Home Remedies For Thrush ( Candida )

Home remedies for thrush ( candida ) . There are many kinds of thrush and it is often a yeast infection, mainly caused by Candida yeast. One of the most common of these thrush is the oral thrush, in which a white thick coating develops on the tongue. Even after using a tongue cleaner, it can reappear within a few days. It feels embarrassing to have oral thrush and it may also cause foul smell.

What is thrush ?
Thrush is technically called oral candidiases. It is an infection of the fungus called candida. It can also occur in the reproductive organs, especially in women.

Oral thrush is a stubborn issue. It can happen to men, women, kids and even toddlers.

Thrush symptoms



candida fungus on a stain
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Home remedies for oral thrush 

The aim of using home remedies is to get rid of the thick white coating on the tongue, and all other symptoms of oral thrush.

1. Coconut Oil ( look no further ! )
This is the finest home remedy for all kinds of thrush. It is the best killer of candida fungus, that is why it really ends the infection from the inside.

There are various ways to use coconut oil for this effect.

Studies after studies confirm the effectiveness of coconut oil at killing different species of candida. It is helpful in getting rid of systemic infection of candida. The fungus candida resides in almost all of us. However, in some people, their numbers become so alarmingly high that it resembles an infection. Systemic candida infection is often believed to be the cause of general fatigue, uneasiness and weakness without any explicit medical condition.

That said, coconut is a very powerful herbal remedy. It contains fatty acids like lauric acid, which gets converted to monolaurin. This is a powerful nutrient, which has been identified to aid the body in killing harmful virus, bacteria and fungi. It contains capric acid and caprylic acid ( which is the main anti-fungal agent ).

coconut oil for thrush
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2. Sea Salt Rub
Give your tongue an exfoliation using unrefined sea salt. It is a simple but effective technique to get rid of thrush.


sea salt for thrush
                                                                                                                     ( Photo credit :  mrsdkrebs )




3. Mouthwash
Remember to do mouthwash daily. Check that it contains the ingredient thymol. It is taken from the oil of thyme ( which is very useful herb ). Thymol in mouthwash is capable in killing these candida yeast in the mouth.

So, as I said, remember to brush and floss your teeth, and also do the mouthwash, daily. It takes care of oral thrush. Works as effective as any oral thrush treatment, in most people.

mouthwash for thrush
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4. Drink ginger tea
Ginger helps to get rid of the white coating on the tongue in a few days. However, oral thrush can reappear after one stops drinking ginger tea. Therefore, one needs more remedies to completely get over this infection.

To use ginger more effectively, one can gargle with pure ginger juice. It is highly pungent and sharp, but I believe the fungi feel the same. They hate ginger.




5. Yogurt
Although yogurt is a milk product, it actually helps in reducing the oral thrush. Although milk may feed the fungi, yogurt however does the contrary. It kills candida from the inside out by displacing it from the intestine. It is like a control system on the population of candida in the body.

Eat lots and lots of fresh yogurt. It should be unsweetened.

Why it works ?
Yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics. It contains one of the healthiest bacteria species for our body, the lactobacillus. These bacteria , when they reach the intestine, start to take over their designated place from pathogens like candida. This keeps a check on their uncontrolled growth. In due course of time, oral thrush subsides.

yogurt for thrush
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6. Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is powerful in killing yeast that cause oral thrush. ACV should be used as a rinse. Take undiluted apple cide vinegar, about 2 tablespoons. Place in your mouth and swish to the point you can bear. It can feel stinging and burning to the mouth. Spit out after than.
Undiluted vinegar is strongly acidic. This kind of gargle helps in dissolving away the thrush. It can provide relief in a single day, pretty fast actually.

Avoid using ACV if you have lesions or scars on the tongue caused by the thrush. This can happen in a bad case of candida. Vinegar is strongly acidic and it can cause a lot of pain if it comes in contact with active lesions and blood.

" You can also use white vinegar in place of ACV. "




7. Lemon juice
Rub lemon juice on the tongue avoiding the teeth. Candida yeast causing oral thrush would find it difficult to survive in a highly acidic environment. Pure lemon juice has a pH approximately close to the stomach acid.




