Over time, patches of ringworm can spread and form red rings. A simple skin examination can find ringworm. The fungus glows under a black light, so your doctor can tell if you have it by shining the black light over the affected area. A small sample of the affected skin can also be scraped off and sent to a lab for testing. You may need a prescription if your case is more severe or the infection is located on the nails or scalp.
Gain a better understanding of ringworm, including ways to prevent and treat it. Candida albicans is a type of fungus that can infect your skin, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, or genitals. But when these fungi multiply too much, they can cause an infection known as a yeast infection. Thrush causes white patches to form in your mouth and throat.
People who undergo prolonged antibiotic therapy often develop this type of infection. To check for oral thrush, your doctor can use a throat swab to rub the affected areas. Throat swabs look like a cotton bud. Your doctor can send the swab to a lab, where technicians will culture it to learn what types of fungi or other microbes are present.
Your doctor will perform a pelvic exam to diagnose a vaginal yeast infection. Your treatment options will depend on the type of yeast infection you have and whether or not you get yeast infections regularly. Thrush can be treated with oral antifungal medications. These can come in the form of lozenges, pills, or mouthwash. Find out more about oral thrush. If you catch a vaginal yeast infection early enough, you might be able to treat it with OTC products.
Otherwise, your doctor can prescribe antifungal medications that come as a cream, pill, or vaginal suppository. Your doctor might also recommend probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Learn more about the symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection and why early treatment is so important. Onychomycosis is a common type of fungal infection that can affect your toenails, fingernails, and nail beds. Toenail fungus usually starts as a small light-colored spot on your nail. As it spreads deeper, it changes the shape and color of your nail. Over time, it can cause your nail to become thicker and more brittle.
To find out if you have toenail fungus, your doctor will likely scrape off pieces of the affected nail. They will examine these scrapings under a microscope. This can help them tell the difference between a fungal infection and other conditions that cause similar symptoms.
What types of activities are you doing? Harmful fungi can be found in air, dust, and soil. You could inhale fungi during activities like digging, gardening, cleaning chicken coops, and visiting caves. Histoplasma grows especially well in soil that contains bird or bat droppings. Do you have a dog or cat? People can get ringworm from their pets. Dogs and cats with ringworm sometimes have circular, hairless patches on their skin or other types of rashes.
Adult animals do not always show signs of ringworm infection. Have you recently taken antibiotics? Antibiotics can make women more likely to get a vaginal yeast infection, also known as vulvovaginal candidiasis. Women who are pregnant or those who have weakened immune systems also are more likely to get this condition. Men also can get genital candidiasis. Are you taking any medicine that affects your immune system?
Medicine that weakens your immune system may increase the chance of getting a fungal infection. Are you living with HIV? People living with HIV particularly those with CD4 counts less than may be more likely to get fungal infections. The immune system may be weakened when people take drugs that suppress the immune system Some Drugs That Can Cause Immunodeficiency Immunodeficiency disorders involve malfunction of the immune system, resulting in infections that develop and recur more frequently, are more severe, and last longer than usual.
People who spend many days in an intensive care unit can develop a weakened immune system because of medical procedures, underlying disorders, undernutrition, or a combination. Except for some superficial skin infections, fungal infections are rarely passed from one person to another. Opportunistic Opportunistic fungal infections Fungi are neither plants nor animals.
Because fungal spores are often Primary Primary fungal infections Fungi are neither plants nor animals. Fungal infections can affect only one area of the body localized or many areas of the body systemic.
Localized fungal infections affect only one area of the body. They typically affect the skin and nails Overview of Fungal Skin Infections Fungi usually make their homes in moist areas of the body where skin surfaces meet: between the toes, in the genital area, and under the breasts. Vaginal infections are caused by microorganisms Candidiasis tends to occur in moist areas of the skin. Candidiasis may cause rashes, scaling, itching, and swelling. Doctors examine the affected Localized fungal infections sometimes occur when the normal balances that keep fungi in check are upset.
For example, certain types of fungi such as Candida are normally present on body surfaces or in the intestine. The bacteria normally present in the digestive tract and vagina limit the growth of these fungi in those areas. When people take antibiotics, the helpful bacteria can be killed, allowing the fungi to grow unchecked. The resulting overgrowth of fungi can cause symptoms, which are usually mild. As the bacteria grow back, the balance is restored, and the problem usually resolves. Systemic fungal infections affect organs such as the lungs, eyes, liver, and brain and also can affect the skin.
They typically occur in people who have a weakened immune system see Opportunistic fungal infections Opportunistic fungal infections Fungi are neither plants nor animals. Opportunistic fungal infections take advantage of a weakened immune system. Thus, they usually occur in people with a weakened immune system, such as those with AIDS or those taking drugs that suppress the immune system.
Opportunistic fungal infections occur worldwide. Typical opportunistic fungal infections include. Aspergillosis Aspergillosis Aspergillosis is an infection, usually of the lungs, caused by the fungus Aspergillus.
A ball of fungus fibers, blood clots, and white blood cells may form in the lungs or sinuses. People may Candidiasis Candidiasis Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by several species of the yeast Candida, especially Candida albicans.
The most common type of candidiasis is a superficial infection of the mouth, vagina Mucormycosis Mucormycosis Mucormycosis is a fungal infection that can be caused by many different molds. How is it different from regular acne? Learn how to identify fungal acne, recognize its symptoms, and treat it at home or with….
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