What exactly is oral thrush? It is a yeast infection that occurs in the mouth and can affect anyone of any gender or age including babies, children and adults. Oral thrush appear to be either mild or severe. It often improves if it’s mild and you keep your mouth clean. Home remedies can help ease symptoms in the meantime.
Certain prescriptions can also help treat oral thrush such as antifungal lozenges [1] or mouthwashes if it doesn’t resolve after consuming beverages, eating active-culture yogurt, or taking probiotic pills.
If these simple treatments are not effective, you should contact your healthcare provider. And they would then prescribe to you some antifungal drugs.
Oral thrush comes with itching and burning of the mouth. This article explains how the infection is treated and home remedies that can help ease the symptoms. More serious cases may require an over-the-counter or prescription medication.
Home Remedies for Oral Thrush
The major sign of oral thrush is a white coating on the inside of the mouth, pain while eating, and being unable to taste, usually these symptoms disappear on their own. Even thrush in babies will often go away after a week or two.
There are certain home remedies that can help ease symptoms and provide relief from itching and burning. They include popsicles, ice cream, chilled soups, smoothies, and crushed-ice beverages.
Also, you can use warm salt water to rinse your mouth. This is often effective in relieving the pain. You can make one by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. Ensure that you spit it out once you are done rinsing.
Keeping your mouth clean is a crucial part of treating thrush. Rinse your mouth with water after you eat and after taking medications, unless the medications are meant to coat your mouth to battle the yeast.
Use a soft toothbrush and brush your teeth, gums, and tongue twice a day. Keep your dentures clean and disinfect them daily. Avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes, because they may make a burning sensation worse.
Yogurt with active cultures contains lactobacilli (probiotic bacteria) [2] that can edge out yeast in your mouth. Consult your pediatrician to discuss whether you should give it to a baby or not.