Do you need treatment of thrush? Well, a good way to understand if you need treatment of thrush is to understand what it is. Once you know what thrush is, you will be able to determine whether or not you need treatment of thrush.
Therefore, let’s start with understanding what it is.
What is thrush?
Oral thrush is a form of yeast infection that has an effect on the tongue and mouth. It causes creamy white lesions and is commonly known to be caused by the Candida albicans fungus.
Symptoms of thrush
Here are some of the symptoms of thrush that you should be aware of to determine whether you’ve been affected by it or not.
- Creamy white lesions on the roof of the mouth, inside the cheeks, and on your tongue
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Redness in the mouth
- Burning sensation inside the mouth
- Eating spicy food can result in pain
- Cracks on the corner of your mouth
While not all of the above absolutely means that you have thrush. Hence, it’s better to seek a professional diagnosis from a dentist.
Treatment of thrush
Now that you know what it is and its symptoms, here’s what you need to know about the treatment of thrush in adults.
Usually, thrush is treated using antifungal medication. It can either be a pill or a solution or be a lozenge, depending on what has been prescribed. Moreover, there are times when thrush treatment also involves an antibiotic course. It’s used to clean up any underlying infections that may have accelerated it.
It's important to have good dental habits if you want to ensure that you don’t need to seek treatment of thrush. Here are some of the habits that can be good for your oral hygiene:
- Brush twice a day
- Floss and use a mouthwash daily
- Limit sugar and acidic beverages
- Avoid using tobacco products
- Visit a dentist regularly
- Drink plenty of water
- Keeping dental appliances clean
Causes of thrush
While you know the treatment of thrush, it will benefit you to know the causes of thrush in adults as well. Overuse of antibiotics can result in disrupting the natural balance of bacteria in the mouth
- Certain health conditions such as diabetes can weaken your immune system
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause
- Medical conditions that result in dryness of your mouth
- Poor oral hygiene such as ignoring dental floss and mouthwash
- Not maintaining the hygiene of dental appliances such as dentures
How to avoid oral thrush?
The most obvious way to avoid treatment of thrush is to avoid oral thrush altogether. That being said, here are some of the tips that you can follow to avoid oral thrush and ensure you don’t have to go through a series of treatments to be pain free.
- Always practice good hygiene
- Try to limit sugary foods and drinks as much as possible
- Constantly hydrate yourself even if you’re not thirsty
- Do not take antibiotics unless absolutely necessary
- Get treatment for any underlying health conditions that could weaken your immune system
- Do not share personal oral items such as toothbrushes
- Try to include more foods with antifungal properties in your diet
Treatment of thrush will become a necessity if you don’t care about your oral health. Your focus on health shouldn’t be limited to your physical health only. It must be expanded to mental health, hair health, and even oral health.
If you care about all the aspects that make you a healthy adult, only then will you be able to become a healthy adult.
If you care only about your mental health and not physical health, you could become obese. This wouldn’t be good for your heart or your physical well-being.
However, if you care only about your physical health and not oral health, you might need treatment for thrush, or worse, you may have to get rid of some of your affected teeth or deal with gum problems for a prolonged period. It’s ideal to always care about your health overall rather than just one aspect of it.