Thrush is also known as a yeast infection.  A yeast infection can occur throughout the body and on the skin.  A fungus called Candida Albicans is usually responsible for the infection.  Candida thrives in warm, moist places.  Candida is an opportunistic fungus—meaning it is present in everyone, but it waits for our bodies to weaken due to stress, illness or another factor.  Once our bodies weaken the infection finds a window to grow out of control.  Our body’s normal good bacteria cannot fight it off when they are weak and an infection will soon develop.

One common cause of thrush is due to the use of antibiotics.  Antibiotics kill bad bacteria while also killing our good ones.  When our good bacteria die there is no defense against candida and the white clumpy patches of thrush will form quickly. Because thrush is such a common condition, your dentist or doctor only needs to see the patches to identify thrush.

Oral Thrush can be painful and your mouth and throat may feel raw and irritated.  Candida lesions can bleed when scraped and this makes eating and drinking very challenging.  Avoid spicy foods or other items that may irritate your mouth and throat until the infection is clear.

Candida will usually only clear with medication, so see your dentist or physician for the correct treatment for your case.  Eating more yogurt and taking probiotic supplements can also help reduce your chances of developing thrush in the future. Take special care if you are taking antibiotics and have had thrush in the past.  You may also consider changing your toothpaste and mouthwash to natural alternatives.  Natural toothpaste and mouthwash may be less likely to irritate an already tender mouth and throat and some ingredients are antibacterial and may help prevent a future outbreak of candida.