What is the best oral thrush treatment?

November 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Oral thrush can affect anyone from newborn babies to adults. However, there are two distinct categories of oral thrush sufferers when it comes to treatment.

Oral thrush treatment for babies

For babies and breastfeeding mothers the oral thrush treatment for the baby will involve treating the mother’s nipples as well as the yeast infection can pass back and forth between them creating recurrent oral thrush in the baby and recurrent yeast infection of the nipple in Mom.

Any treatment of thrush involves use of anti-fungal agents so, whether it is a home or prescription method for treating oral thrush you are aiming to kill the unwanted fungus (candida) and encourage growth of “healthy bacteria” to prevent its return.
A common home remedy for baby thrush (infants’ oral thrush) is gentian violet. Alternatively, a prescription oral thrush treatment that is commonly used is nystatin suspension (for baby) and nystatin ointment for Mom’s nipples.
Whether you use an home remedy or a prescription remedy for yeast infection, it is important to get the guidance or your doctor as infant oral thrush is painful and will affect your baby’s feeding and subsequent weight gain. It will also become very painful for the breast feeding mother if left untreated.

Treating oral thrush in children and adults

The most common prescription method for treating oral thrush is anti-fungal lozenges or anti-fungal suspension. These aim to bathe the affected area in candida killing agents and so relieve oral thrush symptoms. This type of treatment normally last 10 to 14 days. If it is needing to go on longer, don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you to have blood tests there is a slight possibility that the liver will be affected by long term use.
For this reason, many people feel more comfortable with home remedies for oral thrush. These include, garlic, onions, yogurt and drinking buttermilk.

Prevention means avoiding future oral thrush treatment

As with all yeast infections, what you need to be asking yourself is why did you get oral thrush in the first place? If you have a compromised immune system then you are at higher risk of recurrent yeast infection….so you need to avoid that by addressing the causes of oral thrush. Yeast Infection Helpdesk thoroughly recommends Linda Allen’s book, Yeast Infection No More as a comprehensive resource explaining the causes of your outbreak of oral thrush as well as outlining a range of home oral thrush treatments. She is personally committed to your successful oral thrush treatment and makes herself available by email to ensure the misery of this unpleasant yeast infection is ended. I have had personal success using her methods and cannot recommend the book enough.

Home Remedies for Oral Thrush

November 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment

What is oral thrush?

Oral thrush is an uncomfortable and sometimes painful overgrowth of candida albicans in the mouth that can be caused by too much sugar in the diet, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and compromised immune systems. It can also appear in new born babies who may have contracted this yeast infection from their mother during delivery if she was unfortunate enough to have a yeast infection during pregnancy. Candida esophagitis can also lead to oral thrush as the yeast infection spreads up the gut into the mouth.
Because the symptoms of oral thrush are so unpleasant and it is potentially a contagious condition (for those with increased risk factors), prompt oral thrush treatment is necessary.

What are the available home remedies for oral thrush?

Home remedies for oral thrush need to take the approach of being antifungal and restoring “healthy bacteria” in the mouth and gut. If your oral thrush symptoms are caused by ongoing medical treatment, say for cancer, HIV or Aids, then you will need to take advice from your medical practitioner as well as using home remedies for oral thrush to reduce your oral thrush symptoms naturally.

• The symptom of oral thrush that many sufferers describe is a feeling of not being able to swallow or of something being stuck at the top of the throat. This is cause by lesions in the mouth. Very gentle wiping of this area with cotton wool, a flannel or a specially made toothbrush for cleaning the tongue can gain superficial relief from this oral thrush symptom.
• A mouthwash made up of warm water, cider vinegar and a pinch of salt can have an anti-fungal effect that can be swished around all corners of the mouth and gargled in the throat. Not the tastiest of mouthwashes but a reliable home remedy for oral thrush.
• Garlic and onions (but particularly garlic) are powerful antifungal agents. Increasing these ingredients in your diet will help to kill candida in the mouth and down the digestive tract. the garlic kills the yeast infection whilst the onions help to heal the white patches (lesions) in the mouth.
• Eating live yogurt, swishing it around in the mouth a bit then not eating or drinking anything for a short while afterwards will help to replace the “healthy bacteria” acidophillus in the mouth and gut. Adequate acidophillus levels are your first line of defence against yeast infection as it helps to hold the candida overgrowth at bay.

