The Hidden Causes of Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is a mild health condition, but it can actually be an indicator of an underlying health condition. There are some different conditions that often lead to oral thrush, so if you find that you have developed the condition it is a good idea to visit your doctor for a full health check up. That way you can rule out any more serious health conditions that may be causing the oral thrush.

One of the major causes of oral thrush is dentures. Almost 70 per cent of people who wear dentures will develop oral thrush at some point. To ensure that you are not one of them, you will have to maintain a very high standard of dental hygiene. Your dentist can recommend the different steps and products that should be included in this process.

Diabetes can also be an underlying cause of oral thrush. There are millions of people who have diabetes that has not yet been diagnosed. If you develop oral thrush, then you should visit your doctor to check that you do not have diabetes. There are two types of diabetes – diabetes mellitus, which usually appears during childhood and is reliant on insulin and diabetes type II, which often develops in people who are obese and can often be controlled through diet. The reason that people with diabetes will often develop oral thrush is that the yeast that causes oral thrush to develop feeds on sugar. People with diabetes that is not well controlled will often have higher sugar levels in their saliva.

Other hidden causes of oral thrush are conditions that affect the immune system. These can include Nezelof’s syndrome, lupus and HIV. When your immune system is weak or compromised for some reason, the body is unable to fight off infection with the vigor that it normally would. The yeast that causes oral thrush is called Candida albicans. People often have this in their bodies, but your immune system and good micro flora in the body normally keeps the amount of Candida under control. With some immune system conditions, your body is unable to provide adequate protection from Candida overgrowth.

If you notice that you have developed oral thrush, then you should seek out treatment promptly. This is also an indication that your immune system may not be operating at its optimum level. For this reason a medical check up is an excellent idea to rule out any hidden causes of the condition.