A mouth fungus, generally occurs as a consequence of compromised immune system too much intake of antibiotics.
A fungal infection is usually associated with the skin and mainly affects the chest and the back. However, in today's hectic lifestyle a mouth fungus infection, also known as oral thrush is no more an uncommon phenomenon. This fungus known as Candida albicans specifically targets the tongue and the mucous membrane of the mouth.
Mouth Fungus
The fungus Candida albicans (yeast) is actually present in our body. This fungus can be found in different parts of the body, including the mouth.
This fungus does not cause any harm to the body, but when its presence deviates from the normal range, it can bring medical problems. To be more precise, overgrowth of fungus in the mouth leads to infection and affects the lining of the mouth.
Symptoms
Symptoms of oral fungus can be clearly noticed on the tongue and inside of the tongue. White patches, also known as lesions appear in the mouth. These white spots are distinctly visible on the tongue and inner cheeks.
Depending upon the severity of infection, the tongue with these white creamy spots, thus interfering with the sense of taste. So even the most delicious food may appear tasteless for people with oral thrush. Cracked mouth corners can also be the result of oral yeast infection.
Causes
Impaired Immune System People having a weak immune system are susceptible to this form of infection. A weakened or an impaired immune system cannot resist invasion of fungus. In other words the immune system cannot control the indiscriminate growth of fungus.
No wonder, oral yeast infection is commonly diagnosed in babies as they have a weak immune system. With age, the power of the immune system to fight infections also decreases. That is why, oral thrush is also prominent in older people.
Antibiotics Frequent use of antibiotics is a primary contributory factor behind the occurrence of oral thrush. There is no doubt that antibiotics taken in any form help to eliminate the bacteria causing the illness. However, very people know that the antibiotics also destroy the 'harmless' bacteria, that are known to prevent surplus growth of fungus.
Unfortunately, antibiotics cannot distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' bacteria, and hence causes reduction in 'good' bacteria, thus leading to fungal infection. In fact, overgrowth of fungus is a side effect of antibiotics.
Chemotherapy Chemotherapy drugs is regarded as the first line of defense against cancer. These drugs are a remedy for cancer, when treated in the initial stages.
However, many people during the course of treatment develop yeast infection of the mouth. This is because chemotherapy drugs kill the infection fighting cells, thereby decreasing the count of the 'soldiers' of our body.
Diseases Diseases have also contributed to widespread fungal infection in humans. For instance, people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have a depressed immune system and therefore are at great risk of infections from this type of fungus.
Salivary Gland Disorders Salivary gland disorders such as dry mouth in which there is insufficient production of saliva creates a perfect breeding ground for fungus overgrowth. When saliva is being produced in less amounts, the Candida level in mouth increases dramatically.
Treatment for mouth fungus, is given after identifying the cause of the infection. Chemotherapy induced fungal infection, is usually treated with medications like amphotericin B, to counteract the bad effects of chemotherapy.
Anti fungal medications such as lozenges and nystatin that are available in liquid form, are used to rinse the mouth and then ingested to get rid of the infection.
Studies show that a good nutritious diet helps to strengthen the immune system, thus considerably minimizing the chances of any fungal infection. Persistent or recurring oral thrush is regarded as a symptom of HIV/AIDS. So, treating the problem at the right time is very important for early diagnosis.