Thrush And Yeast Infections

Candida albicans yeast is a tiny fungus that can cause the common symptoms of a yeast infection. These infections can show up anywhere on the body, including the vagina, the mouth, male genitals, under the breasts and in the armpits, and even under your nails. Many diaper rashes are also caused by yeast.

People with compromised immune systems, like AIDS patients and chemotherapy patients, can also get yeast infections that attack the blood cells and internal organs, including the brain. These patients must be treated very aggressively to get rid of the yeast, because a yeast infection can be fatal for these patients.

For most of us, a yeast infection is a bothersome, irritating, itchy condition that soon goes away. Sometimes it even goes away by itself, without any treatment at all. When the infection is more severe, but still manageable, home remedies such as yogurt or honey may alleviate the symptoms.

And when mild natural remedies fail, non-prescription medications are available in the drugstore for vaginal yeast infections, and your doctor can give you a prescription for oral thrush, skin infections, and male yeast infections.

Vaginal yeast infections are the most common. Most women will experience at least one infection during their lifetime. Unfortunately, many women get chronic infections because so many things can trigger the yeast to become infectious.

The symptoms of vaginal yeast infections are “nonspecific.” This means that it is not possible to use the symptoms alone to make a diagnosis, because all these symptoms can also be caused by other organisms.

The most common symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection (yeast vaginitis) are:

• Itching and burning in the vagina and vulva.

• Soreness, swelling and pain around the vulva.

• Pain during intercourse or urination.

• Vaginal discharge. This discharge is not always present, but if there is a discharge it will be odorless or smell like baker’s yeast, and usually has a whitish, thick appearance.

It seems as though these symptoms are pretty obvious, so many women self-diagnose their own infections and either use natural remedies or purchase antifungal medication at their drugstore.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that as much as two-thirds of the non-prescription medications for yeast infections are being used by women who don’t have yeast infections. Most of the symptoms can also be caused by bacteria and parasites, which must be treated by a doctor.

A male yeast infection is caused by the same organism that causes vaginal yeast infections in women, oral thrush, and diaper rash – Candida albicans.

Skin infections, including male yeast infections, look red and flat, with sharp scalloped edges. You may see small pustules around the edges of the rash, the area may itch or burn, and it may be painful. There are usually smaller patches nearby. A rash around the anus may be white or red, and will itch.

While the infection is occasionally shared among sexual partners, it is not considered a sexually transmitted disease.

A yeast infection in the mouth of infants and adults is called “thrush.” It appears as thick white lacy patches that can form anywhere inside the mouth, including the tongue or palate. If the white patches are scraped away, the area underneath will be red and may bleed. Occasionally, an oral yeast infection can cause the tongue to be red without a white coating.

Many different things can trigger a yeast infection, including antibiotics, a change in the natural hormone cycle, birth control pills, too much sugar in the diet, and many more.

Some chronic yeast infections can be symptoms of a serious underlying illness that has affected the endocrine system or the immune system. Anyone who has chronic yeast infections that are not caused by any of the “usual suspects” should ask their doctor for a complete checkup to rule out the possibility of a serious illness.

Jonni Good
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-is-a-yeast-infection-98127.html

There are many definitions of thrush. It’s sometimes used to describe yeast infection as a category, yeast infection in the mouth, and even yeast infection in a baby’s mouth.

Here we will focus on thrush in the mouth, or oral thrush, both for adults and for babies. Oral thrush can exist on the tongue, on the insides and roof of the mouth and even spread to the esophagus. In some cases it can be very painful and may restrict one’s diet.

What are the causes of mouth thrush?
Our body naturally has yeast cells. These occur in the mouth, skin, vagina and even in the rectum. Under normal conditions, yeast cells are kept at bay by other microorganisms in our body, and it’s only when we become deficient in those microorganisms that yeast gets a chance to grow and become a problem.

Oral thrush can occur simply by taking antibiotics or being on chemotherapy. Having thrush and diabetes, or HIV is not uncommon because of the weakened immune system. Even wearing dentures may result in thrush. All of these create conditions in which ‘good” microorganisms are depleted and the yeast cells thrive.

What are the symptoms of oral thrush?
Typical symptoms include white, yellow or cream colored marks on the tongue and in the mouth.
Avoid scraping the marks off since this causes cuts on the tongue. If you think you may have oral thrush, do a search on the Internet for “pictures of oral thrush” and then you can compare to your own situation.