8. Honey
Take some raw, unfiltered and organic honey. Apply 2 tablespoon of it on the tongue after cleaning it. Cleaning helps to remove dead skin cells which coat it from the top. This exposes the candida and they are open to honey. It is a mild antibiotic, working against bacteria, virus and fungi.

Honey may not be that effective in taking hold of candida, but it surely provides some relief. Although candida love sugar, they do not enjoy honey, especially the organic one. It has the ability to kill them. Once candida is gone, the saliva and food automatically clean the tongue.

" Eating rose infused honey is a delicious way to get rid of oral thrush. It has the scent of rose and the taste of honey, so amazing. "




9. Pineapple
Eat a few slices of slightly ripe pineapple. Make sure that it moves around the tongue a lot. It makes a tingling sensation in the tongue. Then gulp it down. The tingling sensation lasts for many minutes and cleans the mouth.
Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain which works against this fungus.

After eating the first few slices of pineapple, you can see some inroads made in. The thick coating from oral thrush gives way to cracks and fine lines. At some places, one can see the tongue in its healthy color. Within a few days of regular consumption of pineapples, one can finally achieve the goal of a clear tongue. And pineapple smells great, masking the smell of oral thrush.

pineapple for thrush
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10. Reduce your sugar intake ( Let that soda go )
Carbonated beverages are extremely sweet. And so are many of the fast foods, desserts and other things, you know ! It is time to reduce their consumption, or better still get completely rid of them. Candida cleanse therapies talk about eliminating most carbs from diet, including those that come from grains, the complex carbs. This is feasible, but only for a few days. What it does is that it shocks the candida from its roots, making it difficult to survive in the intestinal tract.

However, after a few days, one has to resume a normal healthy diet containing both simple and complex carbohydrates from as much natural sources as possible.

A 2 week low carbohydrate diet can help in reducing the candida in your system, or atleast weakening it.




11. Lemongrass tea
Drinking this tea has a positive effect on the body. It helps to get over a candida infection.

 lemongrass tea for thrush
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12. Eat grapefruit 
Grapefruit contains antifungal compounds which help in eliminating candida and other harmful fungus from our bodies. A lot of people treating their supposed candida overgrowth naturally use extract of the grapefruit and its seeds.
It can have a positive effect on a person whose health may have been compromised by candida overgrowth.



13. Garlic ( the tough one )
It is slightly tough to do this remedy, but it shows positive results too.Take 2 garlic cloves at a time and chew them in mouth. Then swallow them down with water. Garlic kills candida on spot, whether it is on tongue or inside.

It is however not advisable to use garlic on sensitive skin areas, like in the groin.




Thrush , however is not of one kind. There are many types of thrush, depending on its location in the body. Most often, thrush shows up as oral thrush, on the tongue. It can also progress to infect mouth and throat. Thrush can also be seen in groin region. The symptoms here are quite different than oral thrush. There can be intense itching, a foul smelling discharge ( in women ) and in rare cases, pain. 

For thrush on skin, try the following remedies. 


Herbal remedies for thrush : 
Garlic and cinnamon too are useful in relieving thrush internally. Any kind of thrush or candida infection is not easy to get over. One should try to be in good health and keep excellent hygiene. Relax and enjoy for some time in a day to boost the immunity.

Present day thrush treatment
Thrush is usually treated with a topical antifungal liquid and sometimes accompanied by antifungal medication. It is not a serious condition. Thrush can also happen in babies, but that is nothing to worry about. Oral thrush in babies gets better on its own. Infant thrush can also be caused by candida transferred from mother to baby. This should be avoided and the mother can get herself checked for candida.

Is thrush contagious ?
Well, oral thrush is not contagious. However, other forms of thrush are contagious and can be transferred from one person to another.

Gentian violet and thrush
A lot of people use gentian violet for thrush. It is not a natural compound, but a chemical ( in fact a dye ). Gentian violet has been identified since long to work against candida and its surfacial signs, like thrush.

Safety - It is generally safe for healthy adults to use it after consultation with a healthcare professional, like an RN. However, it is probably not advisable to use it on babies and their mothers.

For a complete end to candida from your life, one should try one of the several candida cleanse diets.