Skin fungi are all infections of the skin and mucous membranes with fungal forms. Skin fungi are often very annoying due to their symptoms such as itching and weeping, but are harmless. They rarely penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin.
Skin Fungus Causes And Risk Factors
In a healthy person, the skin is well protected against invaders. Your top layer consists of dead cells, which represent a kind of barrier between the outside world and the deeper layers of the skin. On this top layer is an acid mantle that protects the skin. If it is destroyed, for example by over-cleansing, or if the skin suffers a wound such as a tear or cut at one point, bacteria, viruses and fungi can enter and cause infection. Whether this happens and how severe such an infection is then depends to a large extent on how well the affected person's immune system works.
The following factors support infection with a skin fungal pathogen or its spread:
- Weakened defenses
- Stress
- A warm, humid environment, for example between the toes or in skin folds, often caused by diapers in babies
- Underlying diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, overactive or underactive thyroid gland
- Therapy with drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants)
- Therapy with antibiotics or glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisone)
- Being very overweight – due to heavy sweating and the skin’s protective acid layer that is often disrupted as a result, as well as increased perspiration in skin folds
- Circulatory disorders of skin and mucous membranes
Children and the elderly often have a more vulnerable immune system than healthy middle-aged adults, so they are often affected by skin fungi, especially filamentous fungi.
Skin Fungus Symptoms
Do you have a red, itchy spot on your skin?
Is the skin swollen between two toes?
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| skin fungus symptoms |
Then you probably suffer from a skin fungal disease. Depending on the type of disease, the symptoms differ. Common to all fungal diseases is itching. Many pathogens form small pustules or blisters that weep. The affected areas are usually slightly to very reddened, and scaling can occur. If the skin fungus occurs in a region where hair is growing, it can fall out. After the fungus has healed, the hair usually grows back.
The further a skin fungal infection spreads, the more severe the symptoms. Itching, oozing, and redness increase as the infection lasts.
When to the doctor?
Seek advice from a doctor or pharmacist if you experience a persistent, itchy, red patch on your skin that is flaking.
Skin Fungus Treatment
The treatment of skin fungal diseases is generally lengthy. Even if the symptoms have long since disappeared, treatment should be continued for at least six weeks. During this time, the pathogens live on in the horny material of the skin and nails, even if they are kept in check. Stopping treatment can cause the infection to flare up again.
Skin fungal diseases are treated with agents that are specifically effective against fungi, so-called antimycotics. Many of these are available in pharmacies without a prescription. In order to be able to treat a skin fungus in a targeted manner, the doctor should determine the pathogen and recommend an appropriate remedy. Clotrimazole, econazole and miconazole are available for external use in the form of ointments, creams, lotions, powders or sprays. Antiseptics such as undecylenic acid and benzoic acid can also combat fungal infestation. Sometimes the doctor prescribes a drug in addition to the local therapy, depending on the type of pathogen and the spread of the skin fungus. Active ingredients contained therein can be, for example, itraconazole, terbinafine and fluconazole.
Terbinafine and itraconazole are used in tablet form to treat nail fungus. The remedy should be taken for at least two months if the fingernails are affected, and for at least three months if the toenails are affected. The active substance ciclopirox is approved for the external treatment of nail fungus.
In order to avoid reinfection, not only the affected skin areas should be treated intensively. Objects and textiles that have come into contact with it should also be disinfected. For example, people suffering from athlete's foot should wash their socks at at least 60 °C to kill the fungal spores. Shoes can be disinfected with special sprays containing clotrimazole.
The following applies to all skin fungal diseases: Do not scratch! Since the diseases are highly contagious, the risk of transferring the pathogens to other parts of the body with your fingers increases. In addition, scratching can cause tiny cracks in the skin's surface, through which the fungus can penetrate into deeper layers. In addition, harmful bacteria can enter the body through such wounds and cause additional infections.
In the treatment of skin fungi, some home remedies have proven to support medical treatment. For example, the treatment of athlete's foot with salt or vinegar foot baths is successful. The itching usually disappears after just one application.
In a study presented in 2011, Portuguese researchers showed that even small concentrations of lavender oil can help kill certain filamentous and yeast fungi.
Tip: Even if it is difficult: Never scratch the area affected by the skin fungus. Dry yourself carefully after showering to avoid providing the fungus with a warm, damp environment. This applies in particular to the spaces between the toes, skin folds and the intimate area.