All of us at one point or the other come across thrush, a yeast infection which mostly causes white lesions in the inner cheek and tongue making it difficult to eat, drink and sometimes even swallow. They are painful and often bleed if accidentally hit while brushing teeth. However, sometimes the infection can also occur near and over the genitals creating itchy and sore spots.
Mostly children and elderly fall victim to thrush because of their weak immune systems but even seemingly healthy adults can experience the problem every now and then.
Weak immunity main cause
Thrush is caused by yeast called Candida, which is always present in our bodies but is controlled by our immune system. Candida is found in intestines, stomach, throat, mouth and genitals. Whenever the immunity goes weak, there is an increased chance of Candida multiplying and resulting in yeast infection.
The infection, though mostly confined to the cheeks and tongue, can spread to the back of your throat, gums and tonsils if not checked on time. In fact, the yeast infection can also originate on skin of the genitals resulting in itching, burning and soreness.
Metabolic disorders like diabetes and diseases including AIDS and cancer as well as stress can compromise the immunity thus putting some individuals at greater risk of thrush than others. Use of irritants like some soaps and hormonal fluctuations can also result in spread of the infection. Moreover, indiscriminate use of antibiotics ends up killing the beneficial bacteria which can inhibit the growth of yeast infection.
However, quite contrary to popular perception, it’s easy to control thrush without the use of medications. Our body naturally controls thrush with the help of good bacteria and a healthy immune system so there’s a need to strengthen our defenses up and deal with thrush naturally.
Using medications like anti-fungal creams can treat thrush but can’t prevent its recurrence. For that, you need to support your immune system by having a healthy diet and lifestyle. There are also home remedies for thrush that you can use to deal with current infection. Thus don’t limit yourself on spending on medications which may cause side effects besides burning a hole in your pocket and head towards your kitchen for a soothing solution.
Treat the thrush with natural remedies
There are various home remedies for thrush which can be relied on to treat the infection. For the lesions in mouth, use apple cider vinegar with some salt in water. It can work as a great mouthwash. Garlic and onions can be added to your regular meals because they not only enhance the flavor but also have great anti-fungal properties. If you are in a hurry, just put some cloves in the mouth instead of waiting till the meal time.
Grapefruit is a great anti-fungal food item. The seed extract of grapefruit is very popular treatment for oral thrush. Using the mix of distilled water and grapefruit extract to swab the mouth can help deal with thrush.
Yogurt is considered a probiotic because it contains good bacterias for your tummy but the same bacteria can also help in dealing with thrush. The cool texture also provides relief in case of irritation in oral lesions. Salt water and baking soda solution are other very reliable home remedies.
Maintaining good oral hygiene including brushing of teeth twice and flossing once in a day can do wonders to your defenses against thrush.
If you or any elderly person in your family wears dentures, ensure daily cleaning of the mouth and dentures. Put the dentures in prescribed cleaner overnight and rinse them before putting them on. Putting off thrush is not difficult as you think provided you are determined to take the preventive steps.
