Men And Thrush: How Do You Treat It?
If you're a male who suddenly develops a white, patchy rash in your mouth, you may wonder if you have oral cancer or something else. The rash in your mouth could be thrush, a yeast infection (candida) that develops on the soft tissues of your mouth and throat. Thrush can affect anyone, including men. Here's how thrush affects you and what you can do to treat it:
What's Thrush?
Thrush develops from a fungus known as candida, or yeast. Candida is found in your skin, intestines, oral cavity, and other body areas. The healthy bacteria in your body keep candida under control, but certain factors can make candida grow beyond healthy numbers, including a poor immune system.
Your immune system is designed to protect your body from foreign substances like germs and infections. But stress, sickness, fatigue, and autoimmune diseases can weaken your immune system and change how the good bacteria in your body grows. Certain conditions that require antibiotics as a treatment may also affect your immune system, including prostatitis. Your body may not have enough good bacteria in it to keep candida in check. As a result, the fungi grow out of control.
Thrush can show up on your tongue, inner cheeks, and throat. The rash can be painful if you irritate it with your teeth, toothbrush, or food. You can't treat thrush successfully at home. In most cases, you need to seek care from a doctor to overcome your yeast infection.
How Do You Treat Thrush?
A doctor will generally take samples of the rash in your mouth and send them to a laboratory for examination. Once a doctor confirms that you do have thrush, they can prescribe the correct treatment for it.
You may need to take antifungal medications to eliminate the yeast in your mouth. If your immune system is very weak from an illness or medical condition, a doctor may prescribe treatments to strengthen it. Your treatment for candida may include eating foods with antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, including cloves, olive oil, and broccoli.
If you take medications or use treatments that weaken your immune system, speak to your regular doctor about changing your dose. Your medications may be too strong for your immune system.
Also, keep track of how many thrush infections you experience. You may have other problems to consider or diagnose, such as high blood sugar, iron deficiency, and dry mouth. Treating these conditions may help control or stop your infections.
To learn more about thrush, contact a medical professional today.
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