Thrush mouthwash, is there anything that really works?

He said, mouthwash can also be used as a canker sore. Although in the market there are many oral sprue medications circulating in the form of mouthwashes or topicals, many people believe that gargling with mouthwash can be a way to treat mouth ulcers. Is it really like that? Let's look at the facts below.

What causes thrush?

Thrush is a wound with a round shape plus a red border on the inside of the human mouth, and can occur in children, adolescents to adults.

Quoted from Medline Plus, canker sores usually occur on the inside of the cheeks, under the tongue, or along the side of the oral cavity. Can be small or large, both can be painful and interfere with speaking and eating activities.

While the cause of thrush can be based on a weakened immune system, bacterial infection, stress, food allergies, vitamin B12 deficiency, and also folic acid. Sometimes hormonal changes such as menstruation can also cause canker sores to appear.

Is it true that mouthwash can be a canker sore?

Thrush is a condition that can happen to everyone. The way to overcome it is also classified as not a difficult thing because it can usually heal without providing any treatment.

Quoted from Healthline, canker sores with a large size or a large amount can make you feel sore or sore. One way that can be done to reduce discomfort when thrush is by gargling.

Not only using salt water to rinse your mouth, you can also use other mouthwashes for thrush.

This is not wrong. However, not all mouthwash can be used as a way to deal with canker sores. Mouthwash can treat mild mouth sores and bacteria in your throat but with certain conditions.

Mild sprue, for example, is caused by food scratches with a hard texture or bacteria.

In the mouthwash, there is an antiseptic substance that kills the bacteria that cause canker sores, thereby speeding up healing in a similar way to antibiotic creams to reduce sores on the skin.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say, until now there is no mouthwash that is able to effectively treat thrush problems. But at least, there are 5 ingredients in mouthwash that are claimed to be able to treat mild sprue, such as:

• Antibiotic substances function to kill bacteria around the canker sores.
• An antihistamine or local anesthetic agent to reduce pain and discomfort in the mouth.
• Antifungal agent to reduce mold growth in the mouth.
• Corticosteroid substances to treat canker sores.
• An antacid agent that helps ensure that the other ingredients are sufficiently coated in the inside of your mouth.

Pay attention to this when using mouthwash to treat thrush

• Avoid using mouthwash that has a high alcohol content to treat canker sores. This is because the ingredients will increase the inflammation that occurs.
• Most canker sores will heal within one week. However, see a doctor immediately if your mouth sores do not heal after 2 weeks, or if the canker sores are getting bigger or wider. The doctor will also diagnose you to determine if there is a medical problem that triggered the appearance of thrush.
• When you use mouthwash, don't take it straight from the neck of the bottle. It is feared that other bacteria will move from the bottle into the body, so that it can trigger new inflammation in the mouth or throat.
• Do not use mouthwash with a dose of more than 15 ml. Avoid using mouthwash on children 12 years of age and under.
• When experiencing thrush, avoid using toothpaste that contains detergents or sodium lauryl sulfate. Because these substances can aggravate sores in canker sores.

Options other than mouthwash to treat canker sores

As explained a little above, canker sores can be painful and bothersome. Apart from using mouthwash, you can try several other remedies to overcome it. Among others are:

Hydrogen peroxide

Unlike regular mouthwash, hydrogen peroxide is a mild antiseptic that is used to help relieve irritation in your mouth, one of which is canker sores.

This type of mouthwash works by releasing oxygen when applied to problem areas. You can mix it with a water solution or apply hydrogen peroxide with a gel consistency to the sprue.

Magnesium hydroxide

Apart from mouthwash, milk of magnesia claimed you can also use it as a treatment for thrush. It contains magnesium hydroxide which is an acid neutralizer.

When used orally, it is also able to change the pH so that it prevents the development of wounds. Not only that, this oral drug is claimed to prevent irritation as well as reduce pain.

It is enough to apply on the sprue area and leave it for a few seconds. Then, rinse and repeat three times a day.

Using corticosteroids

Not being the mouthwash you need every day, corticosteroids are drugs that can treat inflammation problems. If it has been approved by your doctor, you can take prednisone-type corticosteroids, which are claimed to be the most effective treatment for thrush.

This is because the ingredients are able to maintain immunity, reduce swelling, and pain.

However, before taking or using this drug you need to pay attention to the side effects that can occur in the body. For example, there is high blood pressure, mood swings, and so on.

If you use inhalation, the side effects are yeast infection and hoarseness of the voice,

Take certain vitamins

Is your daily intake of nutrients and vitamins sufficient? Not only mouthwash, pay attention to intake to treat canker sores. It turns out that you are more likely to experience thrush if you don't have enough vitamin B12 intake.

In a 2017 study, participants consumed 1000 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day. The result, they very rarely experience mouth sores, sores in the mouth, and pain when canker sores occur.

Apart from these vitamins, you can also take other supplements such as zinc. One of the causes of canker sores is a decreased or low immune system. Therefore you need zinc intake because it has mineral content in it.

When consumed regularly, zinc is claimed to help the immune system as well as fight the bacteria that cause thrush.