Thrush
What Happens
Most cases of thrush are mild and clear up with the use of an antifungal mouth rinse or lozenges. Very mild cases of thrush may clear up without medical treatment. It usually takes about 14 days of treatment with an oral antifungal medication to cure more severe thrush infections. In some cases, thrush may last several weeks even with treatment.
If thrush goes untreated and does not go away by itself, it can spread to other parts of the body.
- Thrush can spread to the throat (esophagus), the vagina, or the skin. It rarely spreads to other organs of the body.
- Infants can develop a diaper rash because the yeast that causes thrush is in the infant's stool.
Thrush is more likely to recur in:
- People who use inhaled corticosteroids to treat asthma.
- People who take antibiotic medications for a long time.
- People who have false teeth.
- People who have a weakened immune system.
- Children who put objects contaminated with the thrush-causing yeast into their mouths.
Complications
Complications related to thrush are rare in healthy people but may include:
- Poor nutrition for infants who have trouble eating because of thrush.
- Infection of the throat.
 Go to previous section |  Go to top of page |  Go to next section |
| Author: | Amy Fackler, MA Merrill Hayden | Last Updated: March 30, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics | |
 | ||
