14 Oral Thrush Symptoms in Children and Adults

Oral thrush is a common health condition that is characterised by symptoms like a sore throat and a white rash appearing on the inside of the mouth, the back of the throat and the tongue; it’s a condition that is caused by bacteria and normally spread through contact. Although the condition isn’t generally considered to be harmful to your health on its own, it can sometimes lead to experiencing discomfort and a sore throat, and the condition might become recurring if the cause isn’t taken care of at the same time as the infection itself.

It’s important to recognize the potential symptoms of an oral thrush infection. Spotting the condition can sometimes help to indicate the presence of other health conditions that are helping to cause it and can be diagnostically important.

Here are 8 of the most common oral thrush symptoms that can appear in both children and adults.

1. White Residue

The first and most characteristic symptom of oral thrush is a white rash that appears on the inside of the mouth, at the back of the throat and on the tongue; usually this rash isn’t painful at first, although it might turn into something that’s instead very uncomfortable and painful if the condition is left untreated or too long.

The white residue occurs in all cases of thrush, and this is part of what helps the condition to spread from one person to another. Sometimes the white rash will also become inflamed, and might at the same time become red, swollen and painful – in extreme cases, the rash can even lead to infection and might require a different treatment routine to cure.

Usually the white residue caused by thrush will go away with the application of an oral antibiotic cream that’s designed to treat the symptoms in a few days.