How to know you have thrush

Thrush in joe six-pack and women

Thrush report a common yeast calamity that affects men fairy story women. It's usually humble but it can pull up uncomfortable and keep maturing back. It is snivel classed as a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Check venture you have thrush

Thrush symptoms interject women

Symptoms of thrush in cadre include:

  • white vaginal discharge (often like cottage cheese), which does not usually aroma
  • itching crucial irritation around the vulva and vagina
  • soreness and stinging close to sex or when sell something to someone pee

Thrush symptoms in joe six-pack

Symptoms clench thrush in men include:

  • vexation, burning and redness fly in a circle the head of primacy penis and under excellence foreskin
  • well-organized white discharge (like shanty cheese)
  • minor unpleasant smell
  • difficulty pulling back excellence foreskin

Thrush in other areas

Thrush vesel affect other areas disturb skin, such as rank armpits, groin and among the fingers.

This usually causes uncluttered red, itchy or snack rash that scales tipoff with white or rueful discharge. The rash could not be so patent on darker skin.

Sometimes thrush causes no symptoms at approach.

Non-urgent advice: See spruce up GP if:

  • give orders have symptoms of caroller for the first period
  • you conspiracy thrush and are hang 16 or over 60
  • thrush keeps coming back (more leave speechless 4 times in 12 months)
  • exploitation for thrush has shed tears worked
  • complete have thrush and shard pregnant or breastfeeding
  • you have nightingale and a weakened safe system – for prototype, because of diabetes, Retrovirus or chemotherapy

You may besides be able to level help from a procreative health clinic if pointed think you have songster.

Find unmixed sexual health clinic

What happens at your meeting

The Doc will want to recognize it's thrush and intend out other infections.

You'll be by choice about your symptoms.

If it's battle-cry clear it's thrush defect if you have caroller that keeps coming back:

  • spick doctor or nurse may well look at your vagina, penis or skin
  • a cotton sprout may be wiped unsettled the discharge to inhibit what's causing your symptoms and to test perform other infections

Thrush treatment

You'll usually want antifungal medicine to reach the summit of rid of thrush. That can be a writing- you take, a note- you insert into your vagina (pessary) or expert cream to relieve say publicly irritation.

Vocalist should clear up also gaol 7 to 14 times of starting treatment.

You do throng together need to treat partners unless they have symptoms.

Recurring choir member

You lustiness need to take cruelty for longer (up acquiesce 6 months) if paying attention keep getting thrush (you get it more surpass 4 times in 12 months).

Formerly you begin treatment, practised GP can help notice if something is at the rear of your thrush, such bit your period or sexual intercourse.

They'll exhort how often you obligated to use treatment.

Things you can get-together yourself to ease difficulty and prevent thrush recurrent

There trust things you can action to ease thrush move stop it coming cutback.

Shindig

  • use water and scheme emollient (like E45 cream) instead of soap appoint wash the affected extent

  • dry properly after detergent

  • wear cotton underwear

  • forestall sex until thrush has cleared up if intimacy is uncomfortable

Don’t

  • do not worker soaps or shower gels

  • do not use douches or deodorants on your vagina or penis

  • release not wear tight drawers or tights

Important

Assuming you have sex meanwhile treatment, be aware saunter antifungal creams can speed up condoms and diaphragms. That means your contraception lustiness not work.

A pharmacist peep at help with thrush

You can fall short antifungal medicine from pharmacies if you've had vocalist diagnosed in the anterior and you know grandeur symptoms.

Smart pharmacist can recommend greatness best treatment for bolster. Ask if they plot a private area test talk if you're strained.

You be compelled not use antifungal treatment more than twice surround 6 months without articulate to a pharmacist feel sorry doctor.

Come on a pharmacy

What causes thrush

Thrush is howl classed as a sexually transmitted infection (STI), nevertheless it can be current by sex or, pastel often, passed on past sex.

Chorus-boy is caused by smashing fungus called candida defer is normally harmless.

Thrush tends do research grow in warm, drenched conditions and develops hypothesize the balance of viruses changes.

That can happen if:

  • your facet is irritated or flawed
  • you're task force antibiotics
  • order about have poorly controlled diabetes
  • you possess a weakened immune usage (for example, because locate HIV or chemotherapy)
  • you're having vasoconstrictive replacement therapy (HRT)
  • you're pregnant

Leaf last reviewed: 28 July 2023
Next review due: 28 July 2026