Oral Thrush - Medtick
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Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is a fungal infection in the mouth, commonly caused by Candida Albicans.
It occurs normally when the immune system is weak due to:

  • Stress
  • Infection
  • Irritation occurred to the mouth e.g. injury
  • Elderly
  • Very young
  • Pregnant
  • Malnourished
  • Have multi-organ failure
  • Severe burns
  • Have invasive instruments in their bodies i.e. pacemakers, catheters
  • Long term weak immune system condition
  • In particular Diabetes (High blood sugar levels lead to better conditions for the yeast (fungus) to grow)
  • Medication

Breast feeding when baby has oral thrush or nipple has skin thrush

Oral thrush is very common is young babies and hence it can affect the mother during breast- feeding.

If treatment is required and one is using a cream on nipple area, do the following:

  • Wash the nipple area and pat dry
  • Breast feed the child and/or express the milk (if too painful) – do not stop breast feeding
  • Apply the cream straight away once finished breast feeding (if one wants an anti-fungal cream, this should be prescribed by your Medical Doctor to rule out any serious underlying infection (See our Infection service for further information).
  • Follow the above procedure when breast feeding the baby
  • Check with Pharmacist/Medical doctor on how often to apply the cream, as the application may need to increase because one has to maybe keep washing the cream off.

Symptoms

Does one have:

  • White spots or patches (joined together called plaque) or a yellow cream colour like curd/cottage cheese on gums and/or roof of mouth, side of cheeks, throat and/or tongue?
  • Easy to wipe away and is to hot, red, swollen/inflamed underneath?
  • Burning sensation in the mouth or on the tongue (particularly if on long term 'broad spectrum' antibiotics, Acute atrophic candidiasis)?
  • An Altered taste?
  • Pain while eating and/or swallowing?
  • Difficulty speaking?
  • Cracking and redness at the corners of the mouth?
  • Bluish/black tongue and/or a burning sensation on the tongue?
  • Feels like one has 'cotton or thread or hair' in the mouth?
Further questions if a baby:
  • Is the child reluctant to feed?
Breast fed mothers:
  • Infants may pass this infection off to their mothers during breastfeeding
  • If thrush goes untreated, the infant and mother may continue to pass the infection back and forth to each other in a constantly repeating cycle.
  • Cracked, red, or sensitive nipples, shiny or flaky skin on or around the nipple, extreme pain during breastfeeding, and painful nipples between feedings?
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