About this service
Oral thrush (also known as mouth thrush) is an infection caused by a fungus. This fungus is called Candida. Symptoms of oral thrush include:
Cracks in the corners of your mouth
An inability to taste things properly
An unpleasant taste in your mouth
Pain on the inside of your mouth in areas like your tongue or gums
A difficulty in eating and drinking
At Allied Pharmacy, our pharmacist can prescribe patients experiencing oral thrush with medication. This is an antifungal medicine that kills the fungus and rids the infection. As well, this can be used as a preventative.
Who is eligible for treatment?
The treatment offered by our pharmacist may not be suitable for everyone. Therefore, a private consultation is required to check if the medication is safe for you. It is important that you tell your pharmacist, if you have any of the below:
An allergic reaction to any of the ingredients contained in the medication
If you’re unable to digest sucrose sugar
If you have tuberculosis (TB) of the skin
However, most babies, children and adults are suitable for the prescription medication.
How may you get Oral Thrush?
There are other causes of oral thrush other than Candida. Factors that may make the fungus grow more than usual include taking antibiotics for long periods of time, using asthma inhalers and having cancer treatment like chemotherapy.
For babies, oral thrush can be passed on through breastfeeding. Noticeable signs of this are white coatings on your baby’s tongue (similar to cottage cheese) and sometimes white spots in their mouths.
How can a pharmacy help me?
Our pharmacy can help by not only prescribing you treatment but also offering advice and support on how to take the treatment safely, information about its side effects and ways to prevent oral thrush from coming back.
Preventative measures that may be advised are:
Brushing your teeth twice a day
Cleaning your dentures
Going for regular check-ups even if you have dentures
Brushing your gums and tongue with a soft toothbrush (if you don’t have any teeth)
Going for regular check-ups if you have a long-term condition like diabetes
Sterilising dummies regularly
Sterilising bottles after each use
If you are experiencing oral thrush, pop into your local Allied Pharmacy offering this service for advice and treatment.
