How Likely Are You To
Get Candida?

Symptoms of Thrush

Though thrush is not a medical emergency, it is a highly uncomfortable and often painful condition characterized by the following symptoms:

• White patches on the tongue, cheeks, throat and roof of the mouth
• Cotton-like feeling in the mouth
• Loss of taste
• Soreness or redness in or around the mouth
• Pain when eating and swallowing
• Redness and cracking at the corners of the mouth

Persons who have oral thrush also develop pain in the oesophagus when they eat. Because of how painful thrush can be, it is best for individuals to take steps to avoid it.

What Causes Oral Thrush?

Because Candida naturally occurs in the body in low numbers, it generally does not interfere with the body’s immune function or processes. However, in the right conditions, it can multiply. When it does, it can and often does begin to cause issues.

There are several reasons Candida may multiply, including the following:

• Taking a course of antibiotics, especially if it is a longer course
• Wearing dentures, particularly if they are ill fitting
• Using medications to treat asthma, such as inhaled corticosteroids
• Having poor oral hygiene
• Smoking
• Undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy for cancer
• Having a dry mouth, because of dehydration, a medical condition or medications

Oral thrush is not contagious, given that most people already have Candida in their mouths.

Risk Factors for Thrush

Some people are more at risk of developing thrush than others. Risk factors that may increase the odds that you will develop candida are as follows:

• Weakened Immune System: Persons with weakened immune systems, whether because of age or underlying medical conditions, are more likely to develop thrush than individuals with healthy and wholly developed immune systems. For instance, babies, young children and older adults have a higher risk of developing candida than people with fully developed immune systems. The same is true of persons who are on medications that suppress the immune system or who live with immunosuppressing conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, organ transplantation, iron deficiencies, hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiencies and diabetes.
• Vaginal Yeast Infections: Vaginal yeast infections are the result of the same fungus that causes thrush. If you have a yeast infection at the time of giving birth, there is a high risk that your baby will develop candida after he or she is born.
• Diabetes: If you have diabetes, and if you fail to control it properly, your saliva may contain excessive amounts of sugar. Sugar feeds candida and can contribute to its overgrowth.
• Medications: Some medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids, prednisone and some antibiotics, throw off the natural balance of microorganisms in the body. When there is an imbalance, your risk of developing candida increases.
• Other Medical Conditions: There are several medical conditions that may put you at an increased risk for thrush, such as those that dry out your mouth, require you to take medications that dry out your mouth and wearing dentures.