For full details of holistic and thoroughly tested home remedies for oral thrush, Linda Allen’s book Yeast Infection No More is highly recommended from personal experience. In this concise, yet powerful book, Linda details quantities for mixing home remedies plus how to tailor remedies to your own specific circumstances and medical history. In addition, she offers personal email support as part of her personal commitment to ensure your yeast infection is fully treated and the likelihood of it returning is reduced through adopting her holistic approach.

Treatment for male yeast infections

October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Will male yeast infection symptoms go away without treatment?

What self-help treatment for male yeast infection can I use?

Good personal hygeine practices can go a long way to keeping male yeast infection symptoms at bay:

• frequent baths help wash away surface conditions such as sweat (that provides a moist environment for candida overgrowth  to start).
• showering the genital area with cool water at the end of your abolutions will make the environment less warm for candida to multiply. This tip will also give you relief from the itching too.
• an unusual one this….after a bath or shower, set your hair dryer onto a cool setting and give a quick blast to you already towel dried genitals. This gives a completely dry start to you day wearing trousers or shorts removing that moist atmosphere candida  loves for as long as possible.
• cotton underwear changed regularly will make your genitals less clammy…especially during summer heat or after exercising / other physical activity.
• avoid wearing a damp swimming costume for too long as that generates a warm damp environment too.   

What other male yeast infection treatment is needed?

Most men who suffer from male yeast infection or jock itch can control it with anti-fungal creams that can easily be purchased in local pharmacies / drug stores without any need for prescriptions. Common creams used are clotrimazole, micronazole as well as terconazole.

If a stubborn yeast infection persists, then stronger medication would be required for male yeast infection treatment and these may include using nystatin or oral medicines like fluconazole or lamisil.

Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

October 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Why some women experience yeast infection during pregnancy

Yeast infection during pregnancy, sometimes known as thrush, is a very common scenario as the hormone levels during pregnancy cause  an increase in the glycogen (sugar) content of vaginal secretions. This increased presence of sugar can make yeast infection during pregnancy very stubborn to treat.

Increased presence of sugar in the vagina may also be due to sugar passed in the urine due to gestational diabetes. This is a fairly common and temporary condition during pregnancy. For this reason a chronic yeast infection in pregnancy MUST be checked out with your medical practitioner who will be able to formally diagnose a yeast infection as well as review  possible causes - otherwise it may become a recurrent problem. This will ensure that the  correct and safest treatment (whether it be for prescription, over the counter or natural home remedies) is given ensuring the welfare of both you and your growing baby.

During pregnancy it is always best to avoid medications wherever possible and to NEVER treat yourself for a condition without the express advice of your doctor or pharmacist.

Treatment of yeast infection during pregnancy:

It is reassuring to know that, if you do have a yeast infection, it will not, in itself, harm your developing baby in any way.

However, should there still be symptoms of thrush during labour it is possible that your baby will contract it whilst passing through the birth canal. This may lead to baby thrush which is effectively oral thrush and is the most common cause of yeast infections in babies. If left untreated this may be passed on to your nipples  if breastfeeding. Treatment for baby yeast infections is very straightforward with prescription remedies or gentian violet being the most popular approaches.

The use of tea tree oil for yeast infection

October 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

What is tea tree oil and why is it used for yeast infection?

Tea tree oil is a herb extract that provides an aromatherapy treatment for yeast infection….particularly for topical application to a yeast infection of the skin or as a mouthwash for treating oral thrush.

Tea tree oil is a powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent and needs to be treated with great respect. Although an easily purchased over the counter remedy  it is essential to obtain professional advice on concentrations to use as a remedy for candidial infection.

Factors to consider when using tea tree oil for yeast infection:

It is very tempting to “give anything a go” when desperate to get rid of the misery of recurrent yeast infection. But caution is advised.

 Yeast Infection Helpdesk , through personal experience, thoroughly recommends a holistic approach. The approach in Linda Allen’s book is comprehensive in that she helps you to get quick relief from the symptoms of yeast infection then guides you through the steps that you need to take to remove the causes of yeast infection and so prevent re-infection.

