
This article provides some information about thrush in adults, its main causes, and a few home remedies that are believed to be effective for the same.
Thrush is medically termed as candidiasis, which is a yeast infection or a condition wherein there is an overgrowth of the fungus called Candida in the mouth. This medical condition is whitish and velvety in appearance. If one scratches it, he/she would find red tissue deposits under it. This tissue bleeds quite easily even on mild irritation. These are the main symptoms that are observed in adults.
Thrush in adults or children can be either acute or chronic. In both the cases, it needs to be treated effectively as it can easily spread to the other parts of body that may include many vital structures. Though medical treatment is almost a necessity in treating thrush, one may take help of some home remedies, if not to cure it, then to prevent its occurrence in future.
Causes
Small amounts of candida is almost always present in one’s body, especially on the skin and in the digestive tract. The population of candida is kept under check by the immune system of the body. When one’s immune system gets weakened and fails to keep the candida population under control, it causes candidiasis or thrush. Some conditions that can weaken one’s immune system is when he/she takes a steroid medication, or if he/she is affected by AIDS, malnutrition, and if he/she is receiving chemotherapy treatment for treating diseases like cancer, etc.
Young children and adults above 50 years of age usually have poor immunity, and hence, are at a greater risk of developing this medical condition. The common places of occurrence of candidiasis are vagina, mouth, etc. The chances of its occurrence increases, if one is diabetic, is taking antibiotics for a long time, and has poor-fitting dentures.
Treatment
Most of the time, the appearance of the affected area is enough to indicate candidiasis. However, the doctor may conduct certain examinations to confirm its presence. These examinations usually include microscopic examination of mouth scrapings and culture of mouth lesions.
The immune system of one’s body usually restores the healthy balance of the micro-organisms back on the body, and thus, treats this condition within a couple of week’s time. One can take non-prescription acidophilus capsules to bring down the population of candida on their body. This helps a lot in treating this medical condition in adults as well as children. A natural way to get the same effect is to eat a cup of yogurt daily.
In case of oral thrush, one should use a soft bristle toothbrush to clean their teeth. This would prevent any damage to the affected tissues in the mouth due to physical irritation. One should rinse their mouth with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution 2-3 times a day. This would help the body in controlling the candida population and therefore, would treat this condition. Furthermore, one may use an over-the-counter antifungal mouthwash to treat oral candidiasis.
In case of vaginal thrush, one can use non-prescription antifungal topical creams on the affected part as a cure. Vinegar is another home remedy for treating the same. Dilute one part of malt vinegar in 2 parts of water, and rinse the affected area with it. One may feel uneasy but it is believed to work. Do it at least once a day to treat vaginal candidiasis in adults. One should make sure not to use plain white vinegar as it assists fungal growth. Also, never ingest vinegar directly as it is quite strong and may damage the internal tissue. Always have it mixed with some other foodstuff.
Drink plenty of water to cure it at home. Water helps in detoxification. It will flush out toxins and excess of nutrients. Fungi require sugar for growth and reproduction. When there is a lack of sugar, candida will find it tough to grow. As a result, one would get relief from candidiasis that occurs on any part of their body. Finally, one should follow a healthy diet to strengthen their immunity which might prove useful to avoid this condition.
Following the aforementioned remedies might prove beneficial. One should use the suggested home remedies regularly for at least a week. If one finds their condition improving, then continue with the same. However, if there is no significant recovery from it, then one should pay a visit to the doctor immediately. Seeking medical attention is very necessary as an untreated thrush can lead to serious complications. The risk of complications increase particularly when the immune system is poor. Some examples of serious conditions caused by prolonged thrush are esophagitis, endocarditis, endophthalmitis, meningitis, etc. The basic reason behind all these disease conditions is the spread of candida to these organs from the original place of occurrence.
Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.