Even though there are millions of different kinds of fungi, only about 300 of them can actually make people sick. Different kinds of fungal infections can happen to your skin.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common fungal skin infections and how to treat them and keep them from happening.
What is a fungal infection?
Fungi are all around us. You can find them on plants, in the soil, and even on your own skin. Most of the time, these tiny organisms on your skin don’t cause any problems, unless they grow faster than usual or get into your body through a cut or other wound.
Fungi grow best in warm, damp places, so fungal skin infections often happen in sweaty or damp places with little air flow. Some of these places are the feet, the groyne, and skin folds. Most of the time, these infections show up as a red, scaly rash or a change in the color of the skin.
There are a lot of fungal skin infections. Even though the infection can be annoying and painful, it usually isn’t a serious problem. Fungus infections on the skin are often passed from person to person. This can happen if you touch fungi that are on your clothes or other things, or on a person or animal.
What are the most common infections caused by fungi on the skin?
The skin can be affected by a number of common fungal infections. Mucous membranes are another common place for fungus to grow, along with the skin. Some of these are yeast infections in the vaginal area and thrush in the mouth.
Below, we’ll talk about some of the most common types of skin fungal infections.
Body-wide ringworm (tinea corporis)
Ringworm is caused by a fungus, not a worm, despite what its name might suggest. It usually happens on the arms, legs, and trunk. When ringworm is on other parts of the body, it is sometimes called athlete’s foot or jock itch.
The main sign of ringworm is a rash that looks like a ring and has raised edges. Most of the time, the skin inside these round rashes looks healthy. The rash can get bigger and usually itches. Ringworm is a common skin infection caused by fungi, and it spreads quickly. But it’s not a big deal, and most of the time you can treat it with an anti fungal cream.
The foot of an athlete (tinea pedis)
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that affects the skin on your feet, usually between your toes. Some common signs of athlete’s foot are: itching, burning, or stinging between your toes or on the bottoms of your feet red, scaly, dry, or flaky skin that is cracked or blistered
The infection can sometimes spread to other parts of your body. Your nails, groyne, or hands are some examples (tinea manuum).
Itchy behind (tinea cruris)
Jock itch is a skin infection caused by fungus that happens in the groyne and thighs. It happens most often to men and teenage boys.
The main sign is a red, itchy rash that usually starts in the groyne or on the inside of the upper thighs. The rash can spread to the buttocks and abdomen and get worse after exercise or other physical activity.
The skin may also look like it has scales, flakes, or cracks. The edge of the rash may be darker and slightly raised.
Ringworm of the head or hair (tinea capitis)
This fungal infection affects both the scalp skin and the hair shafts. It happens most often in young children and needs to be treated with antifungal shampoo and prescription pills. Some of the signs are: localised bald spots that may be scaly or red and may itch or hurt.
Tinea versicolor
Tinea versicolor, also called pityriasis versicolor, is an infection of the skin caused by fungi or yeast that makes small, oval, discoloured patches. It is caused by an overgrowth of Malassezia, a type of fungus that is normally found on the skin of about 90% of adults.
Most of the time, these spots of discoloured skin show up on the back, chest, and upper arms. They can be red, pink, tan, or brown, and look lighter or darker than the rest of your skin. These spots can be itchy, flaky, or scaly.
Tinea versicolor is more likely to happen in the summer or in places where it is warm and wet. The condition can sometimes come back even after it has been treated.
Cutaneous candidiasis
Candida fungi are to blame for this skin infection. This kind of fungi lives on and in our bodies by itself. When it gets too big, it can cause an infection.
Candida skin infections happen in warm, humid places with little air flow. Some of the most common places where this happens are under the breasts and in the creases of the buttocks, as in diaper rash.
Some of the signs of a skin infection caused by Candida are:
- a red rash with small red bumps that itch
- Onychomycosis (tinea unguium)
- Onychomycosis is an infection of the nails that is caused by fungi. It can happen to either the fingernails or the toenails, but toenail infections happen more often.
Onychomycosis could be present if your nails discoloured, usually yellow, brown, or white hard or easy to break thickened. Most of the time, prescription drugs are needed to treat this kind of infection. In severe cases, your doctor may take out all or part of a nail that is affected.
Danger signs
There are a number of things that can make you more likely to get a fungal skin infection. These things are:
living in a hot or damp place, sweating a lot, and not keeping your skin clean and dry. Sharing items like clothing, shoes, towels, or bedding, wearing tight clothing or shoes that don’t breathe well, doing activities that involve a lot of skin-to-skin contact, coming into contact with animals that may be infected, having a weakened immune system from drugs, cancer treatment, or conditions like HIV, etc.
When to go to the doctor?
Over-the-counter (OTC) fungal treatments help many types of fungal skin infections get better over time. But you should call your doctor if: a fungal skin infection that doesn’t get better, gets worse, or comes back after using over-the-counter medicine if you lose patches of hair and have itchy or scaly skin, your immune system is probably weak, and you might have a fungal infection. If you think you have athlete’s foot or onychomycosis but you have diabetes.
Treatment for skin fungus
Fungus infections can be treated with medicines that kill fungi. Fungi can be killed directly or stopped from growing and spreading. Antifungal drugs can be bought over-the-counter or with a doctor’s prescription. They come in many different forms, such as:
- ointments or creams
- pills, powders, sprays, shampoos
If you think you have a fungal skin infection, you could try an over-the-counter (OTC) product to see if it helps get rid of the problem. Your doctor may give you a stronger antifungal drug to treat your infection if it keeps coming back or is very bad.
You can take over-the-counter or prescription antifungals, or you can do some things at home to help get rid of the infection. These things are:
- making sure the area is clean and dry
- wearing clothes or shoes that are loose and let your skin breathe
How to prevent fungal infection?
Try to remember the following tips to help avoid getting a fungal skin infection:
- Make sure to take care of your hygiene.
- Don’t share your clothes, towels, or other things that belong to you.
- Every day, wear clean clothes, especially socks and underwear.
- Choose clothes and shoes that let your skin breathe. Don’t wear clothes or shoes that are too tight or don’t fit well.
- After taking a shower, bath, or going swimming, make sure to dry off with a clean, dry towel.
- Don’t walk around barefoot in the locker room. Instead, wear sandals or flip-flops.
- Wipe down things like gym equipment or mats that other people use.
- Stay away from animals that are losing their fur or scratching a lot, as these are signs that they have a fungal infection.
Final words
Skin infections caused by fungi are common. Even though these infections aren’t usually dangerous, they can cause red, itchy, or scaly skin that can be uncomfortable and irritating. If you don’t treat the rash, it may get worse or spread.
There are many over-the-counter products that can help treat skin infections caused by fungi. But if you have an infection that doesn’t get better with over-the-counter medicines, you should see a doctor. For treatment to work better, you may need a prescription.