The causes of thrush

The causes of thrush are factors that affect the onset of the disease and contribute to the development in the human body of a favorable environment for the reproduction of fungi of the genus Candida. Characteristics of the disease thrush, ways of infection and transmission, causes of development and manifestations of candidiasis will be discussed in the next article.

What is thrush and how does it occur

Thrush is a fungal infection caused by a yeast-like fungus of the genus Candida. Such a pathogen is considered an opportunistic pathogen and is present in the body of a healthy person. But in the presence of concomitant factors that contribute to the rapid reproduction and growth of pathogenic microflora, it causes the development of candidiasis.

In many cases, the carrier of the disease may not be aware of its presence, since most of the thrush is asymptomatic. But if a favorable environment has been created in the human body for the development and reproduction of a yeast-like fungus, then the symptoms of the disease appear quite rapidly, which indicates that the acute stage of the disease begins. In such cases, the carrier of the infection puts all family members at risk of infection, since candidiasis is transmitted not only through sexual contact, but also through household and airborne droplets.

Infection occurs through dishes, clothing, as well as when using common personal hygiene items. Often, thrush occurs in infants who become infected from the mother during childbirth. Spouses can infect each other without suspecting that one of them is a carrier of the infection.

The ways of transmission of candidiasis are quite diverse, but the appearance of the disease must be accompanied by some factors that provoke the development of the disease and its transition to an acute or chronic stage.

Causes of the disease

The most basic cause of the onset and development of the disease is a sharp decrease in immunity. It is during this period that beneficial microorganisms that inhabit the mucous membranes die, which contributes to the development of pathogenic bacteria. Thus, favorable conditions are created in the body for the active reproduction of yeast-like fungi, and their uncontrolled growth indicates the possible presence of an infectious process.

Other causes of thrush include:

• taking antibacterial and hormonal drugs;
• stressful conditions and other psychological factors;
• persistent chronic infections;
• frequent consumption of sweets, unbalanced diet;
• concomitant sexually transmitted infections;
• hypothermia or overheating;
• abrupt climate change;
• non-observance of personal hygiene;
• endocrine diseases;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding.

All of these factors have a certain effect on the immune system and on the level of the acid-base environment in the body, which provokes the rapid development of the fungus and contributes to the occurrence of candidiasis.

Particular attention should be paid to the color of the discharge during the disease. So the yellow color of the secret indicates the presence of infectious diseases in the body: sexually transmitted or gynecological. This color of the discharge may indicate trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, vaginal dysbacteriosis or other inflammatory processes in the reproductive system.

Thus, if thrush has begun, or the disease recurs quite often, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that caused the disease. And in order to identify this cause, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist, since self-treatment will only aggravate the course of the disease and can lead to unpleasant and unforeseen consequences.

The most common causes of the disease are: taking antibacterial drugs and psychological prerequisites. Let’s dwell on them in more detail.

Taking antibacterial drugs

Very often, antibiotics are used to treat various diseases in medical practice, which have a detrimental effect on the human bacterial microflora. They effectively rid the patient of pathogenic microorganisms, which provides the body with the ability to resist many serious and dangerous diseases. But constant, and in particular, uncontrolled therapy with antibacterial agents leads to the fact that the balance of microflora is disturbed, because such drugs also negatively affect beneficial bacteria.

Therefore, often after taking antibiotics in the human body, a favorable environment is formed for the reproduction of the causative agent of candidiasis, which entails a significant increase in pathogenic microflora, and, accordingly, the development of thrush.

To prevent this, when prescribing antibacterial drugs, an experienced and qualified specialist will always prescribe the use of probiotics – lactobacilli, which help restore beneficial microflora and normalize its balance in the body.

Psychological causes of the development of the disease

The psychosomatics of thrush in each individual patient is different and only a qualified specialist is able to find the factor causing the development of the disease: a psychologist or psychotherapist. Most often, the occurrence of thrush against the background of psychosomatic disorders affects young girls and women, which is due to the peculiarities of the nervous system, lifestyle and other reasons.

The main psychological factors causing the development of candidiasis include:

• dissatisfaction with sexual life, in which sex without orgasm leads to various hormonal disorders, which also leads to the development of thrush;
• relationships with the opposite sex;
• a woman’s focus solely on everyday problems, forgetting about her own destiny, which is the cause of frequent stress that leads to the onset of the disease;
• low self-esteem;
• passion for strict diets, leading to a violation of the microflora, and as a result – the occurrence of candidiasis;
• excessive perfectionism, which makes you be in a constant stressful state, which inevitably affects your health and provokes the growth of yeast-like fungi;
• it happens that frequent lies also cause candidiasis;
• the development of thrush in a child indicates a lack of love and attention from parents.