To find out more about Linda’s recommendations, CLICK HERE.

What is the link between acidophilus and yeast infection?

October 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

What is the role of acidophilus in the body?

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a “healthy bacteria” that lives in the gut. The word acidophilus means “acid loving” as it thrives in an environment with a ph of 4.5 or less. It lives in the mouth, gut and vagina and because of the “friendly” reputation of L.Acidophilus is is sometimes referred to as a probiotic.

So what do aciduphilus and yeast infection have to do with eachother?

Thinking about the areas where L.acidophilus exists in the body (mouth, gut and vagina), if acidophilus levels are high and keeping candida growth at bay, the relationship between acidophilus and yeast infection is one of opposition. If candida levels in the body thrive to such a level that acidophilus levels are insufficient to fight against it, reduced acidophilus and yeast infection are more likely to go hand in hand. Similarly, a compromised immune system may make an individual more prone to candida overgrowth due to either the demise of healthy bacteria in the body to fight against it or conditions that encourage candida to grow.

Where can acidophilus be found?

Lactobacillus acidophilus is the “friendly bacteria” that can be naturally found in the digestive system. Acidophilus can be derived from live yogurt or from nutritional supplements and is believed to be very effective in the treatment of oral thrush, esophageal yeast infection and vaginal candidiasis.

How much yogurt should I eat for the acidophilus to fight yeast infection?

It is believed that eating just an 8oz portion of live yogurt is helpful in re-populating the gut with the proper intestinal flora that has been damaged by yeast overgrowth. This amount can also significantly reduce vaginal thrush symptoms.

How much acidophilus as a supplement do I need to fight yeast infection?

If taking acidophilus as an over the counter supplement, you would typically need a supplement of 1 - 10 million live bacteria per day. If the dose is too low it has insufficient impact to reverse the symptoms of yeast infection. If too high a dose is taken mild gastrointestinal disturbances may occur. It is also possible to obtain lactobacilus suppositries to use against vaginal candidiasis. For those susceptible to yeast infection due to being HIV positive this can be an effective part of a holistic approach to treatment.

A combined approach to boost acidophilus to fight yeast infection

Acidophilus supplements and the eating of live yogurt can be an effective preventative measure when taking antibiotics as, for people susceptible to recurrent yeast infection, antibiotics and yeast infections can go hand in hand.

For treating vaginal thrush please see our post on using yogurt for the treatment of yeast infection. Lactobacillus acidopholus suppositries can also be used as part or your armoury against vaginal yeast infection.

What else do I need to know?

It needs to be remembered, however, that the actual candida overgrowth needs to be dealt with alongside recolonising the gastrointestinal tract with friendly bacteria. For a holistic approach to conquering your yeast infection and preventing recurrence, Linda Allen’s book is highly recommended. CLICK here for details.

Symptoms of Esophageal Yeast Infection?

October 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Esophageal yeast infection (sometimes called esophageal candidiasis) affects the digestive tract between the mouth and the stomach.

Because of this the main indicators that you might have candida esophagitis are:

• difficuly swallowing food
• a sense that food is stuck in the top of the chest or at the very back of the throat
• there may be pain behind the breast bone
• nausea

If you have esophageal yeast infection  it is possible that you also have oral thrush. The symptoms of this may affect your mouth and tongue in all making eating and swallowing uncomfortable.

Treatment of Esophageal Yeast infection

There are several suitable remedies for treating esophageal candidiasis:

• Lozenges and mouthwashes can be prescribed that are effective in the treatment of oral thrush.
• Diflucan and Nizoral are effective precription remedies for yeast infection of the gut.
• Over the counter natural remedies include using garlic capsules, colloidal silver and lactobacillus acidophilus supplements to re-introduce healthy bacteria to the digestive system.
• Home remedies include yogurt for eating as part of a candida beating diet (or for topical application with vaginal yeast infection symptoms) and self-help remedies.

Ultimately, the above will individually help to combat different types of candidiasis. However, it is important to address the causes as well in order to avoid recurrent yeast infection. A holistic approach is always the best approach.