Thrush can spread to other parts of your body, including your lungs, liver and skin. This happens more often in people with cancer, HIV or other conditions that weaken the immune system.
Main symptoms
Oral thrush usually appears as white patches, especially in the mouth. These can sometimes be scraped off. Thrush can also cause cracks at the corners of the mouth. In the sinuses, thrush can cause headaches and difficulty breathing.
Systemic infection from thrush is very unlikely. People who are debilitated or have problems with their immune system are at risk of the thrush spreading to the esophagus. And, rarely, they may develop a much more serious Candida infection throughout their body.
Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on your tongue or inner cheeks. Sometimes oral thrush may spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums or tonsils, or the back of your throat.
Thrush, a fungal infection of your mouth, happens most often to toddlers and children but can affect anyone. It can result in creamy white lesions on your tongue or inner cheeks. Causes include certain medications and some health conditions, such as dry mouth or diabetes.
Invasive or disseminated candidiasis: an echinocandin (eg, anidulafungin, caspofungin and micafungin) can be used. Fluconazole is an alternative for clinically stable patients. Amphotericin is an alternative when an echinocandin or fluconazole cannot be used.
It's important to note that oral thrush doesn't usually cause a chesty cough. If you're coughing up mucus that isn't white like the spots in your mouth, your cough is likely to be caused by something else, such as a cold, flu or other infection.
Symptoms of candidiasis in the esophagus usually include pain when swallowing and difficulty swallowing. Contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms that you think are related to candidiasis in the mouth, throat, or esophagus.
In very bad cases, thrush can spread into your esophagus and cause: Pain when you swallow or difficulty swallowing. A feeling that food is stuck in your throat or in the middle of your chest. Fever, if the infection spreads beyond the esophagus.
The primary symptom of esophageal thrush is dysphagia, which means difficulty in swallowing, as esophageal candidiasis involves the development of multiple white patches inside of the esophagus. Other symptoms of esophageal thrush can include: pain when swallowing. burning or itching in the throat or back of the mouth.
Imaging tests such as a chest X-ray or CT scan can help with diagnosis because your doctor may be able to spot a nodule or fungal mass on your lung, caused by the mold, that would prompt your doctor to do further testing. If they are still unsure, a tissue biopsy may be the best way to get a clear diagnosis.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare provider can diagnose a Candida infection with a sample of your blood. The sample goes to a lab, where staff put it in a special substance and wait to see whether Candida multiplies. Test results can take a few days.
People can get histoplasmosis by breathing in fungal spores, and infection can be mild or life-threatening. It can be misdiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, like pneumonia caused by bacteria. This often results in delayed treatment.
Candida can lead to thrush, bloating, and fatigue. There are some natural ways to ease the condition. Read this article to discover these remedies.
Your doctor may prescribe fluconazole if miconazole or nystatin have not treated your oral thrush, or if your infection is severe. Fluconazole comes as a capsule or liquid that you swallow, your body absorbs it for it to work. This means that it affects more of your body and has a stronger effect.
Possible antifungal treatments include: Voriconazole, isavuconazole, posaconazole or itraconazole. Liposomal amphotericin B. Caspofungin or micafungin.
Candida pneumonia is a rare infection of the lungs, with the majority of cases occurring secondary to hematological dissemination of Candida organisms from a distant site, usually the gastrointestinal tract or skin.
Mild cases usually clear up on their own in a few weeks to a few months. But some people may have lingering symptoms, especially if the infection becomes severe.
Symptoms of oral thrush
white patches (plaques) in the mouth that can often be wiped off, leaving behind red areas that may bleed slightly. loss of taste or an unpleasant taste in the mouth. redness inside the mouth and throat. cracks at the corners of the mouth.
Often difficult to recognize, thrush can have a wide variety of symptoms, including a white coating on the inside of your mouth and throat. 1 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.
To diagnose oral thrush, your doctor or dentist may: Examine your mouth to look at the lesions. Take a small scraping of the lesions to examine under a microscope. If needed, do a physical exam and certain blood tests to identify any possible underlying medical condition that may be the cause of oral thrush.
Oral thrush clears up within a few weeks with the proper antifungal treatment. The condition may be harder to treat if you have a weakened immune system from HIV infection, cancer, or diabetes.