"What is that white patch on my baby's mouth"? Any mother could have mumbled a similar statement like this while giggling with their angels. Basically, those white curd-like patches that can be seen in the tongue are not simply food residues but thrush. What is thrush in simple terms?
Thrush is yeast infection caused by specific species of fungi called Candida Albicans. Usually, these organisms live in any healthy intestinal folds of all humans except that when the environment of the body undergoes drastic chemical changes, the yeasts grow in uncontrolled amounts causing irritable symptoms of thrush anywhere in the body.
The tongue is one of the perfect places for yeasts. In the mouth, which is the main receiving vessel of all foods and beverages, it has all the possibilities of infection while its alkalinity is always changing constantly every meal. If it is not hygienically maintained, thrush can spread in no time.
The trouble with thrush is that it is never attractive to look at whenever your baby smiles. Usually, thrush in infants is always mistaken to be traces of milk, as they appear nested at the tongue. If the baby is undergoing diaper rashes at the same time, expect that what you have seen in the mouth is not ordinary milk residue. Actually tongue thrush in infants is not harmful, however it can cause some amount of discomfort and irritation to your baby.
No matter how you scrape the white residues with a brush, it usually does not get removed at once.
For infants, the mouth must be religiously wiped by a wet washcloth after feeding to prevent accumulated food residues from sticking long to the mouth. Avoid sugar altogether. Breastfeeding moms must make sure that if they contract thrush in the nipples, they take precautionary measure not to contaminate the infant's mouth.
For adults, thrush is easier to determine. Sometimes it is caused by some medicines that alter the natural balance of the body flora. Such medicines must be taken with caution. These medicines are: antibiotics, birth control pills, steroids found in meat products, cancer drugs.
Tongue thrush is a very common disease that happens to anyone from time to time. It will be hard to deal with if there is not enough prevention done. The best way to avoid tongue thrush is of course through good dental hygiene.
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Charlene J. Nuble 2006.
For answers to All your frequently asked questions about thrush, please go to: http://thrush.candidaanswers.com/