My 4 year-old-daughter has bad breath, her tongue is white in the back w/bumps. What is this?

Question

She Also clears her throat frequently, and says she feels like there are "boogers" in her throat. I believe this is allergy related as she has done this off and on since the age of one. But the bad breath and white, pastey tongue is something new! I have no idea what this could be.

Answer 1

Thrush is an infection of the mouth caused by the candida fungus, also known as yeast. Candida infection is not limited to the mouth; it can occur in other parts of the body as well, causing diaper rash in infants or vaginal yeast infections in women.

Thrush can affect anyone, though it occurs most often in babies and toddlers, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.



What Causes Thrush?



Small amounts of the candida fungus are present in the mouth, digestive tract, and skin of most healthy people and are normally kept in check by other bacteria and microorganisms in the body. However, certain illnesses, stress, or medications can disturb the delicate balance, causing the fungus candida to grow out of control, causing infection.

Medications that upset the balance of microorganisms in the mouth and may cause thrush include corticosteroids, antibiotics, and birth control pills. Illnesses or medical situations that make candida infection more likely to develop include uncontrolled diabetes, HIV infection, cancer, dry mouth, or pregnancy (caused by the hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy). People who smoke or wear dentures that don't fit properly also are at increased risk for thrush. In addition, babies can pass the infection to their mothers during breast-feeding.

What Are the Symptoms of Thrush?

Thrush usually develops suddenly, but it may become chronic, persisting over a long period of time. A common sign of thrush is the presence of creamy white, slightly raised lesions in your mouth – usually on your tongue or inner cheeks – but also sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums, tonsils, or back of your throat. The lesions, which may have a "cottage cheese" appearance, can be painful and may bleed slightly when you scrape them or brush your teeth. In severe cases, the lesions may spread into your esophagus, or swallowing tube, causing:

Pain or difficulty swallowing
A feeling that food gets stuck in the throat or mid-chest area
Fever, if the infection spreads beyond the esophagus
Thrush can spread to other parts of the body, including the lungs, liver, and skin. This happens more often in people with cancer, HIV, or other conditions that weaken the immune system.

Answer 2

Oral thrush is caused by the same microorganism that causes vaginal yeast infections, Candida. Take her to a walk-in clinic this weekend!

Left untreated her mouth can become so infected and get so sore she won't be able to tolerate food or liquid in her mouth. It can be in her esophagus and all the way down to her stomach, gastrointestinal tract and her lungs as well.

It takes quite a while to heal, so the sooner you start the treatment the better. Most walk-in clinics are open 7 days a week, at least 12 hours a day, and take all types of insurance. Get her into the doctor today, please.

Nystatin rinse or lozenges, and the treatment used for vaginal yeast infections are often use to treat oral thrush.

Answer 3

My son had this once, it was thrush/candida. He just had to swish with Nystatin mouth rinse for a while and it cleared up. Just don't let it go too long, I think it can spread and then they might have to take a systemic medicine to get rid of it.

Answer 4

Sounds like she has thrush. You should take her to the doctor for a firm diagnosis.
She probably needs a course of antibiotics to clear it up.

Answer 5

It sounds like oral thrush...so I would take her to the doctor to get a firm diagnosis.

Answer 6

It could be thrush. My son had it. The dr. prescribes antibiotics for it.

Answer 7

it's probably thursh, you should bring her to a doctor