In each case, you should deal with the cause that caused the disease, and throw all your strength into eliminating it, because if there is a problem at the psychological level, then no ultra-modern drugs will help to completely get rid of the disease. They only heal physiological symptoms, which, under the influence of psychosomatic factors, will not slow down to return again.

Causes of thrush in women

The causes of candidiasis in women are various factors. This is a decrease in immunity, and taking antibiotics, and psychological problems, which were mentioned above. In addition, thrush in women often occurs during pregnancy, as well as before menstruation. The fact is that during these periods in the female body there is a hormonal restructuring, which often provokes the development of a fungal infection.

In addition, the appearance of candidiasis before menstruation may indicate pregnancy. At this time, there is a noticeable activation of blood circulation in the pelvic organs, which leads to an increased secretion from the vagina. When pregnancy occurs in the woman’s vagina, activation of factors contributing to the protection of the future mother’s body from pathogenic microorganisms is noted. This creates favorable conditions for the reproduction of yeast-like fungi – the causative agents of the disease.

Often, women notice that thrush occurs when taking certain hormonal drugs, which is explained by changes in the hormonal background, which also contributes to the development of pathogenic microflora.

The causes of thrush in pregnant women are also:

• avitaminosis;
• vaginal dysbacteriosis;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• wearing synthetic and uncomfortable underwear;
• taking corticosteroid, hormonal, antibacterial drugs and immunomodulators;
• a significant increase in the content of progesterone, characteristic of pregnancy.

The appearance of thrush before menstruation can often indicate the presence of chronic candidiasis in a woman’s body. In any case, this is an occasion to once again visit a gynecologist and undergo a series of clinical studies for an accurate diagnosis.

Causes of candidiasis in men

Thrush in men develops most often after sexual intercourse. Of course, the progression of the disease is observed in persons with reduced immunity, but disorders in the immune system of the body are not the main predisposing factor for the disease.

All causes of candidiasis in men can be divided into two main groups: external factors and internal sources.

External factors include:

• increased humidity caused by a long stay in wet linen;
• insufficient hygiene of the genital organs;
• promiscuity without the use of barrier methods of contraception.

The internal causes of thrush in men include:

• dysbacteriosis of the mucous membranes of the genital organs, caused by prolonged use of antibacterial drugs;
• hormonal imbalance in the body;
• increased blood sugar, the development of diabetes;
• excess weight, due to which a favorable environment for the development of Candida fungi is created in numerous skin folds;
• weakened immunity against the background of taking various medications;
• the presence of cancer or HIV infection;
• mechanical damage to the mucous membranes of the genital organs – cracks, ulcers and others.

First of all, men suffering from diabetes mellitus or overweight, as well as HIV-infected and undergoing chemotherapy are susceptible to the disease. But the main reason for the development of thrush in men is the sexual transmission of the disease from a sexual partner.

Sex is one of the causes of candidiasis

Unprotected sex is one of the most common ways to pass thrush to your sexual partner. Most often, this disease passes from a woman to a man, and the latter may not even be aware that he has the disease. Being a carrier of the disease, a man, unknowingly, can infect a woman in whom the disease will cause unpleasant symptoms.

During sexual intercourse, the disease is transmitted to the sexual partner, provided that he has a favorable environment for the development and reproduction of the fungus. After sexual intercourse, especially if ejaculation occurs, the microflora of the woman’s vagina changes significantly, which leads to the onset of candidiasis. And this applies not only to promiscuity, but also to sex with a regular partner.

You should also know that thrush can also be contracted after oral sex. Sex on the beach is also a provoking factor in the occurrence of such an infection. Sand is a strong irritant for the vaginal mucosa, and salt water disrupts its microflora. Having sex in clean, but rather cool water can also lead to the onset of the disease.

Therefore, during the illness, it is best to give up intimacy and wait for a full recovery.

Summing up

Thrush is an infectious fungal disease, which can be promoted by various factors, both physiological and psychological. At the same time, it is important to identify the true cause of the disease in order to direct all efforts to eliminate it. Only then can we talk about a complete recovery. This can only be done by an experienced and qualified specialist urologist or gynecologist. In opposite cases, especially as a result of self-treatment, the disease can go into a chronic stage, which will lead to serious complications and negative consequences. In especially advanced stages, candida enters the bloodstream, affecting many internal organs, which can even cause death.

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