Thrush

• Signs and symptoms
• Getting it
• Diagnosis & treatment
• Long-term effects

Signs and symptoms

Normally, thrush is kept in check by harmless bacteria. Occasionally conditions change and the yeast increases rapidly causing symptoms including:

Women

• Itching, soreness and redness around the vagina, vulva or anus.
• A thick, white discharge from the vagina that looks like cottage cheese and smells yeasty.
• A swollen vulva.
• Pain when you have sex.
• Pain when you pee.

Men

• Irritation, burning or itching under the foreskin or on the tip of the penis.
• A redness, or red patches, under the foreskin or on the tip of the penis.
• A white coating under the foreskin that can be easily wiped off (smegma) - wiping it off however, will not get rid of thrush.
• Difficulty in pulling back the foreskin.

Where to get help