Thrush in men
The disease caused by the yeast-like fungus Candida albicans is more associated with female ailments. However, in men, thrush also happens quite often and requires serious treatment.

Candida albicans is present in almost everyone in the body – it is a normal cohabitant of the microflora. If a person is healthy, his immunity works well, then the fungus “sleeps” peacefully. You can live your whole life and never get thrush. However, if a malfunction occurs in the body (for example, a person falls ill, takes certain medications, does not follow the rules of hygiene), candida begin to rebel – they multiply and cause serious discomfort.

How thrush flows in men and how to deal with it, tells dermatovenereologist, urologist, candidate of medical sciences Sergey Lenkin.

Symptoms of thrush in men

– The fungus affects not only the genitals, but also the inguinal folds, the oral cavity … And yet, the thrush of the genitourinary system is the most common lesion of those that I observe in my many years of practice, – says Sergey Gennadievich. – Symptoms of the disease are usually expressed in the region of the glans penis and foreskin. The head itself (balanitis) is almost never affected in isolation, because it comes into contact with the skin. Therefore, it is more correct to speak about candidal balanoposthitis, and not candidal balanitis. Inflammation can move to the urethra. Outwardly, this is imperceptible: it can manifest itself only as a slight itching when urinating. But tests show the disease.

Thrush in men is manifested by such signs of inflammation:

  • redness, swelling of the mucosa;
  • itching, burning;
  • dryness, irritation, hypersensitivity, soreness;
  • a strong coating of white color, outwardly similar to cottage cheese, often with erosive inclusions;
  • unpleasant smell.

Provoking factors of candidal balanoposthitis:

  • increased sugar in diabetes;
  • chronic illness;
  • overweight;
  • prolonged use of antibiotics;
  • stress, depression;
  • violation of intimate hygiene.

“Infection from a sexual partner is one of the main factors that provoke thrush,” the doctor clarifies. – Itching, burning, raids, smells – all these symptoms often appear a day or two after sex, and quite often after oral sex. Candida lives very often in the mouth, on the tongue. It happens like this: a woman takes tests from the vagina – everything is fine, but from the mouth – bad. And the man gets infected. Another option for relapse is due to the arrival of a new type of thrush fungus to the existing one and the creation of cooperation by them.

Diagnostics

To diagnose candidal balanoposthitis, four types of tests are performed.

  1. Smear. Glass is applied to the head of the penis and an imprint of plaque remains on it, which is then studied under a microscope.
  2. PCR analysis (determination of polymerase chain reaction) of plaque on 8 types of thrush fungus.
  3. Sowing on the thrush fungus. The importance of this analysis is that it determines the sensitivity of identified fungi to drugs.
  4. A blood test for immunoglobulins (the body’s immune response to a disease). Assign in chronic cases or when there is thrush of the internal organs. For example, in the intestine, hard to reach for a smear.

An important point: before the diagnosis, you should not urinate and do not wash your hair for at least a day. It is necessary that the same plaque accumulate, which indicates the presence of a fungus.

Treatment of thrush in men

– Antifungal ointments are often prescribed: clotrimazole, nizoral … Even many medical manuals have such recommendations. However, the ointment does not penetrate into the urethra, and from there the fungus colonizes back to the entire penis, laments Sergey Lenkin. – This is the first reason for the ineffectiveness of pseudo-treatment. The second is that patients constantly swallow single-use tablets such as fluconazole, diflucan, flucostat, having read tips from the Internet. This leads to the fact that the symptoms are muffled, the disease becomes chronic, and Candida – even the most common Candida albicans – becomes resistant to drugs. According to my data, about 30% of candida are practically insensitive to any pills. This is a big problem! Patients infect their partners, and with any decrease in immunity, relapses of the disease occur. Then these pill-makers, painters and candle-makers (that’s what I call self-treatment lovers) come to us with neglected thrush, and it’s not clear what to do with them.

Approximately 30-40% of cases of candidiasis, according to my observations, are not caused by the usual Candida albicans, but by other seven types of fungus. The reasons? Sex and other methods of transmission that we have already talked about. Treatment can be difficult, sometimes the fungus is very resistant to drugs.

Prevention at home

“The best prevention is the treatment of latent cases so as not to infect a partner,” Sergey Lenkin insists. – As for prevention during intimate life: if you know that your partner has thrush and do not want to get infected, then you can use ointments – clotrimazole, nizoral. Or single-dose pills like fluconazole. They are effective for prevention, and not for treatment, as many people think.

Also, do not forget to urinate immediately after intercourse, since the fungus is excreted along with urine through the urethral canal, and this is also prevention.

Popular questions and answers

Can thrush in men be asymptomatic?
Maybe. For example, in circumcised men. When the head is open, it is dry and uncomfortable for candida, which loves wrinkles and moisture. Asymptomatic course also occurs in men with more or less strong immunity.
Can thrush be passed from woman to man?
Yes, it is a contagious disease.
Why does thrush not go away for a long time?
Because they try to treat at home and start the disease instead of going to the doctor.
Can a man infect a woman with thrush?
Of course yes. And with any kind of sex, including unconventional.
Should I be treated if the symptoms are mild?
If symptoms appear – whether mild or not – you need to treat. The only exception is when it comes to the carriage of both partners in a married couple who have sex only with each other and are sure that there are no changes. But this is almost never the case these days.
A successful treatment regimen can be used for relapse without going to the doctor?
With a relapse, sensitivity to drugs may be different, so it is better to consult a doctor.
What is atypical candidiasis? How to treat, the causes of the disease?
Approximately 30-40% of cases of candidiasis, according to my observations, are not caused by the usual Candida albicans, but by other seven types of fungus. The reasons? Sex and other methods of transmission that we have already talked about. Treatment can be difficult, sometimes the fungus is very resistant to drugs.
Diet affects the occurrence of the disease?
If you overeat with sugar and other muck, then a relapse, of course, is possible. But there is no direct link between nutrition and candidiasis.
Men love beer, beer is a yeast product… Can it provoke thrush?
Theoretically, maybe. But I am not aware of such cases.
Does thrush in men affect sperm quality (if a couple is planning a pregnancy)?
Only if the urethra, prostate are affected. If a couple is planning a pregnancy, they need to be treated. Because pregnancy is a state when the immune system is weakened, and thrush will still appear, if not now, then later.
Natural alternative therapies – are they effective? Furacilin, chamomile …
I do not use this treatment. Nevertheless, furalicin baths – why not? Chamomile – perhaps, but as an additional method of anti-inflammatory treatment. Weed, of course, does not kill thrush.
The husband has thrush, but the wife has no symptoms – a reason to suspect infidelity?
This is an occasion to be tested for infections, including thrush. Because the symptoms of thrush can often be symptoms of another disease: from allergies to dysbacteriosis.
Does anal sex cause thrush in men?
Not directly, but it can cause infection with thrush, contribute to the colonization of atypical bacteria of the glans penis, which can provoke an exacerbation of thrush in an asymptomatic course.

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