If you notice the emergence of creamy white bruises in your mouth and tongue, it is highly possible that you are infected with oral thrush – one of the most popular problems relating to yeast infection. This disease has negative impacts on not only our appearance, but also our health in general. Thus, it is critical to have understanding of it before treatment.
What Is Oral Thrush?
Oral thrush results from the Candida fungus, or you may be more familiar with the name “yeast”. In fact, this fungus has already existed in different parts of our body, say, the mouth or the skin, for a long time. However, its side effects are contained by the function of other bacteria, which guarantees the balance and keeps your body healthy. Unfortunately, when you suffer from sickness, depression or other diseases that come along with medication, this balance is broken and the Candida fungus takes the chance to develop and result in oral thrush. This explains why people whose immune system is weaker are more likely to get infected with oral thrush. For example, infants, pregnant women, or sick people are the most vulnerable victims.
How To Recognize Oral Thrush?
As mentioned before, creamy white bruises are the most common sign of oral thrush. They may appear along with the pain or itchiness. Due to these bruises, you may find it hard to eat or even swallow. Besides, the bruises on the tongue will lead to many embarrassing situations when you meet other people.
How To Treat Oral Thrush?
If not addressed properly and on time, thrush can expand its effects on other organs, such as the liver or lungs and the stake is very high. Therefore, it is a really good idea to start the oral thrush treatment when you notice the very first bruises in the mouth. While there are many drugs advertised on the market to help you get rid of oral thrush effectively, the fact is that this disease is partly caused by the sufferers’ use of drugs. Are drugs really effective to treat oral thrush without leaving any other unwanted impact? To make sure that the worst will not happen, you should make use of many oral thrush treatments which come from simple ingredients you use every day.
Here are 25 home remedies which people can use as effective treatments to remove several discomforts caused by oral thrush.
1. Salt
Whenever there are problems in throat and mouth, people often think of salt as the first and best remedy. And oral thrush is not an exception. Salt is one of the greatest oral thrush treatment you can find immediately at home. It will reduce the pain quickly and contribute to the elimination of white bruises in your mouth [1].
- Take one spoon of salt and mix it with warm water.
- Gargle with this mixture for 30 seconds several times per day.
2. Yogurt
Another oral thrush treatment you can get instantly is yogurt. In addition to treating oral thrush, yogurt can strengthen the function of digestive system, helping you swallow and consume foods more easily. The immune system can be improved if you eat yogurt regularly. If your immune system is strong enough, then the candida fungus will have no chance to hurt you.
- Yogurt should be consumed 2-3 times per day.
- Another way to make use of yogurt is to have it rubbed on the tongue and in the mouth in about 10 minutes. After that, use warm water to wash your mouth.
3. Tea Tree Oil
With antifungal quality, tea tree oil can be regarded as one of the best home remedies for oral thrush in adults. It prevents the expansion of the fungus candida and protects other parts of your body from being infected. This has been scientifically proved in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2004) [2].
- Take some drops of this oil into warm water.
- Mix them properly.
- Gargle with this mixture 2-3 times on a daily basis to get the best result, but remember not to consume the mixture because tea tree oil, when going into the body, may cause some problems.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
The fungus candida develops due to the imbalance of microorganisms inside the body. Therefore, providing the body with some substances to restore the balance is a great oral thrush treatment tip. Containing some enzymes that can contain the candida fungus, apple cider vinegar makes it ideal to help you treat oral thrush. In addition, it can strengthen the immune system to prevent the fungus from expanding.
- Take 2 spoons of apple cider vinegar into a glass of warm water. You can mix half a spoon of salt to maximize the benefits.
- Have your mouth rinsed with this mixture 2-3 times per day.
5. Cinnamon
Thanks to its antifungal and antibacterial qualities, cinnamon is one of the best answers for how to treat oral thrush at home. You can choose to consume the tea made from cinnamon or simply eat cinnamon with yogurt, another effective home remedy for oral thrush.
6. Coconut Oil
For a long time, it is commonly known that coconut oil is one of the most effective home remedies for oral thrush because it can deal with the pain in the mouth very well. On the other hand, according to the Journal of Medicinal Food (2007), coconut oil is very strong in fighting against the candida fungus. You can use a cotton swab to apply coconut oil directly in the mouth. This should be repeated 2-3 times on a daily basis and continued for a week to notice the improvements [7] [3].
7. Green Tea
Not only is green tea a favorite drink of many people, but it also has many advantages in oral thrush treatment. This home remedy is safe for over-6-month infants as well. You can put some salts into green tea and soak a cotton cloth into the tea before wiping the tongue.
8. Baking Soda
Baking soda is economical and easy to find, but not everybody is well aware of its benefits. In fact, it is one of the most popular home remedies for oral thrush in adults because it can eradicate the fungus candida which is mainly responsible for oral thrush.
Moreover, the balance of the pH level in the mouth will be regained as baking soda can neutralize the acids [4].
- Take 1-2 spoons of baking soda and mix it with water.
- After you get a paste, a cotton ball should be soaked in the paste and applied over the tongue and in the mouth.
- After several minutes, use warm water to rinse the mouth.
- Repeat this remedy several times a day.
9. Garlic
Although it may bring some uncomfortable smell to your mouth, garlic is a great tip for how to treat oral thrush at home. It can kill the fungus effectively thanks to its antifungal quality. At the same time, garlic can boost the immunity, which prevents the next infections. You should include more garlic in your daily meals or use garlic oil in the mouth.
