Oral thrush is sometimes seen in newborns because their immune systems have not yet fully formed.They may have diaper rash due toCandidaat the same time.
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Common Causes
Medications and Treatments
Health Concerns
Is Thrush Contagious?
Lifestyle Risk Factors
Poor oral hygiene increases your risk of thrush. Brush your teeth twice a day and clean between your teeth daily. If you have dentures, ensure you are cleaning them daily and brushing your tongue and gums.
Don’t neglect your regular dental check-ups.
Smoking tobacco upsets your oral health and increases your risk of oral thrush, although it isn’t clear exactly why. This is one more health reason to stop smoking. There are anecdotal reports (but no clinical studies) that smoking cannabis also raises the risk of thrush.
If you have type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes, it is important to maintain good blood sugar control through medication and diet.
Increased blood sugar raises the risk of oral thrush because hyperglycemia depresses immune function.
Frequently Asked Questions
One large study found 31 different typesCandidaspecies in clinical samples, but just five of those account for more than 90% of all infections in humans:C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. kreusi, C. parapsilosis,andC. tropicalis.These species have become increasingly common in recent years, some of which are associated with severe illness (C. tropicalis) or antibiotic resistance(C. parapsilosis).
Candida albicansis a fungus found normally in the body. When theimmune systemis weakened, the fungus can start to grow out of control, leading tothrush. There are also medications and hormonal conditions that can disrupt the normal balance of bacteria and fungus in the body, promoting the overgrowth ofCandida.
You are more likely to get thrush if you:Have aweakened immune system, including HIVHave uncontrolled diabetesAre pregnantExperience a long-term illnessAre on certain medications, likeantibioticsorsteroidsWear denturesDevelopxerostomia(dry mouth)
You are more likely to get thrush if you:
An uncircumcised penis is the main risk factor for penile thrush, as the skin beneath the foreskin provides the ideal environment forCandida.Poor hygiene andobesityfurther increase the risk.
Vaginal candidiasis can be passed from mother to newborn during childbirth, causing congenital candidiasis. Congenital candidiasis is exceptionally rare and seen primarily in preterm babies. It causes symptoms ranging from local skin infections to systemic illnesses like sepsis andrespiratory distress.
How Thrush Is Diagnosed
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidainfections of the mouth, throat, and esophagusArya NR, Rafiq NB.Candidiasis. In:StatPearls [Internet].Turner SA, Butler G.The Candida pathogenic species complex. Cold Spring Harbor Perspect Med. 2014;4(9):a019778-a019778. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a019778Office on Women’s Health.Douching.Morris BJ, Krieger JN.Penile inflammatory skin disorders and the preventive role of circumcision.Int J Prev Med. 2017;8:32. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_377_16Aruna C, Seetharam K.Congenital candidiasis. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2014;5(5):44. doi:10.4103/2229-5178.144531
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidainfections of the mouth, throat, and esophagusArya NR, Rafiq NB.Candidiasis. In:StatPearls [Internet].Turner SA, Butler G.The Candida pathogenic species complex. Cold Spring Harbor Perspect Med. 2014;4(9):a019778-a019778. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a019778Office on Women’s Health.Douching.Morris BJ, Krieger JN.Penile inflammatory skin disorders and the preventive role of circumcision.Int J Prev Med. 2017;8:32. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_377_16Aruna C, Seetharam K.Congenital candidiasis. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2014;5(5):44. doi:10.4103/2229-5178.144531
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidainfections of the mouth, throat, and esophagusArya NR, Rafiq NB.Candidiasis. In:StatPearls [Internet].Turner SA, Butler G.The Candida pathogenic species complex. Cold Spring Harbor Perspect Med. 2014;4(9):a019778-a019778. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a019778Office on Women’s Health.Douching.Morris BJ, Krieger JN.Penile inflammatory skin disorders and the preventive role of circumcision.Int J Prev Med. 2017;8:32. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_377_16Aruna C, Seetharam K.Congenital candidiasis. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2014;5(5):44. doi:10.4103/2229-5178.144531
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidainfections of the mouth, throat, and esophagus
Arya NR, Rafiq NB.Candidiasis. In:StatPearls [Internet].
Turner SA, Butler G.The Candida pathogenic species complex. Cold Spring Harbor Perspect Med. 2014;4(9):a019778-a019778. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a019778
Office on Women’s Health.Douching.
Morris BJ, Krieger JN.Penile inflammatory skin disorders and the preventive role of circumcision.Int J Prev Med. 2017;8:32. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_377_16
Aruna C, Seetharam K.Congenital candidiasis. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2014;5(5):44. doi:10.4103/2229-5178.144531
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