The major cause behind thrush on the tongue is the weakened immune system. This Story presents you the causes of oral thrush and a few simple ways to get rid of it.
Aastha Dogra
Also known as oral thrush in medical terms, it is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans forms and holds on the lining of the mouth. People who are prone to such a fungal infection are newborn babies, people who use dentures, or those who take inhaled corticosteroids. People, who have very weak immune systems too, get this infection quite easily.
The commonly experienced symptoms are white colored lesions on the tongue, inside of cheeks, gums, roof of the mouth and tonsils, pain, cracked corners of the mouth, bleeding from the lesions, a cottony feel in the mouth, and loss of taste. Here are the causes that lead to this infection, and the treatment and home remedies to get rid of it.
Causes
Thrush or fungus on the tongue presents itself in a person, when his immune system is considerably weakened. In a normal person, the immune system repels invading organisms, like, the viruses, fungi, and bacteria, and this helps in maintaining the balance between the good and the bad microbes in the body system. However, when this fails to happen, infections such as oral thrush might occur.
The weakness in the immune system can be caused due to certain illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. Another reason behind weakness of the immune system is intake of certain drugs, such as antibiotics and prednisone. In newborns, it is caused due to the prevalence of vaginal yeast infections in the pregnant woman, which gets passed on to the baby.
Treatment
The treatment is designed in such a way, that the spread of the fungus can be stopped. Doctors generally recommend eating plain yogurt, along with acidophilus capsules or acidophilus liquid as the first treatment. If this does not prove to be effective, doctors may recommend antifungal medication as well. Besides these, there are a number of remedies, which a person should follow to get rid of this infection.
Change of Diet
Foods that contain sugar, juices, candies, white breads, flour, cheese, nuts, etc., should be eliminated from the diet. This is because, these foods feed on the Candida and thus, may cause it to grow even more.
Vitamin C Supplements
Vitamin C helps in boosting the immune system, thereby helping it to ward off all infections and other harmful agents, and this includes the Candida fungus.
Baking Soda
An effective home remedy is to rinse the mouth with baking soda, twice a day. Baking soda helps in fighting the Candida fungus, thereby killing and eliminating it. In order to rinse the mouth with baking soda, dilute 2 tablespoons of it in 1 cup of water.
Probiotic Supplements
Probiotic supplements, replenish the healthy bacteria of the digestive tract. This helps in creating an environment, in which, the nutrients are able to reach the organs of the body. Thus, taking these supplements helps in the overall treatment.
Thrush on the tongue can be prevented, provided, the person takes a few precautions. Maintaining oral hygiene by brushing the teeth twice a day and regularly visiting a dentist, eating yogurt every day, getting vaginal yeast infections treated as soon as they occur, and finally eliminating sugary and yeast-containing foods from the diet, will go a long way in keeping oral thrush at bay.