Candida glossitis

Candidal glossitis is a disease that affects the human tongue. The disease with such a complex name is caused by yeast fungi that belong to the genus Candida. They are located on the mucous membranes of human organs, including the tongue. It is characteristic that Candida fungi settle precisely on the epithelium in which there is erosion.

Candidal glossitis most often affects newborns and elderly people. This is because in these age groups, immunity is reduced, and the body is more easily exposed to aggressive environmental factors, including fungal diseases.

Of course, you shouldn't panic and start treatment if you find fungi of this genus in your tests. Under natural conditions, a healthy person's oral cavity "lives" countless microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. With a strong immune system, these "comrades" are controlled by beneficial bacteria, which also live in the mouth. Or all such "pests" are simply in suspended animation, if such a term can be applied to them. But when the immune system fails, pathogenic microflora tends to become active, multiply quickly and cause various diseases. Candida fungi are no exception to this rule.

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Causes of Candidal Glossitis

The causes of candidal glossitis are rooted in the penetration of the above-mentioned Candida fungi into the oral cavity. At the same time, there is a possibility that the disease was caused not by the fungus getting into the mouth, but by an increase in the number of fungi already there. Usually, with a good level of human immunity, the body copes with their vital activity. But with a decrease in the protective properties of the immune system, fungi begin to dominate the body and develop their "activity", leading to the emergence of symptoms of the disease.

So, here are some diagrams of how Candida fungi penetrate into the oral cavity:

1. Infection acquired as a result of contact with another person who is infected. Or through interaction with an infected environment. Let's take a closer look at the above:
   • The infection can enter the body through ordinary everyday interactions: kissing, breastfeeding, and so on.
   • Ignoring hygiene rules - such neglect of simple precautions will most likely lead to infection. Therefore, a person should always use only his personal hygiene items, namely a toothbrush. It is also important to use only clean dishes for cooking and eating, preferably personal ones.
   • Fungal infection can occur due to dirty water or food products in which pathogenic microflora has already appeared.
   • Various medical procedures can also cause infection, especially if the medical staff does not follow safety procedures. This can happen through blood transfusions, using non-sterile reusable instruments, and also due to unwashed hands of medical staff, especially in maternity hospitals.
   • Decreased immunity, which leads to the development of candidal glossitis.
2. During certain crisis conditions of the human body, the vital activity of individual microorganisms may increase. Such events are:
   • pregnancy,
   • lactation period,
   • constant and severe stress of an adult or a child,
   • the period of infancy, especially the newborn period,
   • old age of a person, burdened by many diseases in the chronic stage,
   • periods of life characterized by metabolic disorders in the body (the appearance of excess weight, obesity, diabetes, adrenal cortex insufficiency and hypothyroidism),
   • diseases caused by viral infections - influenza, mononucleosis, HIV infection, AIDS,
   • various allergic dysfunctions – symptoms of bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, seasonal hay fever, year-round hay fever,
   • autoimmune diseases - signs of systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma,
   • the emergence of oncological processes and malignant neoplasms in the body,
   • taking recommended immunosuppressants for a sufficiently long period if a person has transplantable organs,
   • long-term use of hormones from the glucocorticoid group and antibacterial drugs,
   • history of chronic alcoholism,
   • constant, systematic smoking with a large number of cigarettes smoked (especially for men),
   • lack of optimal amounts of vitamins in the body due to hypovitaminosis or avitaminosis.

In addition, it is known that women of childbearing age are also susceptible to candidal glossitis.

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Symptoms of Candidal Glossitis

It does not matter how Candida fungi got into a person's mouth. It is important to know that the symptoms of candidal glossitis are the same in all cases. An increase in the amount of this microflora in the oral cavity causes an inflammatory process, which has its own signs.

