Signs and Symptoms of Thrush

Often difficult to recognize, thrush can have a wide variety of symptoms, including a white coating on the inside of your mouth and throat. While it’s rarely dangerous—and not always painful—thrush can lead to life-threatening infections in other parts of the body if it is left untreated. Therefore, it’s crucial to seek immediate treatment if you notice signs or symptoms of thrush in yourself or your child.

Common Symptoms

The medical term for thrush is “oral candidiasis,” which refers to a genus of yeasts called candida.

Typically caused by a species of yeast called candida albicans, thrush may trigger the following signs and symptoms:

• White coating or patches on the inner cheeks, tongue, roof of mouth, tonsils, and throat
• Redness or soreness in the mouth and/or throat
• A cottony feeling in the mouth
• Loss of taste
• A burning sensation on the tongue
• Pain while eating and/or swallowing
• Difficulty speaking
• Cracking and redness at the corners of the mouth

Sometimes described as creamy or velvety, the white coating associated with thrush may have a sore-like appearance.

Thrush often weakens your sense of taste, which can take the enjoyment out of eating and drinking. Even after brushing their teeth and practicing other components of good oral hygiene, people with thrush may still notice an unpleasant cottony sensation in their mouths.

In Children

In infants, issues such as fussiness and irritability during feeding may be a sign of thrush, although some babies may not feel any discomfort. Oral signs and symptoms of thrush (such as the white coating inside the mouth and throat) are the same for babies, children, and adults alike.

If thrush goes untreated, the infant and mother may continue to pass the infection back and forth to each other in a constantly repeating cycle.

Complications

For people with certain medical conditions, those with an impaired immune system (such as individuals undergoing cancer treatment or people with HIV/AIDS), and very low-birth-weight infants, prompt treatment is especially important to prevent complications.

Systemic candidiasis can cause a number of serious and even life-threatening illnesses, such as meningitis (in the brain) and endocarditis (in the heart). Such infections can also affect your esophagus (causing esophagitis), eyes (endophthalmitis), and joints (arthritis).

Some infants will develop diaper rash if the yeast gets into the baby's stool.

When to See a Doctor

Call your doctor if:

• Your baby or child refuses to eat
• You or your child have symptoms of thrush such as the white coating or patches inside the mouth
• You are breastfeeding and have cracked or painful nipples (or other symptoms of infection of the breasts)
• You or your child have thrush symptoms that fail to improve with treatment or if symptoms recur
• You or your child develop new or worsening symptoms

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Since the presence of thrush in healthy adults and in older children or teens generally manifests when a person's immune system is weakened or if you have certain medical conditions, it’s important to consult your physician to determine whether you might need to be evaluated for an underlying health problem. For instance, medical conditions such as diabetes are sometimes associated with thrush.

If you aren't sure whether your immune system is impaired and/or you are at greater risk of complications, see your doctor. Many common medications (such as corticosteroids and antibiotics), can lower a person's immune response.

Frequently Asked Questions

How common is oral thrush in adults?

Not very. Although around 60% of healthy people carry Candida yeast (a type of fungus) in their mouths, it's unusual for it to cause thrush unless certain risk factors are present, including:

• A compromised immune system
• A chronic condition such as cancer or diabetes
• Wearing dentures
• Taking certain medications including antibiotics, corticosteroids, and drugs that cause dry mouth
• Smoking
• Vitamin B deficiency

Is oral thrush contagious?

Although it's not considered contagious, there are a few instances in which the infection can be passed from one person to another. In rare cases, people who have a weakened immune system could become infected by kissing someone with thrush. More commonly, thrush can be passed from a mother to her baby and vice versa during breastfeeding.

How long does oral thrush last if it isn't treated?

In newborns who develop candidiasis, the infection tends to get better on its own within three to eight weeks. However, adults with thrush who go untreated are likely to have the infection indefinitely unless they have risk factors they can control or eliminate, such as smoking.

What diseases can be mistaken for oral thrush?

White splotches on the tongue can be caused by a build-up of food debris and bacteria. Several medical conditions also are characterized by a white tongue, including:

• Leukoplakia
• Oral lichen planus
• Geographic tongue
• Syphyllis