Mouth Fungus Causes
Oral fungus, often referred to as oral thrush or candida, is a relatively common medical condition. If you develop mouth fungus, you will notice that your tongue and cheeks appear to be coated with white lesions. Occasionally, these lesions, which often look like cottage cheese, can form on your throat, gums, tonsils and even the roof of your mouth.
While mouth fungus usually develops quickly, it can become a chronic condition if you do not treat it properly and/or identify the cause of your infection. If not identified and treated, thrush can spread to other areas of the body, including the skin, lungs and liver.
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Illnesses
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Several illnesses can contribute to the development of mouth fungus. These include diabetes (if it is not under control), cancer, HIV and dry mouth.
If you have diabetes, for example, your body is unable to control the level of sugar in your bloodstream. Sugar helps to promote the growth of yeast; therefore, patients with diabetes are more likely to develop mouth fungus.
Cancer and HIV patients often have suppressed immune systems due to their disease and the medications and treatments they are undergoing. A suppressed immune system cannot effectively fight candida, which leads not only to mouth fungus but to other yeast-related infections as well.
If you have any of these diseases, you will find that you have a dry mouth. Saliva keeps the mouth moist. When the mouth becomes dry, it becomes a perfect growing environment for candida, leading to mouth fungus.
Pregnancy
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Doctors aren't 100 percent sure why pregnant women experience an increased risk of thrush. The majority believe that pregnant women develop mouth fungus because of the major hormonal shifts that occur during the course of a pregnancy. These hormonal shifts can have an impact on the immune system as well.
Many women develop gestational diabetes while pregnant--a condition that usually goes away after the baby is delivered. Because pregnant women are limited in the amount and type of medication they can take, it is often very difficult to control their blood sugar levels.
If you develop mouth fungus or thrush while pregnant, your doctor may try to treat you with children's medications (because they are not as harsh on the body). You may also need to lean toward natural remedies, such as plain yogurt, in order to promote faster healing.
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Smoking
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Smoking can contribute to instances of mouth fungus, and if you have an infection, smoking will aggravate your condition. Smoking upsets the natural balance of bacteria in your mouth and at the same time destroys the mucous membranes protecting your mouth, throat and lungs. If you smoke regularly and excessively, you have a higher risk of developing thrush.
Dentures
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Wearing dentures alone will not cause you to develop mouth fungus. However, wearing dentures and not properly caring for them and the rest of your mouth will. Remove your dentures daily for soaking and cleaning; during that time, brush your gums and tongue very carefully.
If your dentures do not fit properly, they can cause rips or tears in the mucous membranes of your mouth. If this happens, the tear will act as a doorway for candida to get into the body and grow. See your dentist immediately if your dentures do not fit properly. A few simple adjustments may be all you need to avoid a painful and inconvenient mouth fungus.
Birth Control
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All forms of birth control are used to alter the balance of hormones in your body to prevent pregnancy from occurring. Because of this alteration, many women develop mouth fungus or vaginal yeast infections as a side effect of taking birth-control pills.
You may develop a candida infection after the first few months of a new birth-control method. The good news is that your body is likely to adjust to the new hormone levels, and the mouth fungus and other related infections will begin to occur less frequently. If you develop mouth fungus regularly, you may need to talk to your doctor about finding a different birth-control method.
Antibiotics
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Antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria causing illness in your body, but the natural bacteria that live in your body at all times as well. As such, after taking antibiotics, you will experience a reduced level of natural bacteria in the mouth; because the bacteria are no longer present to protect you, the fungus known as candida may find your mouth to be the perfect place to grow.
Eat yogurt or take some sort of probiotic supplement while you finish your course of antibiotics. Doing so will help you avoid mouth fungus infections.
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