Thrush

Thrush, or oropharyngeal candidiasis , is an infection of the mouth and throat caused by the fungus Candida, a genus of yeast . This microorganism is naturally present on the skin and mucous membranes, but overgrowth can cause disease. Candidiasis is not considered communicable because the microorganism is ubiquitous (common and widespread).

Symptoms of thrush include cottage cheese-like white patches in the mouth and throat, with raw areas underneath. Esophageal involvement may result in difficulty in swallowing, nausea, vomiting, and chest pain. Candidiasis is confirmed by culture from a swab of the infected tissue.

Proliferation of Candida is most often the result of a weakened immune system . Candidiasis is one of the most common and visible opportunistic infections that strike people with AIDS , chemotherapy patients, and other immunocompromised individuals. Many AIDS patients have been first diagnosed after they, or their dentists, noticed a thrush infection. In individuals with normal immune systems, candidiasis may be associated with antibiotic use. Infants, diabetics, smokers, and denture wearers are particularly susceptible to thrush.

In addition to causing thrush, Candida may affect the gastrointestinal tract or genitals. The microorganism may also enter the bloodstream, either via surgery or catheterization, or through damage to the skin or mucosa. If the immune system is unable to clear the fungus from the bloodstream, a dangerous systemic infection may occur, resulting in endocarditis, meningitis , or other serious problems.

Antifungal medications such as fluconazole and clotrimazole are generally effective in treating candidiasis. However, drug-resistant strains of Candida are becoming increasingly prevalent, and recurrence is common. This situation is driving research into new therapies and potential vaccines.

See also Bacteria and bacterial infection; Fungal genetics; Fungi; Fungicide; Immunodeficiency; Immunosuppressant drugs; Infection and resistance; Infection control; Microbial flora of the oral cavity, dental caries; Yeast genetics; Yeast, infectious

thrush¹ / [unvoicedth]rəsh/ • n. a small or medium-sized songbird (Turdus and other genera), typically having a brown back, spotted breast, and loud song. The thrush family (subfamily Turdinae, family Muscicapidae) includes the chats, robins, bluebirds, blackbirds, nightingales, redstarts, and wheatears. thrush² • n. 1. infection of the mouth and throat, producing whitish patches, caused by a yeastlike fungus (genus Candida), esp. C. albicans Also called candidiasis. ∎  infection of the female genitals with the same fungus. 2. a chronic condition affecting the frog of a horse's foot, causing the accumulation of a dark, foul-smelling substance. Also called canker.

thrush in medicine, infection caused by the fungus Candida albicans, manifested by white, slightly raised patches on the mucous membrane of the tongue, mouth, and throat. The mucous membrane beneath the patches is usually raw and bleeding. The overgrowth of this fungus results when the balance in the normal oral microbe population is disturbed by antibiotic therapy or disease. It occurs most frequently in infants, in adults suffering from chronic illnesses, in the debilitated, in the immunosuppressed, and in individuals on long-term antibiotic, corticosteroid, or antineoplastic therapy. It is often an early symptom of AIDS . Treatment is with antifungal drugs, such as nystatin.

Thrush

What Is Thrush?

How Is Thrush Diagnosed and Treated?

Resource

Thrush is an infection that causes raised white patches in the mouth and throat that can look like cottage cheese. It is caused by the Candida albicans fungus that aho causes diaper rash and vaginal yeast infections.

KEYWORDS

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Candidiasis

Infection

Moniliasis

Mycotic stomatitis

What Is Thrush?

Candida albicans is a single-celled fungus that is a natural inhabitant of the mouth. Usually, the body maintains a natural balance of microbes* in the mouth. But if that natural balance has been disturbed, Candida and other fungi may begin to grow in the warm moist environment of the mouth and throat. Other names for thrush are oral candidiasis (kan-di-DY-a-sis) and oral moniliasis (mon-i-LY-a-sis).

* microbes

are small organisms that usually can be seen only under a microscope. They include bacteria, protozoa, and fungi.

Thrush and the immune system

Thrush is common in newborns. In older children, and adults, it may be a sign of an immune system disorder. People whose immune systems have been damaged by the AIDS virus, for example, may develop thrush. People who are treated with antibiotics for bacterial infections and people who use steroid inhalers for asthma may also develop thrush.

Neonatal thrush

Infants may get thrush during childbirth, if their mothers have vaginal yeast infections, or they may get thrush from bottles or nipples or family members with contaminated hands. Thrush looks like white patches of cottage cheese on the tongue, palate (roof of the mouth), inner cheeks, or throat. If the white patches of thrush are scraped, however, the sores will bleed, and infants may refuse to suck because of pain in the mouth. Candida also causes diaper rash, but those sores are reddish rather than white.

How Is Thrush Diagnosed and Treated?

Thrush usually goes away by itself. Because thrush may be a sign of an immune system disorder, however, it is important to check with a doctor or dentist, who may identify the yeast under a microscope, check for possible causes, and suggest ways to prevent its recurrence.

Thrush usually is treated by prescription medication, taken orally or applied directly to the sores, and by careful hygiene, which includes frequent hand washing, frequent diaper changes, and use of mouth washes.

See also

Asthma

Fungal Infections

Yeast Infection, Vaginal

Resource

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posts ABCs of Safe and Healthy Child Care at its website, which includes a fact sheet about thrush. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/abc/facts43.htm

clotrimazole (kloh-trim-ă-zohl) n. an antifungal drug used to treat all types of fungal skin infections (including ringworm) and vaginal thrush. It is applied to the infected part as a cream or solution or as vaginal pessaries. Trade name:. Canesten.

thrush (candidiasis) Fungal infection of the mucous membranes, usually of the mouth but also sometimes of the vagina. Caused by the fungus Candida albicans, it is sometimes seen in people taking broad-spectrum antibiotics.

thrush (thrush) n. see candidosis.