Conditions and Medication that Increase Thrush

The Candida fungus that leads to the thrush infection is naturally present within the body already, and can very naturally occur without you being able to do much to prevent it. Certain medical conditions increase your chances of developing the infection. Being aware of an increased likelihood of developing thrush will help you deal with it more efficiently as and when you suffer from a bout of it. There are also a few different things you can do to contribute to avoiding the return of thrush, but these are often common sense, not entirely fool proof or scientifically proven methods. 

Increase of the possibility of thrush due to taking a course of antibiotics

Whilst ill, your immune system is naturally weakened, and your body is not in a prime state to fight off further infection. As the Candida bacteria that causes thrush is naturally present in the body, taking a course of antibiotics can throw your natural balance and allow the Candida bacteria to multiply and develop into the thrush infection. This is especially common within women, and around a third of women will unfortunately develop thrush when taking antibiotics.


Increase of the possibility of thrush due to pregnancy

Pregnancy obviously causes massive changes within the body, one of which is frequent changes in the balances levels of certain hormones present. An increase in hormones such as oestrogen for example, makes it more likely for you to develop the thrush infection. This is just a natural consequence of the change your body will be going through, and is nothing to worry about. Thrush will not affect your pregnancy or the baby, but is advisable to get treated as quickly as possible just as it would normally.

Increase of the possibility of thrush due to diabetes

Diabetes has been noted by many medical professionals as increasing the risk of developing oral thrush substantially. Diabetes – especially uncontrolled diabetes – will result in your body producing excess amounts of glucose. Excess amount of glucose in saliva is the perfect breeding condition for the Candida fungus, and can therefore lead to the infection. A combination of being diabetic and developing the thrush infection can cause chronic infections, and spread to other parts of the body. For this reason it is very important that if you are diabetic than you keep your risk of thrush as low as you can.

Increase of the possibility of thrush due to a weakened immune system

As noted throughout all the potential increasing factors that contribute to the development of the thrush infection, any change in hormonal balance or in the state of your immune system can ultimately affect your chances of getting thrush. If you have a weakened immune system from a condition such as HIV or AIDS, or if you are currently receiving chemotherapy, then your immune system may not be able to successfully control an imbalance in the Candida fungus. This can lead to all types of the thrush infection, from oral thrush, to thrush in the genital areas, and even skin infections. If you do suffer from a weakened immune system for any reason, your doctor will be able to advise you on how to effectively cope with possible repeated occurrences of the infection, and will be able to provide you with medication or advice to ensure that the inconvenience of the infection is minimised.

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