to other parts of the body, including the esophagus, lungs, and liver. This systemic candidiasis can be life-threatening if left untreated.

What is the long-term outlook for people with recurrent oral thrush?

For most people, the prognosis is good with proper treatment. However, some individuals may experience recurrent episodes of oral thrush. In these cases, identifying and addressing underlying risk factors is crucial. Long-term management may involve:

• Regular use of antifungal medications
• Dietary modifications
• Lifestyle changes
• Treatment of underlying medical conditions

Working closely with healthcare providers can help develop an effective long-term management plan for recurrent oral thrush.

Special Considerations: Oral Thrush in Infants and the Elderly

Oral thrush can affect people of all ages, but it requires special attention in certain populations, particularly infants and the elderly.

How is oral thrush in infants different from adults?

Infants are more susceptible to oral thrush due to their developing immune systems. In babies, thrush often appears as white patches on the inside of the cheeks, gums, and tongue. It can be passed between mother and infant during breastfeeding. Treatment typically involves gentle antifungal solutions and proper hygiene practices.

What unique challenges does oral thrush present in the elderly?

In older adults, oral thrush is often associated with denture use, dry mouth, and weakened immune systems. It may be more persistent and require longer treatment courses. Special attention to denture hygiene and addressing underlying health issues are crucial in managing thrush in this population.

By understanding the unique aspects of oral thrush in different age groups, caregivers and healthcare providers can offer more targeted and effective care.

Oral Yeast Infections

Symptoms, Causes, Treatments In Infants & Adults

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Causes Thrush?
• Oral Thrush Symptoms
• Oral Thrush Diagnosis
• Oral Thrush Treatments and Home Remedies
• Oral Thrush Prevention
• Oral Thrush Outlook
• More

If you notice a strange white rash inside your mouth, you may have a condition called thrush. It’s also called oral candidiasis. It’s an infection caused by the candida fungus, which is yeast. You can get it in your mouth and other parts of the body. It can cause diaper rash in infants or vaginal yeast infections in women.

Anyone can get thrush, but it happens most often to babies and toddlers, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

Small amounts of the candida fungus are in your mouth, digestive tract, and skin. It’s supposed to be there, and it’s usually kept under control by the other bacteria in your body. But sometimes, certain illnesses or medications — like corticosteroids or antibiotics — can disturb the balance. This can cause the fungus to grow out of control. That’s when you get thrush.

Stress can cause it. So can a number of medical conditions, like:

If you smoke or wear dentures that don’t fit right might, you’re also more likely to get thrush. And babies can pass the infection to their mothers while breastfeeding.

If you have thrush, you may notice these signs in your mouth:

• White, slightly raised areas, often on the tongue, inner cheeks, roof of mouth, gums, tonsils, or back of throat

• Raised spots that look like cottage cheese

• Cracking and redness at the corners of your mouth (angular cheilitis)

• A cottony feeling

• Loss of taste

Sometimes thrush may also cause:

• Redness, irritation, and pain under dentures (denture stomatitis)

• A large red, painless mark in the center of the tongue (median rhomboid glossitis)

• A band of gum irritation or inflammation (linear gingival erythema)

 In very bad cases, thrush can spread into your esophagus and cause:

• Pain when you swallow or difficulty swallowing

• A feeling that food is stuck in your throat or in the middle of your chest

• Fever, if the infection spreads beyond the esophagus

When breastfeeding infants have thrush, they can pass it to their mother’s breast and cause:

• Red, sensitive, cracked, or itchy nipples

• Shiny or flaky skin on the areola, the area around the nipple

• Painful nursing or painful nipples between feedings

• Stabbing pains deeper in the breast

The fungus that causes thrush can spread to other parts of the body, like the lungs, liver, and skin. This happens more often in people with cancer, HIV, or other conditions that weaken the immune system.

Thrush may be grouped into three types:

• Pseudomembranous — the mouth surfaces look white and creamy

• Erythematous — the mouth looks red and raw

• Hyperplastic — you’ll have white plaque-like lesions or speckled red spots

Your dentist or doctor can probably tell by taking a look inside your mouth. Your doctor might also send a tiny sample of the spot to a lab just to make sure.

