Oral thrush (mouth thrush)

Oral thrush (mouth thrush)

Oral thrush is usually harmless. It's common in babies and older people with dentures. It can be easily treated with medicines bought from a pharmacy.

Other symptoms in adults are:

• cracks at the corners of the mouth


• not tasting things properly


• an unpleasant taste in the mouth


• pain inside the mouth (for example, a sore tongue or sore gums)


• difficulty eating and drinking

Oral thrush in adults is not contagious.

Babies

Other symptoms in babies are:

• they do not want to feed


• nappy rash

Babies can pass oral thrush on through breastfeeding. This can cause nipple thrush in mothers.

Look at other causes of a white or sore tongue.

Oral thrush can be easily treated with a mouth gel bought from a pharmacy. The gel is suitable for adults, children and babies over the age of 4 months.

Ask your pharmacist for advice. Always follow the instructions on the medicine packet.

If you leave oral thrush untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of the body.

See a GP if:

Thrush is an infection caused by a fungus called Candida. Some things can make the fungus grow more than usual.

You might get thrush if you're:

• taking antibiotics over a long time


• using asthma inhalers


• getting cancer treatment like chemotherapy

There are some things you can do to help prevent oral thrush: