Thrush Remedy
A thrush remedy that actually works
Thrush is basically a yeast infection your mouth, so it’s important to find a thrush remedy that actually works. Thrush can make it very difficult to eat anything at all. Symptoms of thrush include white lesions on the tongue, inside the cheeks, and on the roof of the mouth. Pain also usually accompanies thrush, and bleeding can occur if the lesions are broken. Thrush commonly affects infants, especially those who are breast-feeding. This can also cause the infection to pass to the mother’s breasts if it’s not taken care of. An infection on the breast is indicated by red, itchy, and sensitive nipples and severe pain in the nipples between feedings.
Thrush is caused by having a weakened immune system, which can happen in a number of different ways. The most common cause of a weakened immune system is another infection which has caused the doctor to prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics have a tendency to disrupt the natural balances of good bacteria in your body. Good bacteria are what keep the amount of yeast in your body in check. Other drugs like prednisone can also cause a weakened immune system, as can a variety of diseases. Diabetes mellitus, HIV or AIDS, cancer, and vaginal yeast infections can all contribute to a person’s risk for developing thrush.
The best thrush remedy depends entirely on the age of the person who’s infected. For example, doctors may prescribe an antifungal medication for the baby and an antifungal cream for the mother’s breasts if either the baby or breast-feeding mother is infected. They recommend that both mother and baby be treated for thrush if either gets this infection because of the ease with which it can pass between the two.
The best thrush remedy for healthy adults and children usually is as simple as yogurt. The live cultures in yogurt help break down the yeast and clear the infection up. In cases of very severe thrush infections, the doctor may prescribe some acidophilus caplets or liquid as a thrush remedy.
There are also some things you can do at home to alleviate the symptoms of thrush. One thrush remedy involves warm salt water rinses. Use about a half teaspoon of sale in a cup of warm water. Rinse thoroughly and then spit it out. This remedy may help keep thrush under control for a day or two until you can get to the doctor. Nursing mothers will also find it helpful to use nursing pads to keep the fungus from spreading to their clothes, which can cause others to become infected. Just make sure that the pads you choose don’t have a plastic barrier because this can encourage the yeast to grow even more. Wash all your nursing bras and any non-disposable nursing pads in hot water with bleach to kill the fungus.
A thrush infection may return even after it’s been successfully treated, so keep this in mind when your symptoms clear up and watch for any recurrence.