If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.

OVERVIEW

What is thrush?

Thrush is a yeast infection. It occurs on your tongue and the lining of your mouth.

Symptoms of thrush

For newborns, the signs of thrush include:

• White, creamy sores on their tongue or in their mouth.
• Red or dry mouth.
• Trouble nursing, due to mouth pain.
• Diaper rash.
• Fussy mood.
• When breastfeeding, symptoms of a yeast infection on the mother’s nipples. These include cracked, red, itchy, sore, or tender nipples.

For adults, the main symptom of thrush is the sores, or patches. These can bleed if you scrape them or when you brush your teeth. You also may have pain when swallowing.

What causes thrush?

Everyone has germs in their mouth. Your immune system works to regulate them. You can have too much of certain fungus, such as Candida. Having too much of this fungus causes the oral thrush infection.

Thrush is most common in newborns because their immune systems are still developing. Newborns also can have thrush at birth if their mother had a vaginal yeast infection at the time of delivery.

Children and adults can get thrush too. Your risk of thrush increases if you:

• are in poor health
• have a weak immune system
• have HIV or AIDS
• have chemotherapy treatment
• have had an organ transplant
• have diabetes
• take several antibiotics (too much can kill the good bacteria that helps regulate candida)
• take steroid medicine (some inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, contain steroids)
• wear ill-fitting dentures
• are a smoker.

How is thrush diagnosed?

A healthcare provider will look at your tongue and mouth to check for sores. They may scrape one of the sores to get a sample to look at. If you have sores in your throat, they may do a throat culture to examine the fungus.

Can thrush be prevented or avoided?

You can help prevent thrush by practicing good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth, and floss every day. If you use an inhaler, rinse your mouth out after each use. People who have diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar. If you are at risk of getting thrush or have chronic thrush, talk to your healthcare provider about ways to manage the condition.

You cannot avoid newborns from getting thrush, but you can help lower their risk.

• Clean all bottle and feeding parts after each use.
• Clean pacifiers and toys that babies put in their mouths regularly.
• Change your baby’s diapers often. This can prevent yeast infections and diaper rashes.
• If you have a yeast infection on your nipples while breastfeeding, talk to your healthcare provider and get treatment.
• If you have a vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider and get treatment.

TREATMENT

Your healthcare provider will decide if you have a mild or severe case of thrush. Mild cases often can be treated at home.

Severe cases require prescription antifungal treatment, such as:

• medicine in either pill or liquid form
• mouthwash

The same is true for newborns. Mild cases of thrush may resolve on their own. However, if you have a yeast infection on your nipples while breastfeeding, you will need treatment. Your healthcare provider can recommend an antifungal cream to apply. If you don’t treat the infection, you can continue to pass it to your baby. More severe cases of newborn thrush can be treated with prescription antifungal medicine. Often, these are drops that you apply to your baby’s tongue and mouth.

Living with thrush

For most people, oral thrush goes away with treatment. However, it is possible to get chronic, or recurring, thrush. This is more common if you have an impaired immune system or related health issue. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to manage thrush. You may need to take an ongoing antifungal medicine.

If thrush is left untreated, the fungus candida can spread. It can cause infection in your:

• esophagus (esophagitis)
• eyes (endophthalmitis)
• brain (meningitis)
• heart (endocarditis)
• joints (arthritis).

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER

• How dangerous is thrush?
• Is thrush contagious?
• How long do I have to take antifungal medicine?
• What can I take, or give my children, for the pain?
• Do you have any tips for breastfeeding a newborn that has thrush?