10. Olive Leaf
Unexpectedly, olive leaf is considered as one of the best home remedies for oral thrush because it can improve the immune system well. You are suggested to consume about 300-500mg of olive leaf extract on a daily basis so that the fungus candida will be eliminated soon.
11. Less Sugar
Sugar is a good friend of the fungus candida, which means that a considerable amount of daily sugar intake will be beneficial for the growth of the oral thrush. Therefore, if you want to get rid of oral thrush as soon as possible, cutting the amount of sugar in your meals is necessary. It is one of the simplest home remedies for oral thrush, but not all can manage.
12. Keep The Mouth Clean
Last but not least, this advice may be sound obvious, but most people undervalue the importance of keeping their mouth clean. If you do not keep it clean, it will be a perfect environment for different bacteria to grow and damage your teeth, tongue and breath. When white bruises appear inside the mouth, they are the very first sign of your poor cleaning. And you do need to change it immediately. Remember to brush the teeth more than 2 times per day so that the fungus will be eliminated on time. And you should have doctors check the conditions of your mouth regularly.
13. Oregano Oil
Among many other treatments for oral thrush, oregano oil is also highly considered. This special type of oil can effectively prevent the development of yeast responsible for oral thrush. In particular, it is said that candida albicans can strongly attack your immune system and oregano oil is so rich in anti-fungal elements which can kill candida albicans perfectly.
- Have some drops of oregano oil mix with a spoon of olive oil
- Use the mixture to apply to your tongue
- Wait for 10-15 minutes
- Wash off with lukewarm water
- Do like this regularly and enjoy better result
14. Olive Leaf
Facts have shown that microorganisms are the main root leading to serious state of oral thrush. A good news is that the antifungal qualities presented in olive leaf can efficiently eliminate microorganisms. Moreover, olive leaf also has great impacts on boosting your immune system and promotes your health well.
- Extract oil from some olive leaves
- Have a spoon of olive oil mix with a glass of boiling water
- Leave it on 10-15 minutes
- Strain the solution
- Sip it little by little
- Do like this many times and enjoy better condition of your disease
15. Avoid Sweet Foods
It is believed that sugary foods can create favorable condition for the development of yeast blamed for oral thrush. Therefore, you are recommended to avoid adding too much sugar into your daily meal to be safe from oral thrush.
16. Water
Whenever oral thrush annoys you by causing number of discomforts, you can try sipping some water. Scientists prove that water contains several elements which can relax your muscle and release inconvenience caused by this disease effectively.
17. Toothpaste
If you are struggling to a more and more serious state of oral thrush, you should consider the quality of your daily toothbrush. If it is the very factor causing oral thrush, replacing toothbrush is a wise selection to save yourself from number of discomforts coming from this disease.
18. No Caffeine And Alcohol
There has been a record showing that people who are addicted to drinking alcohol or coffee have greater chance of going down with oral thrush. Therefore, you are advised to avoid these harmful elements as much as possible to stay away from the threat of oral thrush.
19. Banana
People can make a long list of banana’s effects on our daily life including whitening skin, removing blemishes and especially treating oral thrush. In fact, bananas consist of large number of beneficial substances which are useful for the battle against oral thrush. Therefore, let’s start the habit of eating 1-2 banana each day to have better health of oral system.
20. Apple
Not only banana but also apple can acts well as a home remedy for oral thrush. In particular, apply has antibacterial as well as anti-fungal elements which can remove any reasons blamed for oral thrush. All of what you have to do is eating at least an apple each day or simply adding it to your daily meal by making salad or drinking apple juice.
21. Lemon
Lemon is so rich in acidity, thus, it can support your immune system a lot in killing bacteria causing oral thrush.
- Extract juice from some lemons
- Add few drops of honey into the solution
- Mix them together
- Drink it 2-3 times a day
22. Green Tea
People, especially Asian people love drinking green tea because this simple ingredient can bring incredible effects on treating many diseases including oral thrush. To get rid of this problem, you can drink 3-4 cups of green tea everyday. This habit not only stops oral thrush well but also saves you from many threats of infection perfectly.
23. Fermented Vegetables
Fermented vegetables might surprise you a lot because of their effectiveness for treating oral thrush. In fact, they are able to foster your immune system along with micro-flora in the body. Kimchi, pickles, and even sauerkraut provide you with pro-biotics in order to aid in restoring the bacteria balance in the body and mouth. Hence, frequent intake of those vegetables is of great help to better your immune system.
24. Myrrh Oil
Myrrh oil can help destroy a great number of parasites and kill fungi, consisting of oral thrush. According to a study the combination of some herbal components such as myrrh, chamomile, sage and sodium fluoride present in toothpaste could exhibit the antifungal and antiviral activity, thereby relieving the inflammation and encouraging the immune response.
25. Homemade Smoothie
Homemade smoothie is known as one of the safest ways for oral thrush treatment. You can follow the simple instruction below:
- Grab a cucumber and have it cut into some smaller pieces.
- Mix them with avocados, a celery stick, parsley, black pepper and black salt, two teaspoons of lemon juice and several basic leaves into about 250 ml of water.
- Consume a half of this solution before your breakfast and spend the rest at your lunchtime.