What is thrush?!
Question:
What is thrush?
saw it on telly
Answers:
It's a yeast infection of the mouth, caused by the microscopic yeast Candida albicans { yes, it's the same one that causes vaginal yeast infections, ringworm, and athlete's foot }. This kind of infection is most common in infants and toddlers, but can happen at any age. People with debilitated immune systems { cancer patients, people who've received organ transplants, and AIDS patients } are frequently affected by this kind of infection. Treatment consists of a topical antifungal {Nystatin Oral Solution} or antifungal medications in tablet form {Lamisil, Griseofulvin, Sporanox, Diflucan, among many others}. A home remedy that's proven effective: rinsing your mouth with apple cider vinegar {NOT imitation vinegar, but the genuine one, like Heinz}. Yeasts thrive in alkaline environments, and the vinegar is acidic, so the yeast cells die.
Yeasts are microscopic organisms, but aren't in any way related to bacteria. Using an antibiotic to treat a fungal infection will only cause it to get worse. Patients who are treated with potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics frequently get yeast infections. Antibiotics kill the normal bacteria that live in your body, and then yeasts proliferate; with bacteria gone, fungi have ample opportunity to multiply and cause what's called an "opportunistic infection".