Fungal Infection
Fungal infection can take place anywhere on the body like skin, hair, nail and invites unwanted attention. But you can get it treated with DermOne’s team of expert dermatologists. First let’s understand how fungal infections spread?
Fungal infections are spread by direct skin contact (with humans or animals), or indirectly from contaminated articles on floors or in the soil. Some infections are spread by sharing of items such as towels. People shed tiny pieces of skin all the time and if these contain a small amount of the fungus, it is able to survive in the environment and cause infection in someone else.
It can occur on:
Scalp and beard
On the scalp or beard it begins as a small pimple which spreads outwards, leaving a scaly hairless patch. Also infected hairs become brittle and break off easily.
Toenails and fingernails
It usually involves one or more nails of the hands and feet, most often the feet. The nail gradually thickens, becomes discolored (white or yellowish) and brittle. Cheesy material forms beneath the nail or the nail becomes chalky and disintegrates.
Skin
Other than scalp, bearded areas and feet, it can occur anywhere on the skin and appears as a flat, spreading ring-shaped lesion. The edge is usually reddened and may be dry and scaly or moist and crusted. The center of the patch may appear to be normal skin.
Foot – tinea and athlete’s foot
On foot it appears as scaling or cracking of the skin, especially between the toes and is often very itchy.
Treatment
Specific antifungal therapies (directly applied to the skin and/or taken by mouth) are available. Sometimes the treatment must be continued for many months.
Prevention
- Follow good hand washing, laundering and keeping areas clean techniques. Vacuum floors regularly.
- Pets can be washed with antifungal washes
