If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Fungal infections are common throughout much of the natural world.
In humans, fungal infections occur when an invading fungus takes over an area of the body and is too much for the immune system to handle.
Fungi can live in the air, soil, water, and plants. There are also some fungi that live naturally in the human body. Like many microbes, there are helpful fungi and harmful fungi. When harmful fungi invade the body, they can be difficult to kill, as they can survive in the environment and re-infect the person trying to get better. In this article, we take a look at who is most at risk of getting a fungal infection and what the symptoms and treatment options are for some common types.
The symptoms of a fungal infection will depend on the type, but common symptoms include the following:. Read on to find out more about some common types of fungal infection, their symptoms, and the treatment options. It is most common in warmer climates and summer months, where it can quickly multiply. Classic symptoms include:. Doctors usually diagnose the infection by scraping scaling skin off of a person and inspecting it under a microscope for evidence of any fungus.
The infection may behave differently depending on the specific fungus that is infecting the skin. Severe infections can require additional oral medications as well. The feet will also need to be cared for and kept dry to help kill the fungus. Prevention methods include allowing the feet plenty of air to breathe and keeping them clean and dry. It is a good idea to wear sandals in public showers or locker rooms.
Vaginal yeast infections are a common form of Candida overgrowth in women, usually caused by Candida albicans.
An overgrowth of Candida disrupts the normal balance of the bacteria and yeast in the vagina. This imbalance of bacteria may be due to antibiotics , stress , and hormone imbalances, or poor eating habits, among other things.
A rash may develop over time in some cases. Yeast infections should be treated quickly, as the symptoms may become severe if left untreated. Also, frequently using antifungal medicine unnecessarily may reduce how effective it is in the future. For more severe or reoccurring infections, a person may need prescription antifungal medication.
Some home care strategies may help reduce yeast infection symptoms or prevent the issue from coming back. Probiotic yogurt may help reduce the amount of yeast in the body. A pilot study involving 24 women showed that eating 8 ounces of probiotic yogurt per day reduced the presence of Candida in some cases. However, this was a small study with mixed results. Also, the women had HIV, so their health responses may not reflect those of the general population.
Addressing the cause of the infection is important, especially if the infection keeps coming back. A person may benefit from:.
A person should talk to a doctor if they notice symptoms of a yeast infection. It is important to receive the right treatment for any infection, and correctly identifying the type of infection is the first step.
Yeast infections often cause changes to genital discharge and patches to form in the mouth or in skin folds. A doctor can confirm the infection and recommend the best treatment, depending on the severity and the part of the body involved. Bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections can cause similar symptoms, but they require different treatments. Learn to tell the two apart and more here. Many treatments are available for a yeast infection, some of which a person can administer at home.
This article looks at 8 home remedies, including…. There are a variety of fungal infection treatments available in the form of creams, lotions, shampoos and pessaries. Your pharmacist will be able to advise on the best treatment for you. Always read the leaflet that comes with your medicine to see how to apply it and for how long. If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice. If you have a rash that covers a large area of skin or affects your nails or scalp, you may need to take tablets.
Side-effects of anti-fungal tablets may include feeling sick, diarrhoea and headache. You may need to continue treatment for up to two weeks after your symptoms disappear depending on the type of fungal infection you have and how bad it is. Some fungal infections need to be treated for much longer. For example, if you have a fungal nail infection, you may need to treat it for up to a year with a topical treatment or for several months with tablets.
It can take another six months to a year for your nail to recover, although it might never look completely normal. Fungal infections can come back, even if they seem to have cleared up, particularly infections of the feet and toenails. Many different fungi and yeasts can cause infections of your skin, hair and nails.
These may be spread:. Some fungal skin infections — for example, candida thrush — usually come from an overgrowth of your own previously harmless fungi. You can pick up fungi which might cause infection if you come into contact with an infected person or animal. You can also pick up fungi by sharing contaminated items such as clothes, towels, hairbrushes or bedclothes.
Walking barefoot in shared showers and pool areas may mean you pick up fungi on your feet. Fungal infections can spread from person to person.
They can also spread from animals to people and, more rarely, from soil to people. Fungi can be passed on if you use contaminated items such as clothes, bedding or hairbrushes. Or you may pick up fungi by walking barefoot on contaminated floors such as those in communal swimming areas. You can also spread the infection to other parts of your body — for example, by scratching. The treatment you need for a fungal skin infection will depend on the type of infection you have.
Many antifungal topical medicines are available over the counter from your local pharmacy. These come in the form of creams, lotions, shampoos and pessaries that you apply directly to your skin. But some fungal infections need to be treated with tablets. Speak to your pharmacist for advice on the best treatment for you. There are also things you can do to stop your infection getting worse or spreading to others. For more information, see our section on treatment above.
Fungal infections can be caused by many different types of fungi. These can be spread between people, or from animals, the soil, contaminated items or floors. You may also be more likely to get a fungal infection if you wear tight clothing, are overweight, pregnant or have certain medical conditions. For more information, see our section on causes above. You may see herbal remedies such as tea tree oil promoted as treatments for fungal skin infections.
Herbal remedies contain active ingredients that may interact with other medicines or cause side-effects. If you want to know more about herbal remedies and how they might affect you, ask your pharmacist for advice. They could also spread to other parts of your body, cause a bacterial infection or be passed to other people. If you have a fungal infection on your scalp, this may cause a bald patch if left untreated.
But sometimes, if you choose not to treat your fungal nail infection, it could spread to your other nails. It could also become painful, make it difficult to walk or spread to other people. But good foot hygiene can help prevent the spread of the infection to other parts of your body such as your toenails or groin. Obese people are more likely to get these infections because they have excessive skinfolds, especially if the skin within a skinfold becomes irritated and broken down intertrigo Intertrigo Intertrigo is irritation and breakdown of skin maceration in areas where two skin surfaces rub together.
Sometimes bacterial or yeast infections develop. The diagnosis is based on the location People with diabetes Diabetes Mellitus DM Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar glucose levels to be abnormally high.
Urination and thirst are Strangely, fungal infections on one part of the body can cause rashes on other parts of the body that are not infected. For example, a fungal infection on the foot may cause an itchy, bumpy rash on the fingers. These eruptions dermatophytids Dermatophytid Reaction A dermatophytid reaction is the body's reaction to a dermatophyte fungal infection and is a skin eruption that appears on an area of the body that is not the area where the infection first They do not result from touching the infected area.
Doctors may suspect a fungal infection when they see a red, irritated, or scaly rash in one of the commonly affected areas. They can usually confirm the diagnosis of a fungal skin infection by scraping Scrapings Doctors can identify many skin disorders simply by looking at the skin.
A full skin examination includes examination of the scalp, nails, and mucous membranes. Sometimes the doctor uses a hand-held
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