What Are the Causes of Tongue Fungus?

Tongue fungus, also known as oral thrush, appears as velvety, white, patchy lesions in the mouth. These lesions may bleed and be painful, making it difficult to eat. This condition is not serious in a healthy person, but there can be serious complications if the person with tongue fungus has a compromised immune system. If you have tongue fungus, see a doctor. You may be prescribed a mouth rinse or lozenges to kill the fungus.

Organism

• Tongue fungus is a living organism called candida, the same type that causes yeast infections in the vagina. The organism is present in a healthy human body, but the population is normally kept in check by bacteria and other organisms. A problem develops when the balance is disrupted and the candida population grows out of control.

Age

• Infants often have oral thrush. This is considered normal--no treatment is necessary, and the tongue fungus will usually resolve on its own within two weeks. Tongue fungus is also more common in the elderly.

HIV

• Oral thrush is more common in people with weakened immune systems, and it is often an opportunistic infection in people with HIV. If you have a compromised immune system, tongue fungus is much more serious, because it can spread throughout the body.

Diabetes

• If you have diabetes, your saliva contains a lot of sugar. This sugar feeds the growth of candida yeast in the mouth, putting people with diabetes at greater risk for tongue fungus.

Medications

• Certain medications, such as steroids and antibiotics, can weaken your immune system or affect the balance of organisms living in your mouth, allowing the growth of tongue fungus. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer also weaken the immune system and make fungal infections more likely.