When a yeast infection is oral (in the mouth) it is sometimes called Thrush. The yeast infections are particularly common in the vagina – they simply thrive in warm and moist parts of the body – folds of skin in the obese, the genitals, the anus and of course the mouth are all places more likely to show symptoms of the fungus, Candida Albicans overgrowth.

Causes of Thrush: Nearly all people actually have small amounts of candida already in our bodies, in our digestive tracts, on our skin, in our mouth. The growth of this fungus is kept under control by good bacteria we also have, so the fungus is usually harmless. When something happens to destroy the balance between the tow microorganisms such as medications, an illness or diet for example, the candida seizes the opportunity to multiply and its overgrowth leads to a yeast infection. Things that can cause the imbalance to occur are prolonged use of antibiotics or corticosteroids, birth control pills, diabetes, HIV, cancer treatment, and even pregnancy as there is a large hormone imbalance during that time.

The key symptoms: – White patches in the mouth on the inside of the cheeks, the gums, the throat, the roof of the mouth and the tongue; pain when swallowing; difficulty eating and drinking; lesions beneath the white spots that bleed.

Key method of prevention: – Brush your teeth every day, morning and evening and floss regularly. – Avoid mouthwashes, especially antibacterial ones as these will upset the balance in your mouth, kill the good bacteria, and give the fungus a chance to overgrow. – Quit smoking.

Key treatment options: There is a lot of discussion going on nowadays about natural treatment versus medicated for yeast infections. The choice has to be yours as there are some people that get good results with over the counter products, and then some that do not. Whether you choose the medicated lozenges etc to treat your Thrush, or whether you choose something like plain probiotic yogurt, you still are just treating the symptoms. There was a trigger that caused that overgrowth and you need to identify it and deal with it to really ensure it does not happen again.

For more info on how to deal with candida, check out our candida symptoms and cure website, where you can find plenty of information on the subject. Today’s special: yogurt yeast infection cure

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