If the fungus that causes thrush spreads into your esophagus, you may have to have other tests, like:

• A throat culture (a swab of the back of your throat)

• An endoscopy of your esophagus, stomach, and small intestine

• X-rays of your esophagus

Thrush is easy to treat in healthy children and adults. But the symptoms may be worse and harder to treat in people with weak immune systems.

Your doctor will probably prescribe antifungal medications that you’ll have to take for 10-14 days. These come in tablets, lozenges, or liquids, and are generally easy to take.

Since the infection can be a symptom of other medical problems, your doctor may also want to run other tests to rule these out.

In addition to medical treatment, there are some things you can try at home that may help ease thrush or its symptoms:

• Keep your mouth clean with regular brushing and flossing.

• Rinse with about ½ teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water.

• Try rinsing with water mixed with apple cider vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, or baking soda.

• Probiotics, such as yogurt or over-the-counter pills may help.

• If you are breastfeeding, use nursing pads and keep bras and any bottles or breast pump parts clean.

• If you wear dentures, be sure to disinfect them as recommended by your dentist.

Practice good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day.

Get regular dental checkups. Especially if you have diabetes or wear dentures. Even if you’re healthy and don’t have dental issues, you should get your teeth cleaned by your dentist every 6 months.

Treat chronic health issues. A condition such as HIV or diabetes can disturb the balance of bacteria in your body and lead to thrush. If you’re taking medications for an ongoing health condition, take them regularly, as directed.

Don’t overuse mouthwashes or sprays. Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash once or twice a day to help keep your teeth and gums healthy. Using any more than that may upset the normal balance of bacteria in your mouth.

Clean inhalers after using them. If you have a condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), clean your inhalers after each use to kill germs.

Limit foods that contain sugar and yeast. Bread, beer, and wine will cause extra yeast growth.

If you smoke, quit. Ask your doctor or dentist about ways to help you kick the habit.

With treatment, oral thrush usually goes away after a couple of weeks. If you are prone to it or don’t get better, you may need to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Sometimes thrush goes away and comes back. This often happens because the underlying cause hasn’t gone away. 

In some people, thrush can turn into a more serious systemic infection. This happens most often in people with another health condition such as:

In this case, doctors will treat the infection with oral or IV antifungal medicines.

Top Picks

White dots on the lips: what are they, reasons, how to get rid of

. Is it a cosmetic defect or a serious problem

Updated February 21, 2023 12:21 PM

Shutterstock

White dots or patches on the lips are common and can vary in size and shape. Some of them go away on their own, others can cause discomfort and require treatment.

We understand together with experts the causes of this defect and how to eliminate it.

Contents

1. Why appear
2. How to remove
3. Expert comment

Where do the white dots on the lips come from

Shutterstock

In most cases, whiteheads are natural and harmless, but some of them may be permanent, painful and irritated. One way or another, it is important to determine the cause in order to know if treatment is necessary and if there is a health risk. There are six variants of white dots and spots on the lips.

1. Milia

Milia or milia are small white bumps under the skin [1]. In medical terminology, this is a retention miliary cyst filled with a protein – keratin. The tubercles are usually very small, less than 3 mm wide, domed and smooth. Milia often go away on their own and do not require additional treatment. But if there are too many of them and it bothers you, seek help from a beautician.

2. Fordyce spots

Fordyce spots are slightly enlarged sebaceous glands on the lips [2]. They are small, slightly raised, 1 to 3 mm in size and often appear in groups. The color can vary from white to yellowish, and the contents are easier to see if the skin is slightly stretched.

Fordyce spots are usually harmless and asymptomatic. They do not require treatment unless it is a cosmetic problem.

3. Herpes simplex virus (HSV)

HSV provokes the appearance of white dots on the lips, which eventually turn into herpes [3]. These ulcers appear in three stages:

• initial discomfort, burning and tingling;
• one or more dots and white spots develop along the edges of the lips;
• soon they swell, blisters and crusts form.

After the first outbreak of herpes, HSV often recurs in the same place. Be especially careful if you’ve been exposed to triggers: stress, viral infections, hormonal changes.

