Fungal skin infection causes and risk factors
The most common fungi that infect skin belong to Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Trychopyhyton species. There are known more than 40 species of such fungi. About 10 of them cause dermatophytosis in human. Patient may contract the disease from another infected person or an animal. Risk factors for fungal skin infection include systemic diseases (e.g. diabetes) , ichthyosis, collagenosis, excessive sweating, immunocompromised individuals, consumption of antibiotics, glucocorticosteroids, chemotherapeutic medicine; synthetic and tight clothes, shoes, contact with already infected patient, visiting high-risk places (swimming pools, saunas). Skin fungus may affect almost any part of the skin, e.g. face, chest, neck, feet, hands. Usually, patients suffering from skin fungus are infected with nail fungus as well.
Pictures of the fungal infection:
Interdigital fungal infection
Foot fungus manifests as a chronic foot and interdigital (between toes) lesion. People may become infected everywhere but most frequently it happens in damp and warm places, such as swimming pools, saunas, gyms or even beaches. The disease is common all around the world.
Skin fungus presenting on hands
Skin fungus from foot may spread to palms and hands, affect hand nails as well. This type of the disease disturbs not only professional area but also causes social and psychological issues. Patients get used to hiding their hands; they may feel anxious, worried about every meeting with acquaintance when a handshake is necessary. Like every other case of fungal skin infection, this special form of skin fungus requires seeing a dermatologist and getting proper treatment of the disease.
Facial skin fungus
Facial skin fungus, as the title suggests, manifests on face and may cause stress, psychosocial and cosmetic issues. It is very important to identify these changes and prevent the disease from spreading. Facial skin fungus can affect people of any age but kids suffer from this disease more often as they contact with animals more frequently than adults do, as well as have immature immune system. Symptoms of facial skin fungus include dry, pale, pink patch that appears on the skin. Untreated it becomes larger; blisters may appear which cause physical discomfort.
Fungal skin infection treatment
After noticing the first symptoms of skin fungus - itchiness, skin cracks, rashes - it is very advisable to consult a dermatologist or, if there are no possibilities to do so, purchase antifungal medicine in a pharmacy. Patients infected with skin fungus do not pose any harm for surrounding people when trying to get well on their own, but there are other skin diseases, such as psoriasis, that have similar symptoms to fungal skin infection and the usage of antifungal medicine exacerbates the course of disease. This is crucially important reason for a visit to a dermatologist.
Usually, fungal skin lesions do not disappear without marks. In addition, they have a tendency to re-occur all over again. The best method to avoid contracting fungal skin disease is proper daily skin care.
