What is thrush and how common is it?
Vaginal candidiasis, or ‘thrush’, is a common condition caused by an overgrowth of Candida yeasts, which are often part of the normal flora or microbiome of the vagina. It is not a sexually transmitted infection although sex can sometimes make symptoms worse.
Around 75% of people with vaginas will have at least one episode of thrush in their lifetime.
What are the symptoms of thrush?
In people with vaginas typical symptoms are:
- Vulval or vaginal redness and swelling
- Vulval or vaginal itching and soreness
- Pain or discomfort when peeing
- Pain or discomfort during sex
- Change in normal vaginal discharge which may be thicker than usual, ‘cottage-cheese’ consistency but usually non-odourous
In people with penis’s typical symptoms are:
- Redness or irritation of the head of the penis and/or the foreskin
- Pain or discomfort when urinating
- White discharge under the foreskin
- Difficulty retracting the foreskin
How do you get thrush?
Many people will have no trigger, however certain factors and conditions make it more likely to develop symptoms. These include washing the genitals with soaps or perfumed products, recent antibiotic use, pregnancy, having a suppressed immune system or having poorly controlled diabetes.
How is thrush treated?
We can treat thrush with local treatments, including a clotrimazole vaginal pessary with an antifungal cream, or we can treat with an oral tablet called fluconazole.
We advise washing genitals with simple emollients and to avoid local irritants such as soaps and shower gels. Additionally, we recommend avoiding tight-fitting or synthetic clothing.
Thrush usually clears up within 7 days of starting treatment. We recommend returning to clinic if your symptoms get worse or have not resolved within this time.
Thrush in pregnancy
Due to hormonal changes in pregnancy, overgrowth of candida is more likely. We recommend the same conservative measures of avoiding irritant soaps and wipes to wash the vulva and to use simple emollients instead. We can treat the symptoms with a clotrimazole vaginal pessary and antifungal cream. We recommend consulting with a medical practitioner when treating thrush in pregnancy as some medications such as fluconazole should be avoided.