The fungus Candida Albicans is a microorganism, one of many in fact, that lives on our bodies and it is the overgrowth of that fungus that leads to yeast infections. like all fungi it prefers moist, dark and warm environments – so yeast infections tend to develop in such places on the body like the genitals, anus, folds of skin, and the mouth. You may find that an oral yeast infection is referred to as Thrush.

The key causes: one of the other microorganisms that live on us are good bacteria; unlike bad bacteria which make us ill, good bacteria actually work for us keeping us healthy and helping the immune system. these good bacteria are what manage the fungus numbers to ensure an overgrowth doesn’t happen – which is what leads to a yeast infection. Unfortunately, sometimes things become unbalanced perhaps due to hormones – such as during pregnancy or perhaps due to medications or prolonged use of antibiotics, possibly due to an existing illness that has weakened your immune system such as HIV, or a treatment for cancer like chemotherapy. Other triggers that you can control more are clothing, diet and diabetes.

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.

Preventing Thrush: there are things you can do to help prevent an infection of the mouth happening. Keeping excellent oral hygiene is important, which involves brushing twice a day as well as flossing. Mouthwashes are not a good idea as they upset the balance of microorganisms in the mouth and may deplete good bacteria making you more likely to get a yeast infection. Smoking is not good and if you are a smoker your odds of getting Thrush are higher.

How to treat Thrush: there are several over the counter options for you to choose from, or if it is a particularly severe case you need to see your doctor for a stronger drug. there are also natural means to help soothe the symptoms such as eating plain probiotic yogurt. In order to prevent a recurring problem look for the triggers above and identify what your root cause is and deal with that too.

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: oral yeast infection