Fungal Infection

What Are Fungal Infections?

Fungal infections, also known as mycosis, are skin diseases caused by fungi. Millions of fungal species exist, and they require a warm, damp environment to thrive. Skin is one of the surfaces on which fungi can live. If fungus starts living on the skin's surface, it causes a fungal skin infection.

Fungal infections most commonly affect the foot, groyne, under the chest area in females, abdominal folds (specially in obese people), and armpits.

They can be pruritic and annoying but rarely are serious. A person's specific body chemistry and lifestyle choices can raise the risk of fungal infection. Athletes often suffer from fungal skin infections because of their excessive sweating.

Some of the fungal infections include:

Ringworm: Ringworm is a mould-like parasitic fungus that causes ring-shaped lesions on the skin surface.
Athlete's foot: Athlete's foot can affect any part of the foot, usually between the toes, and is characterised by scaling, cracking, and redness.
Nail fungus: Nail fungus causes toenails and fingernails to become discoloured and brittle, sometimes breaking off completely.
Oral thrush: It is a fungal infection of the mouth.

What Causes Recurrent Fungal Infections?

In basic terms, recurrent fungal infections are skin infections caused by a fungus that repeatedly affects an individual even after it is treated at first onset.

There are multiple reasons why fungal infections can recur. These include:

Unintentional usage of topical steroids: Some over-the-counter topical steroid creams are available. People may try to lessen their symptoms of fungal infections with steroids, but steroid use does not help eradicate the fungus-causing infection. Discontinuing the application of steroids could result in fungal infection recurrence.

Proper treatment duration: Different strains of a fungus can cause a skin infection. It is not necessary that every time one gets infected, the same fungal strain has caused the skin infection. Thus, there is a need to take the best-suited treatment for the proper duration to avoid the recurrence of fungal skin infections. Normally, people undergo treatment for fungal skin infections until they get relief from their symptoms and then discontinue it, or they may not select the right treatment option. This way, recurrence of fungal infection is possible.
General measures: If one fails to practise self-hygiene, the chances of having a recurrence of fungal infection are higher. For example, leaving the body surfaces moist after bathing for too long or not washing and drying clothes properly can cause fungal infections to occur repeatedly.

How Do You Prevent Skin Fungal Infections?

Wear loose, breathable clothing, such as those made of cotton fabric.
Wear shoes that are not too tight and made of natural materials, such as leather, rather than plastic, or choose open footwear, such as flip-flops, to keep the feet cool and dry.
Keep your body and feet clean and dry at all times. After taking a shower, thoroughly dry yourself off. Moisture on the skin after a shower or sweating while doing chores can also be a fungi breeding habitat.
Do not go barefoot. Wear flip-flops or sandals, particularly in communal areas of the gym and locker rooms. People who have cuts on their feet can contract fungal skin infections (athlete's foot) from the floor.
Take a healthy diet. Probiotics can supply healthy bacteria that help the body fight off harmful fungi that cause fungal skin infections. Limiting the sugar in the diet can reduce the likelihood of yeast infections.
Change your socks and shoes if they become wet or sweaty. Never reuse socks. Allow the footwear to air out between uses.

How To Prevent Skin Fungus from Coming Back?

One can lessen the risk of a fungal infection recurrence by following some simple sanitation and hygiene steps:

Always wear slippers when walking on moist surfaces to prevent recurrent fungal infections of the foot or nail.
When affected, wash your bedsheets and towels regularly and avoid exchanging linens and towels with anyone infected.
Avoid scratching infected areas since this can spread the fungal infection to other areas of the body. If your feet are infected, applying an antifungal powder, such as Clocip dusting powder, can help keep them dry and inhibit the spread of any fungal infection.
When you have a fungal infection, finish the entire course of antifungal medicine the doctor prescribes or use the over-the-counter treatment for the suggested period until the disease is completely gone.
Apply prescription antifungal cream to the soles of the feet and nails twice weekly. This may help prevent the fungus from regrowing too quickly. In some cases, an oral drug may be prescribed.
Keep your toenails short and cut them straight across to avoid ingrown nails. Do not use the same clippers for abnormal and normal nails.

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