4. Oral thrush (candidiasis)

Candidiasis is a fungal infection that develops due to overgrowth of yeast [4]. This condition most commonly results in white bumps and patches in the mouth or tongue, but it can sometimes appear on the lips as well.

With thrush, symptoms such as:

• redness and sensation in the mouth;
• pain on swallowing;
• decreased sensitivity of taste buds.

For treatment, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will select the appropriate drugs.

5. Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease that results in the loss of pigment in the skin, leaving smooth white patches or dots [5]. The disease can begin at any age, but most often it manifests itself between the ages of 10 and 30 years.

Pimples and blemishes occur when the immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing skin pigment. While it can occur anywhere on the body, vitiligo most commonly occurs on the face, including the lips. There is no cure for this condition, but you can try treatments to restore pigment.

Zareta Marshaniv Dermatovenereologist, trichologist, dermato-oncologist, cosmetologist at Maria Shirshakova Clinic

“There are several hypothesized causes of the disease, but autoimmune mechanisms play the main role. It should be understood that vitiligo is not just an aesthetic problem; This is a skin disease, the treatment of which should be regulated by clinical guidelines that use evidence-based medicine methods.

A number of dermatological institutions are currently using various methods of applying ultraviolet light to combat the white patches of vitiligo. When used, there are nuances with regard to further results (patient expectations from treatment), and regarding the risk of side effects. Therefore, in any case, it is better to leave such a problem as vitiligo to a dermatologist, who personally at the appointment with the patient will decide on the appropriateness of treatment, since it is still impossible to completely get rid of the disease. ”

Anton Polyakov Physician of functional medicine, endocrinologist, creator of the Fantel

platform

“In order to cure vitiligo, it is important to include an autoimmune protocol, which involves a long-term exclusion from the diet of foods rich in gluten, dairy products, lectins, omega-6 foods and others. It is also important to work with chronic infections (Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes type 6, Sars-Cov-19, and so on). Of great importance is the psychological state of a person, since very often autoimmune diseases develop against the background of severe stress.

6. Oncology

Permanent white or red scaly patches that do not disappear on the lips may be a sign of early skin cancer. But they have pronounced unpleasant symptoms: they hurt, bleed and gradually increase in size. To exclude a serious disease, you need to see a doctor and, if necessary, take a biopsy of the affected skin area. In severe cases, removal, chemical, radiation and immunotherapy will be required.

How to remove white spots on lips

Shutterstock

How to deal with white bumps, dots and spots depends on the cause of their appearance. Modern cosmetology offers the following treatment options.

Laser procedures

Fordyce granules are benign formations of the sebaceous glands. They are present in the norm, so removal for medical reasons is not required. Laser treatment can be used during removal, but then, the cosmetologist emphasizes, the risk of scarring increases: there are not the best aesthetic results, which are even more difficult to deal with. In addition, laser removal will not solve the problem of the appearance of new points on the lips.

Zareta Marshani:

“There are no 100% effective methods of dealing with white spots on the lips, however, such formations on the skin (miliums, epidermal cysts and others) can be effectively eliminated using hardware methods of destruction: electrocoagulation or laser. ”

Cryotherapy

Some skin problems are treated with cold spot treatment. Zareta Marshani believes that cryotherapy is an excellent method for the destruction of skin neoplasms, which is the most organ-preserving, less painless, and does not require divisive rehabilitation: “However, this method rarely helps to get rid of points the first time and is not suitable for every problem. So, when removing formations of the sebaceous glands, cryotherapy is not effective enough, especially when it comes to large elements.

Mechanical methods

Many squeeze white dots at home in front of a mirror. In no case should you do this, since there is a high risk of infection and inflammation, and the wound will heal even longer.

Zareta Marshani:

“Usually, after the hardware removal of large elements, a special dermatological spoon is used, which helps to completely remove the remaining sebaceous contents. In some cases, when removing small milia, a specialist can use a mechanical method – a puncture with a needle. But the doctor should choose the treatment, and I do not advise doing it at home. ”

Expert commentary

Shutterstock

Anton Polyakov:

“White dots themselves are harmless, but they can present a certain cosmetic problem, especially for women. The main reason for their appearance is a hormonal imbalance, especially characteristic of puberty. Most often, this is a relative excess of testosterone, which leads to increased production of sebum.

