Symptoms of Oral Thrush :

A. Children and adults:

1. Creamy, white, cheese-like lesions on tongue, inner cheeks and sometimes on the roof mouth, gums and tonsils.
2. There is usually no pain in the area underneath the spots.
3. Slight bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scraped.
4. Cracking at the comers of mouth.
5. Sometimes the lesion may spread to the hand palate, tonsil, posterior pharyngeal wall and gum.
6. Loss of taste.

B. Infants and breast-feeding mothers:

1. Usually red, sensitive or itchy nipples.
2. Shiny skin on the areola.
3. Unusual pain during nursing or painful nipples between feeding.
4. Stabbing pains deep within the breast.

Diagnosis of Oral Thrush :

• Oral candidiasis
• Diptheria
• Aphthous ulcer
• Bechect’s syndrome.
• stevens johnson syndrome.
• Toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Pemphigus vulgaris

Investigations  of Oral Thrush : 

• CBC
• RBS
• Biopsy from the lesion.

Treatment of Oral Thrush :

1. In babies oral thrush may clear spontaneously without treatment.
2. Topical antifungal agents-oral drops or suspension held in the mouth before swallowing
3. Systemic antifungal (Ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole) In complicated cases or if the infection spreads and in immunocompromised individuals.
4. Treatment of the cause such as wearing new and better fitting dentures, controlling diabetes etc.

Prevention of oral Thrush : 

1. Maintain good oral hygiene: By brushing teeth after each meal.
2. Avoid mouth trauma : Use a soft toothbrush, don’t eat food or drinks that are too hot or too spicy.
3. Giving the child sterilized water immediately following a milk feed mouth is rinsed away.
4. Sterilizing all feeding equipment and mouth toys.

Complication of Oral Thrush : 

1. Extension of the lesion into pharynx and oesophagus
2. Dysphagia.