Manifestations of candidal glossitis include:

• Swelling of the tongue (hyperemia) is an increase in the size of this organ due to an increase in blood flow.
• Formation of a white, cheesy coating on the back of the tongue. Sometimes the coating is brownish. This symptom appears a day or two after the tongue swells.
• After this, a burning sensation or severe itching appears at the site of plaque formation.
• The occurrence of moderate pain is observed as one of the symptoms of the disease.
• It is possible for the tongue to increase in size to such an extent that it becomes practically immobile.
• Due to swelling of the tongue, speech is impaired, as it becomes very difficult for a person to speak.
• There is a strong production of saliva in the mouth.
• A strong and very unpleasant odor appears from the mouth.
• When immunity is very low, pathogenic microflora causes small erosions and ulcers on the tongue.
• Patients may also experience changes or distortions in taste due to damage to the taste buds on the tongue.

In addition to such specific symptoms, patients may also observe other changes in the body, namely:

• increase in body temperature to 37.5º degrees,
• the emergence of general weakness,
• the appearance of a headache,
• the occurrence of nausea,
• lack of desire to eat.

It should be noted that acute manifestations of candidal glossitis can become chronic. This situation is observed in the absence of proper and timely treatment. And from this moment on, every cold or seasonal decrease in immunity will cause relapses of candidal glossitis.

It is also important to say that this disease can cause the following complications:

• Anorexia is a severe weight loss resulting from refusal to eat.
• Candidal infection of the esophagus.
• Candidal infection of the stomach.

If left untreated, such manifestations can lead to very serious health problems that will harm the body and lead to chronic forms of disease.

Diagnosis of candidal glossitis

Any change in the human body and the choice of treatment requires a correct diagnosis. Diagnosis of candidal glossitis is made as follows:

• Examination of the oral cavity.

During this procedure, lesions on the tongue are recorded, which have a round or oval shape. In the center of each place, a bright red erosion can be observed, which has a smooth and shiny surface. Along the periphery of the erosive lesion, there is a frame in the form of a ridge, which is made up of white scales. Swelling of the tongue and a white coating on it, which cannot be eliminated with a spatula, are also visible.

• Laboratory research.

Laboratory tests help confirm or refute the results of the tongue examination. The group of studies for candidal glossitis includes general clinical tests, microscopic examination of the affected tissue, and serological blood tests.

General clinical tests include:

• a general blood test, in which the level of leukocytes will be increased to a level one and a half to two times higher than normal, and the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) will be two to seven times higher than normal.
• general urine analysis, in which the number of leukocytes increases to five in the field of vision (with the norm being one to two in the field of vision), and squamous epithelium increases to ten in the field of vision (with the norm being three to five in the field of vision).

During microscopic examination, the upper layer of epithelium covering the lesion is taken. A wash from the oral cavity is also suitable. The microbiological laboratory accepts these materials, prepares preparations from them, which are then studied using a microscope. If cells of a round and spherical shape, white in color, with small outgrowths on the surface - pseudomycelium and multiplying by budding - are detected, a diagnosis of "candidal glossitis" can be made.

In a serological study, it is necessary to determine the increase in the titer of antibodies that are needed to develop protective reactions of the body against Candida fungi. The most reliable methods for this study are considered to be the use of PCR (or polymerase chain reaction) and PA (or agglutination reaction).

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Treatment of candidal glossitis

Treatment of candidal glossitis is quite successful and leads to a complete recovery of the patient if it is started in a timely manner. In this case, it is necessary to use a comprehensive approach, which consists of the following steps:

1. Sanitization of the oral cavity and creation of an alkaline environment in the oral cavity to eliminate the presence of fungus.
   • It is important to rinse your mouth with antiseptic solutions several times a day. The following solutions are recommended: Chlorhexidine, Romazulan, Rotokan, Miramistin, Furacilin.
   • If these products are not available, you can rinse your mouth with a weak aqueous solution of ordinary potassium permanganate two to four times a day. Or a two percent solution of soda in water will do, which should be used three to five times a day.
   • You can use hexidine-based preparations as applications. Of the available names of medications, you should resort to Orasept, Stomatidin, Gevalex. With their help, applications are made on the affected areas six times a day and held for three to five minutes.
   • It is also recommended to use a one percent solution of Clotrimazole as a mouth rinse.
2. Use of antifungal therapy.
   • You can use medications with an antifungal effect. It is good in this case to resort to the help of Nystatin, Dekamin, Fluconazole, Ketoconazole. How to use them is written in the instructions or the specialist who is treating the disease will tell you about it.
3. Treatment of ulcers and erosions of the tongue.
   • For these purposes, wound-healing ointments, as well as balms and gels are used. These include Vinilin, Solcoseryl, and other medications.
   • Various oils based on vegetable oil are also good for these purposes - peach, sea buckthorn, rosehip, oil with vitamin A.
4. If severe hyperemia of the tongue and pronounced symptoms of the disease occur, antihistamines are prescribed.
5. Pain relief.
   • In case of severe pain, the patient may be prescribed painkillers. These include Dicloberl in capsule form - one hundred and fifty mg once a day or Movalis - fifteen mg once or twice a day.
6. Strengthening the immune system.

