Can thrush grow on the gums?

When thrush is more serious, it will invade the patient's gums, oral mucosa, throat tonsils and other parts. Therefore, regular treatment must be carried out in time. If you do not pay attention to the baby's oral hygiene, it may be infected by fungi. At this time, some antifungal drugs should be used for treatment, and prevention of recurrence of thrush should be strengthened.

Clinical manifestations

1. A milky white, slightly raised, spotted membrane appears on the oral mucosa with no surrounding inflammatory reaction, shaped like a milk curd. It is painless. After wiping off the plaque membrane, a red wound without bleeding can be seen underneath. The plaques vary in size and may appear on the tongue, cheeks, palate, or inner lip mucosa.

2. It often occurs on the mucous membranes of the cheeks, tongue, soft palate and lips. The white patches are not easy to wipe off with a cotton swab or wet gauze.

3. When the infection is mild, the white spots are not easy to find, there is no obvious pain, or there is only a painful expression when eating. In severe cases, the baby will be irritable, have a poor appetite, cry, and have difficulty breastfeeding due to the pain, sometimes accompanied by a mild fever.

4. If the damaged mucosa is not treated in time, it may continue to expand and spread to the pharynx, tonsils, gums, etc. In severe cases, it may spread to the esophagus and bronchi, causing candidal esophagitis or pulmonary candidiasis, with breathing and swallowing difficulties. In a few cases, it may be complicated by chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. It may even lead to other bacterial infections and cause sepsis.

Differential Diagnosis

This disease should be differentiated from retained milk curds. Although the symptoms of milk clots in the mouth are similar to those of thrush, they can be moved and removed by wiping with warm water or a cotton swab. The white scales of this disease are not easy to wipe off. If they are wiped off forcefully, the mucous membrane underneath will become flushed and rough.

complication

The baby will refuse to breastfeed due to the pain, resulting in reduced food intake and slow weight gain.

If thrush spreads to the back of the mouth, it may affect the esophagus. Once affected, the baby will feel uncomfortable when swallowing and may even refuse to drink water for fear of pain, which may lead to dehydration.

If left untreated, yeast infections may spread to other parts of the body. Of course, diffuse yeast infections are very rare.

prevention

1. When a mother has vaginal mycotic disease, she should actively seek treatment to cut off the route of transmission.

2. Wash the tableware used by infants and young children for eating and then steam it for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Breastfeeding mothers should clean the areola and nipples with warm water before breastfeeding; they should also take a bath, change underwear, cut their nails frequently, and wash their hands every time they hold their baby.

4. Infants’ bedding and toys should be regularly washed and dried; the baby’s toiletries should be kept separate from the parents’ as much as possible and disinfected regularly.

5. Attention should be paid to isolation and disinfection of breastfeeding rooms to prevent transmission.

6. Young children should regularly engage in outdoor activities to increase their body's resistance.

7. Children who live in a group in kindergarten should not mix their utensils.