How to treat thrush
When planning a treatment for thrush, think short and long term. In the short term, there are many oral medications that will take care of it and your doctor can advise you on what to take. If you are looking for a natural treatment for thrush, then consider garlic, or yogurt with acidophilus.

Alternatively, you can find books on the Internet for treating oral thrush naturally. Which ever path you take, try and understand what was the root cause and address that so that thrush does not reoccur.

Thrush in infants
Yeast infections in the form of oral thrush or diaper rash are common in newborns. The combination of thrush and breastfeeding can result in thrush being passed to the mother, even when the baby just has diaper rash.

Nipples with yeast infection may appear very red and be extra sensitive. There may be pain between feedings and the pain may run deep in the breast both during and after breastfeeding. Gential violet is a solution that is popular for mothers with yeast infection on the breast.

Thrush and HIV
Thrush occurs because of a deficiency in the immune system and is common in HIV patients, but is thrush an early symptom of HIV? Not necessarily, for as mentioned earlier there are many other causes. However, the appearance of thrush for an HIV patient might indicate changing conditions in the immune system and should be discussed with one’s doctor.

If you think you have oral thrush, consult your doctor before taking steps to cure it. The symptoms of oral thrush are similar to other conditions, so it’s best to know what is the issue as soon as possible.

Frank Thornton
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/how-to-cope-with-oral-thrush-yeast-infection-of-the-mouth-114547.html

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An oral yeast infection in the mouth of infants and adults is called “thrush.” It is usually caused by the tiny yeast called Candida albicans. It appears as thick white lacy patches that can form anywhere inside the mouth, including the tongue or palate.

If the white patches are scraped away, the area underneath will be red and may bleed. Occasionally, an oral yeast infection can cause the tongue to be red without a white coating.

Newborn babies, adult denture users, and people with endocrine disorders such as diabetes or hypothyroidism are the most at risk for oral yeast infections. Older adults often experience thrush under their dentures.

In AIDS patients, an infection called esophagitis may form in the upper digestive tract, and can be a serious health threat for these patients. This is an infection very similar to thrush, but it extends down from the mouth into the esophagus and stomach.

Thrush can be very painful and this can make it difficult to eat and drink, which can lead to dehydration. Any child that goes without drinking liquids for more than 12 hours should be taken to the doctor. The same care should be taken for elderly adults. Anyone with a compromised immune system must see a doctor immediately if they see the symptoms of an oral yeast infection.

Treating oral yeast infections

Oral yeast infections are usually treated with antibiotics that require a prescription. Most symptoms go away soon after beginning an antifungal medication, and if the infection is mild enough, it may even go away on its own.

Your doctor may be able to diagnose thrush by taking a look, but if in doubt she’ll take a scrape from the infected area in the mouth and send it to the lab.

Oral infections that look a lot like thrush can be caused by other things – including the early stages of cancer. That makes a qualified diagnosis that much more important.

The first step in treatment will be to get rid of the yeast, and this is usually done with prescription antifungal medication in a form that can be sucked or as a liquid that is held in the mouth before swallowing. Medications that may be prescribed include nystatin (Mycostatin) and fluconazole (Diflucan).

If the infection spreads because your immune system has been compromised, your doctor will use a systemic treatment that is taken orally or intravenously, and treat the infection very aggressively.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some oral yeast infections require no medical treatment at all because they go away on their own. For instance, healthy toddlers may get thrush after being treated with antibiotics. Your child’s doctor may suggest that you add unsweetened yogurt to your child’s diet because yogurt contains beneficial bacteria. If this doesn’t help, your child’s doctor will prescribe an antifungal medication.

Healthy adults can also try eating yogurt, or take a dietary supplement that includes the good bacteria called acidophilus. This may restore the microbial balance, but if it doesn’t work a prescription will be needed.

The second step in treating oral yeast infections is to correct any condition that may have caused it. Dentures will need to be treated to destroy the fungus and ill-fitting dentures may need to be repaired or replaced. If the patient is diabetic, an adjustment may be needed in the diabetic medications that are being taken.

Since a high-sugar diet is known to cause oral yeast infections, a change in diet should always be considered in addition to any other treatment for thrush.

If an infant who is breast feeding gets thrush, the mother will also be treated to keep the infection from being passed back and forth between mother and child.

Jonni Good
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/oral-yeast-infection-thrush-95222.html

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