Also, this defect can occur due to a violation of carbohydrate metabolism (insulin resistance), polycystic ovary syndrome, a violation of the synthesis of aromatase (an enzyme that converts testosterone to estradiol), genetic mutations, and even due to the use of hormonal drugs. The ducts that are responsible for removing the secret are clogged. As a result, a sebaceous cyst forms inside, which looks like a white dot. When it appears, it is recommended to restore the balance of sex hormones.

If self-medicated, it can lead to injury to the skin, as well as contribute to infection, which leads to a more pronounced cosmetic defect. There is a conservative method of treatment with jojoba oil, as well as a retinoid. Correction schemes are prescribed by specialists, as there are contraindications. Surgical treatment works with the help of laser technologies, cryotherapy, electrocoagulation. They also have a number of contraindications, you need to consult a doctor. In any case, it is important to work with the cause, that is, the hormonal imbalance, and not try to eliminate the effect.

Removal of any skin changes alone entails health risks. Treatment should take place in conjunction with a specialist, after determining the problem and assessing the condition of the body.

Share

Article content

Authors

Tags

Irina Rudevich

ilosis, tropicalis), typing. PCR – Protos Medical Center

Mucosal candidiasis is an infectious and inflammatory process caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida on mucous membranes. Oral candidiasis and genital candidiasis are of the greatest clinical importance.

Yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida (Candida spp.) are considered to be representatives of the normal mucosal microbiota of the human body. Indeed, they can be detected in about 60% of healthy adults in the oral cavity and in 12% of women in the vagina. Normally, yeast fungi are in equilibrium with the bacterial commensals of the mucous membranes and do not cause any inflammatory changes (“healthy carriage”). In some situations, however, the growth of yeast fungi increases, which is accompanied by a local infectious and inflammatory process – candidiasis, which is also known as “thrush”.

There are more than 150 species of candida, some of which are pathogenic to humans: C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. pseudotropicalis, C. krusei, C. parakrusei, C. parapsilosis, C. guillermondi. Candida albicans is the most common causative agent of the disease.

Mucosal candidiasis is very common. Risk factors for oral candidiasis are infancy and old age, the presence of severe diseases with immunodeficiency (especially leukemia, lymphoma, carcinomatosis and HIV), poor oral hygiene, Sjögren’s syndrome, diabetes mellitus and other endocrinological diseases, wearing dentures, the use of inhaled and systemic glucocorticoids. Risk factors for genital candidiasis (vulvovaginitis) are less clear, but estrogen imbalance and antibiotic use have been suggested.

The clinical picture of mucosal candidiasis is quite characteristic (presence of crumbly white deposits against the background of hyperemia in pseudomembranous form of candidiasis), but it may resemble other diseases, primarily leukoplakia and lichen planus. For the differential diagnosis of these diseases, laboratory tests are carried out.

Given the high prevalence of “healthy carriers” of Candida, many people can be detected with a slight overgrowth of yeast-like fungi. In the absence of any clinical signs of candidiasis, such growth has no clinical significance. On the other hand, the abundance of yeast colonies (more than 104 CFU / ml) in a patient with minimal signs of candidiasis or without them at all, but with risk factors for this disease, should alert the doctor and may require the appointment of antimycotic drugs.

PCR analysis (polymerase chain reaction) is a modern diagnostic method based on the detection of unique DNA sequences characteristic only for a certain pathogen in the biological material under study. In the test material, specific DNA of the causative agent of thrush is found – varieties of the Candida fungus – C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis / C. tropicalis. Candida detection by PCR is the most objective and accurate among other research methods. High accuracy will necessarily show the presence of a fungus in the body, but this does not mean that it was he who caused the patient’s illness.

Given that candidiasis of the mucosa (primarily the oral cavity) is sometimes a symptom of a more serious disease, additional laboratory tests may be recommended in some cases, including blood glucose, thyroid, parathyroid, genital glands and adrenal glands, HIV analysis and immunological studies.