Oral Thrush

Find a wide variety of information on the candida fungal infection known as oral thrush, or thrush mouth or tongue thrush. Risk factors, diagnosis, and alternative therapies and treatment tips from alternative medicine.

Oral thrush is a yeast infection of the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue. Although the elderly, babies, and others with weak or compromised immune systems are most at risk, I contracted thrush mouth in the prime of my life, in my early forties. I saw an ear/nose/throat specialist. He diagnosed tongue thrush with a lab test, since it wasn't bad enough yet to do a visual diagnosis, and the first thing he recommended was cutting out all sugar. Since I was addicted to sugar and ate huge amounts, it's no wonder I got oral thrush. Some of the sites referenced below also recommend also cutting out bread, beer and wine, which contain yeast.

Always check with your doctor before trying anything you read here. Everyone is different, and what might be good for some people might be bad for you, considering your medical history and medications.

The doc gave me the standard antifungal drugs as a thrush treatment, but it still took me two to three months to get rid of this thrush in the mouth, and it wasn't very bad when I went to the doctor. Most people wait longer than I do before seeking help for a thrush infection. Anyway, if you are at risk, you might want to try to avoid it by taking a probiotic, like Flora Source, the one I take for toenail fungus. It doesn't have to be that brand; get a recommendation from your alternative medicine provider.

If I got oral thrush today, knowing how yucky and persistent it is, I would start my own alternative thrush treatment by cutting out all sugar, bread and other products containing yeast, beer, wine and maybe even some fruit that is really high in sugar. I'd take the maximum recommended does of a good, recommended probiotic daily. I'd do what I could to reduce stress, and I'd try to get a lot of sleep to help my body fight it off.

At the Mayo Clinic Web site, you'll find risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis (including photos), and even some home remedies for thrush out of alternative medicine, namely garlic, Yeast-Gard tablets and caprylic acid capsules. You may want to read this if you are looking for a home remedy for thrush.

Here's another source out of the University of Iowa.

At another site, I found a way to self-diagnose candida (which is the fungus in oral thrush) with a "spit test." It says that first thing in the morning you should rinse your mouth and then spit a big glob into a glass of clear water. If you have candida (oral thrush), you will see strings going down from the saliva floating on top, or disgusting looking saliva on the bottom of the glass, or else the water will have cloudy specks in it. Or all three! The more you see, the worse you've got it. If the spit stays on top and the water remains clear, you probably don't have candida.

The bad news is that this site's main reason for being is to sell stuff. The guy writing it provides a lot of information about candida (which is the fungus in oral thrush) that I don't see elsewhere. He bills himself as a "natural health consultant." The good news is that the stuff sold has a 30-day or 60-day money-back guarantee. I often order products if they have a money-back guarantee. If they don't work, I return them. I'm out the shipping, both ways, but if I find something that works, it's worth it.

As always, ask your doctor about all of this information about oral thrush. Only you and your doctor know your health history and how this information might affect it.

The content of Alternative Medicine Digest is presented for general informational purposes only, and you should review it with your doctor before taking any action with regard to your health care. The information on alternative medicine at this site is not presented as advice or recommendation, nor is it intended to treat or cure any disease or disorder, nor to substitute for consultation, diagnosis or treatment by your M.D. or other medical professional. See our Medical Disclaimer.

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