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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Children and adults
Initially, you may not even notice symptoms of oral thrush. Depending on the underlying cause, signs and symptoms may develop suddenly and persist for a long time. They can include:
- Creamy white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks and sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils
- Lesions with a cottage cheese-like appearance
- Pain
- Slight bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scraped
- Cracking and redness at the corners of your mouth (especially in denture wearers)
- A cottony feeling in your mouth
- Loss of taste
In severe cases, the lesions may spread downward into your esophagus — the long, muscular tube stretching from the back of your mouth to your stomach (Candida esophagitis). If this occurs, you may experience difficulty swallowing or feel as if food is getting stuck in your throat.
Infants and breast-feeding mothers
In addition to the distinctive white mouth lesions, infants may have trouble feeding or be fussy and irritable. They can pass the infection to their mothers during breast-feeding. The infection may then pass back and forth between mother's breasts and baby's mouth. Women whose breasts are infected with candida may experience the following signs and symptoms:
- Unusually red, sensitive or itchy nipples
- Shiny or flaky skin on the darker, circular area around the nipple (areola)
- Unusual pain during nursing or painful nipples between feedings
- Stabbing pains deep within the breast
When to see a doctor
If you or your baby develops painful white lesions inside the mouth, see your doctor or dentist. If thrush develops in older children or adolescents, seek medical care. An underlying condition such as diabetes may be the cause.
- Candidiasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/candidiasis/. Accessed April 25, 2011.
- Candidiasis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch120/ch120b.html. Accessed April 26, 2011.
- Lustig LR, et al. Ear, nose, & throat disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2011. 50th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2613. Accessed April 25, 2011.
- Candidiasis. American Academy of Pediatrics Redbook. http://aapredbook.aappublications.org. Accessed April 27, 2011.
- Kauffman CA. Clinical manifestations of oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2011.
- Is thrush causing my sore nipples? La Leche League International. http://www.llli.org/FAQ/thrush.html. Accessed June 29, 2009.
- Diabetes and oral health. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/sections/scienceAndResearch/pdfs/patient_18.pdf. Accessed April 21, 2011.
- Clarkson JE, et al. Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007;(1): CD003807.
- Pienaar ED, et al. Interventions for the prevention and management of oropharyngeal candidiasis associated with HIV infection in adults and children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2010;(11):CD003940.
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