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Thrush Symptoms and Signs Thrush, also known as oral thrush, is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans accumulates on the lining of the mouth. Even though oral thrush can affect anyone, it's more prone to occur in infants and individuals who wear dentures, use inhaled corticosteroids or have weakened immune systems. Oral thrush is a trivial hindrance for healthy individuals, but those with compromised immune systems may find oral thrush to be more serious and harder to control. Basically, thrush is usually a mild infection that causes no symptoms. If, however, symptoms develop, they may include the following. Symptoms and Signs
Initially, oral thrush symptoms may not be noticeable. Symptoms and signs may develop suddenly and persist for a long time Symptoms may include: • White lesions on the tongue, inner cheeks and occasionally on the roof of the mouth, gums and tonsils • Cottage cheese-like lesions • Pain • Slight bleeding when the lesions are rubbed or scraped • Cracking at the corners of the mouth • Cottonmouth, otherwise known as dry mouth • Loss of taste In serious cases, the lesions may spread downward into the esophagus. The long, muscular tube stretching from the back of the mouth to the stomach is known as Candida esophagitis. This can cause difficulty swallowing and make patients feel as if food is getting stuck in their throat. When thrush is found in babies and breast-feeding mothers, additional symptoms may manifest. Besides the distinctive white mouth lesions, babies may have difficulty feeding and be abnormally fussy and ill-tempered. Babies can pass the infection to their mothers during breast-feeding which leads to the thrush infection passing back and forth between the mother's breasts and infant's mouth. Mothers who contract thrush in this fashion may suffer the following symptoms: • Red, sensitive or itchy nipples • Shiny or flaky skin on the areola • Pain while nursing • Painful nipples between feedings • Stabbing pains deep within the breast Vaginal Thrush Vaginal thrush, sometimes referred to as vaginal Candidiasis, or more commonly, a yeast infection is caused by the fungus Candida albicans. Vaginal thrush is also technically known as candidosis, moniliasis, and oidiomycosis. This microscopic yeast typically lives on the skin and inside the vagina. Symptoms of vaginal thrush include: • Itching and burning in the vagina and also the vulva • Vaginal discharge with the texture of cottage cheese • Vaginal discharge that is thin clear or thin and faint yellow • Pain during sexual intercourse as well as severe dryness • Swelling of the vulva • Odor like beer or bread (yeast) in the vaginal area. Overall, thrush usually results in minimal complications like redness, itching and discomfort. Thrush is commonly seen in babies and is not regarded as abnormal in babies unless it lasts longer than a few weeks. Children between the ages of three and nine years old can be affected by chronic mouth yeast infections. Typically these infections manifest as white patches around the mouth. |
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