Itchy and ugly: Fungal infections impact quality of life

fungal infections treatment from Illinois Dermatologist

Fungal infections, also known as mycosis, are caused by microorganisms that live off organic compounds, resulting in certain skin diseases. While most surface fungal infections are not life threatening, they can be very itchy, disfiguring, and contagious. It is important to immediately seek the help of a dermatologist if you think you might have a fungal infection. Experienced diagnosis and effective treatment of fungal infections is available in Algonquin and Woodstock at Dermatology Specialists of Illinois.

Video Transcript

Hi, this is Dr. Khanna with Dermatology Specialists of Illinois, and I'm wanting to talk a little bit about common fungal infections. One of the most common dermatologic complaints is fungal infections. They can occur on the feet as Tinia, Pettus, or commonly known as athlete's foot. That can occur in the groin area as what's commonly called jock it, or tinia corus, or on the body as tinia corpus, which is commonly called ringworm. There's no worm in ringworm, but it's basically a superficial fungal infection of the skin, and it's, these infections can be very itchy, very uncomfortable. They can spread on the person's body and spread between people, so it's important to get them treated. Patients can use topical prescription medications. Sometimes we need in bad cases to put them on oral medications as well. But these are common things and there are solutions to them, even difficult cases we could handle here at DSI.

Common types of fungal infections

There are 1.5 million species of fungi on earth. Fortunately, only about 300 of them are known to cause concern in humans. The most common types that affect the skin are:

Ringworm (tinea corporis) – This fungal infection usually starts as a red, itchy, and scaly rash, forming a partial or full red ring over a period of time. It is typically found on the body or scalp. Ringworm is not actually a worm; it is a fungal infection generally originating from contact with animals, infected persons, or environmental sources. Ringworm is especially common in wrestlers.
Jock itch (tinea cruris) – This type of itchy fungal infection affects the groin. The warmth and moisture of this area makes a good breeding ground for fungus.
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) – Typically found between the toes or in a moccasin-like distribution on the soles, athlete’s foot causes itching, peeling, or scaling of the skin. It is often acquired from locker room floors or shared footwear.
Tinea versicolor – These light or dark colored spots, often resembling a rash, can form all over the body. This is a yeast (which is a type of fungus) infection, especially common in young adults on the chest, shoulders, and upper back.
Toenail Fungus (Onychomycosis) – This common fungal infection causes nails to become discolored and misshapen. Toenail fungus is often recurring and painful.

Call (844) 307-7546 for relief of fungal infection symptoms.

Video Transcript

Hi, this is Dr. Khanna and I wanted to briefly touch on a common thing we see in kids at DSI and that is a fungal infection of the scalp known medically as Tinia Capita. Tinia Capita presents as small balding patches on the scalp in little kids. Usually they acquire it through contact with other children, playing with other kids at daycare, at school, and it can lead to permanent baldness. So it's important to treat, it can be itchy for 'em as well, and it can spread from one child to the whole family. It's not something anyone should be embarrassed about, and there's great treatments available. Usually we'll have to combine some topical therapy with an oral antibiotic, an antifungal that is safe to use in children. And we do it for about a three month period until all the hair is growing out again and all the fungus has been killed.

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