How to Treat Oral Thrush
Get diagnosed by a health professional., Use a Nystatin rinse., Use miconazole gel., Use prescription lozenges., Take prescription pills., Treat oral thrush if your baby has given it to you., Replace anything that may have gone in your mouth while...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get diagnosed by a health professional.
Doctors and dentists are generally able to diagnose oral thrush simply by looking at the lesions in your mouth.
However, some may still do an oral swab to be sure that you have thrush.
Make sure that you visit a physician if you suspect that you have thrush.
Oral thrush can spread and it may become a serious problem.
Do not try to treat it on your own. -
Step 2: Use a Nystatin rinse.
Nystatin Swish and Swallow is a commonly prescribed medication for thrush.
It helps to clear up infections and yeast growths.
To use this medication, swish the medication in your mouth for several minutes, and then swallow it to clear the throat and esophagus.
Make sure that you swallow the medication after you finish swishing it.
Otherwise, you may develop esophagitis, which is an infection of the esophagus.
A common dosage of Nystatin suspension is 100,000 U/mL taken between four to six times every day., Miconazole gel is currently available as an over-the-counter drug for oral thrush.
The most common brand for miconazole is Daktarin oral gel.
Extra precautionary measures should be considered before starting the miconazole treatment for people who have liver conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and infants below six months.Apply a pea-sized amount of gel directly to the lesions.
If you don’t know how to properly apply the gel, read the instructions that come along with it. , Nystatin or clotrimazole may also be used in the form of a troche (a lozenge that is dissolved in the mouth).
Allow one lozenge to dissolve in your mouth, swishing it gently so that it makes contact with all the surfaces in your mouth.
Make sure that you swallow periodically to clear up any infection in your throat.Whether the medication is a rinse or a lozenge, continue using it for at least 48 hours after the symptoms have disappeared.
Nystatin pastilles: 200,000 U each, given 4 times a day for 1-2 weeks., If a rinse or lozenge is not successful in clearing up oral thrush, or if the infection has spread beyond the mouth, you will have to take pills to clear up the infection.
The oral treatment prescribed is typically fluconazole or an echinocandin.
The medication the doctor chooses to prescribe depends on the strain of Candida and on the individual patient (how ill he or she is, whether other illnesses are also present, allergies, and other factors).Oral antifungal medications you can take includes clotrimazole (Mycelex) and fluconazole (Diflucan), which are taken by mouth.Fluconazole is generally prescribed as 400 mg pills; two are taken the first day, then one per day after that.
While oral thrush may appear to be gone within the first 2 days of taking medication, it is important to continue the recommended treatment which usually is about 2 weeks.Echinocandin is prescribed as caspofungin at 70 mg on the first day, then 50 mg daily; or, anidulafungin at 200 mg on the first day, then 100 mg daily., If thrush occurs in a baby who is breastfeeding, the mother may have a Candida infection around her nipples.
In this case, the nipples will usually be red, flaky, and itchy, and may be painful during breastfeeding.
Two ways to treat this infection include:
Nystatin cream:
This may be prescribed by the mother’s physician; the usual dose is two to three times per day. , It is important to sanitize or replace items that may go into the mouth to prevent oral thrush from returning.
Replace your toothbrush (or its head, if it’s an electronic one) with a new one.
If you wear dentures, soak them overnight in a denture cleaning solution.For babies, boil items such as pacifiers and bottle nipples that are used in the mouth.
Wash all dishes in hot water (over 122 degrees), and do not share used dishes or utensils with family members. -
Step 3: Use miconazole gel.
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Step 4: Use prescription lozenges.
-
Step 5: Take prescription pills.
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Step 6: Treat oral thrush if your baby has given it to you.
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Step 7: Replace anything that may have gone in your mouth while you had thrush.
Detailed Guide
Doctors and dentists are generally able to diagnose oral thrush simply by looking at the lesions in your mouth.
However, some may still do an oral swab to be sure that you have thrush.
Make sure that you visit a physician if you suspect that you have thrush.
Oral thrush can spread and it may become a serious problem.
Do not try to treat it on your own.
Nystatin Swish and Swallow is a commonly prescribed medication for thrush.
It helps to clear up infections and yeast growths.
To use this medication, swish the medication in your mouth for several minutes, and then swallow it to clear the throat and esophagus.
Make sure that you swallow the medication after you finish swishing it.
Otherwise, you may develop esophagitis, which is an infection of the esophagus.
A common dosage of Nystatin suspension is 100,000 U/mL taken between four to six times every day., Miconazole gel is currently available as an over-the-counter drug for oral thrush.
The most common brand for miconazole is Daktarin oral gel.
Extra precautionary measures should be considered before starting the miconazole treatment for people who have liver conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and infants below six months.Apply a pea-sized amount of gel directly to the lesions.
If you don’t know how to properly apply the gel, read the instructions that come along with it. , Nystatin or clotrimazole may also be used in the form of a troche (a lozenge that is dissolved in the mouth).
Allow one lozenge to dissolve in your mouth, swishing it gently so that it makes contact with all the surfaces in your mouth.
Make sure that you swallow periodically to clear up any infection in your throat.Whether the medication is a rinse or a lozenge, continue using it for at least 48 hours after the symptoms have disappeared.
Nystatin pastilles: 200,000 U each, given 4 times a day for 1-2 weeks., If a rinse or lozenge is not successful in clearing up oral thrush, or if the infection has spread beyond the mouth, you will have to take pills to clear up the infection.
The oral treatment prescribed is typically fluconazole or an echinocandin.
The medication the doctor chooses to prescribe depends on the strain of Candida and on the individual patient (how ill he or she is, whether other illnesses are also present, allergies, and other factors).Oral antifungal medications you can take includes clotrimazole (Mycelex) and fluconazole (Diflucan), which are taken by mouth.Fluconazole is generally prescribed as 400 mg pills; two are taken the first day, then one per day after that.
While oral thrush may appear to be gone within the first 2 days of taking medication, it is important to continue the recommended treatment which usually is about 2 weeks.Echinocandin is prescribed as caspofungin at 70 mg on the first day, then 50 mg daily; or, anidulafungin at 200 mg on the first day, then 100 mg daily., If thrush occurs in a baby who is breastfeeding, the mother may have a Candida infection around her nipples.
In this case, the nipples will usually be red, flaky, and itchy, and may be painful during breastfeeding.
Two ways to treat this infection include:
Nystatin cream:
This may be prescribed by the mother’s physician; the usual dose is two to three times per day. , It is important to sanitize or replace items that may go into the mouth to prevent oral thrush from returning.
Replace your toothbrush (or its head, if it’s an electronic one) with a new one.
If you wear dentures, soak them overnight in a denture cleaning solution.For babies, boil items such as pacifiers and bottle nipples that are used in the mouth.
Wash all dishes in hot water (over 122 degrees), and do not share used dishes or utensils with family members.
About the Author
Matthew Taylor
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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