How to Get Rid of Thrush

Thrush, also known as Candida or a Yeast Infection is a fungal infection that causes discomfort and itchiness. It usually affects areas around the mouth, throat and genitals. In this article, you will learn how to get rid of thrush and how to stop it coming back.

What is Thrush?

Thrush is an over-population of the Candida Albicans fungal bacteria that causes itchiness, soreness and redness around the affected area.
It is caused by Candida Albicans, which is a naturally occuring bacteria in the body (around 50% of the world’s population carry it in their mouths and throats without suffering any ill effects).

Usually, levels of the bacteria are balanced by other ‘friendly’ bacteria that live in the mouth and the body’s immune system, however when these levels get too high for the body to manage them it results in the symptoms of thrush.

Symptoms of Thrush

Candida Albicans thrives in areas that are warm and moist, which is why thrush usually affects either the mouth or genital areas.
It causes itchiness, soreness, irritation and sometimes pain and is characterised by a patchy white substance that collects around the affected area. This substance can scraped off but it is usually quite painful to do so. For women who have internal vaginal thrush, the white substance can be identintified as a thick, white vaginal discharge.

Thrush can also cause pain when urinating or having sex.

Causes of Thrush

As mentioned previously, thrush is the result of a disproportionate level of Candida Albicans bacteria in the body compared to other ‘friendly’ bacteria, which usually keep it at bay. There are a number of reasons that can create a situation that allows the bacteria to get out of control but it’s usually due to one of four reasons:

A weakened immune system – A weakened immune system reduces the body’s natural defences leaving it open to attack by Candida Albicans. People that are HIV Positive or suffer from other diseases that affect the immune system (such as depression) and people that are on (or have recently finished) a course of antibiotics have higher chances of developing thrush.
High sugar levels – High sugar levels in the body are favourable to Candida Albicans, so people that suffer from Diabetes have a slightly higher than average chance of developing thrush.
Hormonal imbalances - A hormone imbalance in the body can also lead to the development of thrush, putting pregnant women, new mothers and newborns at risk from developing thrush.
Wearing dentures – Unclean or poorly fitted dentures can create great conditions for Candida Albicans to multiply, so denture wearers also fall into the higher risk group.

Although, in theory, thrush is contagious, it is rare for it to be passed from person to person. This is because the body naturally keeps the levels of Candida Albicans in balance, so any bacteria that is transmitted is quickly dealt with by the immune system. Therefore, it is not necessary for thrush-sufferers to avoid contact with other people unless they fall into one of the ‘higher-risk’ categories above.

How To Get Rid of Thrush

If you suspect you are suffering from thrush, you should visit your doctor in the first instance who will be able to accurately diagnose your condition and will offer treatment in the form of an anti-fungal medicine to combat the bacteria on prescription. There are a number of methods that the anti-fungal medicines can be applied depending on the location of the thrush and personal preferences including:

Creams/gels – Rubbed onto the skin
Tablets/lozenges – Taken orally
Pessary - Inserted into the vagina
Rinses - Swilled around the mouth

If you have suffered from thrush before and recognise the symptoms, a visit to your doctor is still recommended, however if you prefer to treat yourself at home, you can pick up anti-fungal medicines over the counter at you local pharmacy. The most common brands are Canesten and Diflucan.
Using these medicines, thrush should clear up within 1-2 weeks. If it doesn’t, you should go back to your doctor for further advice.

These medicines fight the infection but don’t fight the root cause of the problem. If you get thrush regularly or if you get particularly long bouts of thrush, you should consider looking at ways to get rid of thrush naturally – The Three-Day Thrush Cure is highly recommended for a natural holistic way to get rid of thrush and ensure it doesn’t come back.

How To Prevent Thrush

Thrush can be prevented by ensuring you do not irritate the areas wear thrush can thrive. You can do this by using mild soaps / perfumes and wearing loose-fitting underwear if you have suffered from genital thrush and maintaining a high level of oral hygiene (brushing, flossing, cleaning dentures etc.) if you have suffered from oral thrush.

Keeping healthy is also good to keep thrush at bay – this includes a good diet, regular exercise and keeping away from harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Tags : Health And Beauty