It is very important to restore the body's ability to resist pathogenic microflora. Therefore, specialists prescribe a course of vitamins and immunomodulators. Moreover, such an appointment is made taking into account the patient's medical history and physiological characteristics.

Usually, it is recommended to take Interferon three to five drops in each nostril four to six times a day. Echinacea preparations in capsule form are also suitable - one capsule twice a day. Of the vitamins, multivitamin complexes with minerals are good - it is best to choose Vitrum, Macrovit, Polivit, Jungle. The dosage of these preparations is one tablet once a day.

7. Following a diet.

One of the important factors for successful recovery is the diet prescribed by the doctor. The patient must remember that a person is healed not only by medications, but also by proper nutrition. Therefore, excluding certain foods from the diet for a while will help to recover faster.

So, you should forget about flour products - bread, buns, cookies, pies, cakes and pastries, as well as pasta, pelmeni, vareniki. It is necessary to refuse to eat sugar and all culinary masterpieces that contain it - candies, jams, jellies, marmalade and so on. You will also have to drink unsweetened tea. Potatoes and other starchy products should be forgotten by the patient until complete recovery of health.

Any food that irritates the tongue is left for better times. This applies to salty, spicy, hot dishes and food products.

What can you eat to avoid dying of hunger? - the amazed patient will ask. Of course, you won't be able to die of hunger, because there is a lot of permitted and, in addition, healthy food. For example, vegetables and fruits in fresh, boiled and baked form are highly recommended. It is best, especially in the initial stage of treatment, to take vegetable dishes in the form of puree or porridge. Protein food is also suitable, again in the form of puree or pate.

Prevention of candidal glossitis

Prevention of candidal glossitis begins, first of all, with constant and daily oral care. The rules of hygiene were invented for a reason, and therefore they must be followed to avoid many diseases, including candidal glossitis.

It is recommended to brush your teeth twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. You can also resort to the morning procedure of cleaning your tongue with a metal teaspoon. It would be correct to rinse your mouth in the morning with a saline solution or an infusion of anti-inflammatory herbs - chamomile, oak bark, and so on.

If there are bacterial and viral infections in the body, they must be treated promptly to avoid provoking the disease and its spread throughout the body.

Every year it is necessary to undergo a preventive examination of the oral cavity by a dental specialist.

The diet should be rich in fiber, which has antioxidant properties. Therefore, it is necessary to eat as many different greens, vegetables, fruits and berries as possible. Sweets, flour and starchy dishes and food products are a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microflora. Therefore, they should be minimized in the daily menu.

A healthy lifestyle, as well as systematic physical training, help strengthen a person's immunity. Thanks to this, the body's resistance increases, and pathogenic microflora cannot become active, multiply and provoke diseases.

Prognosis of Candidal Glossitis

The prognosis for candidal glossitis to heal is always favorable. The main thing in this matter is to correctly diagnose and carry out the necessary treatment.

This form of glossitis does not require hospitalization of the patient. The patient can perform all procedures independently and at home. The main thing is to carefully follow the recommended therapy method and show up to a specialist for a routine examination in time.

Candidal glossitis is a disease that can be easily cured. Do not postpone visiting a specialist "for later" if any alarming symptoms related to the oral cavity appear. Only in this case can you get rid of the disease forever and forget about the consequences.