Plague of emerging Skin fungal infections
Pastor Dale Morgan
Plague of emerging Skin fungal infections*
04.06.2007
There is a plethora of fungal infections caused by various fungi. It is
noteworthy that a clinical manifestation of a fungal disease can be
pretty drab at times. That is the reason why certain tests (examining a
skin scale or specimen of some other tissue smeared on a microscope
slide) must be conducted in order to determine the type of a fungus that
infected your body. It is understood that a microscope is not a typical
household item, and therefore it is necessary to address immediately to
the dermatologist at the occurrence of the first symptoms of a fungus.
The same applies to treatment. Fungi are very viable organisms; they do
not give in without a fight. Treatment requires the use of special
antifungal antibiotics. Only a dermatologist can prescribe such drugs
and supervise treatment.
To earn a fungus is easy in places of public using e.g. swimming pools,
baths, saunas, and sports halls. The places have one thing in common: a
warm and damp environment. In other words, all of them are a perfect
breeding ground for fungi. Anyone who is infected is likely to be a
health risk for those living in the same house or apartment because a
fungus can be easily transferred through towels, pedicure or manicure
accessories.
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis ) and jock itch (tinea cruris) top the list
of the giveaway “souvenirs” one can get in any of the abovementioned places.
Athlete’s foot manifests itself with scaly and itchy patches – typical
signs of a fungal infection. The signs of the disease tend to show up in
the web spaces between the 4th and 5th toes. A closer examination
reveals redness and some tidy cracks in the web spaces. The condition
can only get worse if no proper treatment is provided. Scaling, blisters
and an offensive smell will render feet completely unfit for walking.
Jock itch is commonly seen in boys and men whose anatomy allows for a
warm and moist environment which is ideal for fungal growth. A clinical
manifestation of the disease is not necessarily pronounced yet dryness,
redness and scaling tend to spread in the groin greases, although the
above may sometimes affect the upper inner thigh, buttocks and lower
abdomen.
Safety measures
- You should always visit public places (pools, baths, and saunas) in
closed rubber slippers, which should be thoroughly washed with soap
after each visit; never walk barefoot in a shower.
- Never use somebody else’s towels etc.
- Avoid tight or closed footwear, change socks daily and wear cotton
socks, which keep the feet cooler.
- To avert a recurrent case of athlete’s foot, you had better discard
flip-flops you used while receiving treatment for the disease.
Years ago you must have heard your mommy warning you repeatedly: “Don’t
you touch that stray cat! He may be infested with ringworm…” You were
probably bewildered by the warnings: that lovely little kitty looked
completely innocuous as it walked around the sandboxes. But your mother
was dead right: the charming creature was undoubtedly a host of
parasites causing ringworm or tinea corporis, the only fungal skin
infection which can easily spread from fungus elsewhere on the skin or
from animals. It can also spread from contact with others.
You are at risk for ringworm if you: are the parent of a child who likes
stroking stray cats and dogs; play contact sports or recreational
activities; have a suppressed immune system. A condition known as
Majocchi granuloma is an uncommon yet fairly grave variety of the disease.
The signs include small bumps or granulomas that sometime look like
warts. A chronic form of the disease may affect women who shave their
legs and the fungus becomes implanted in and around the hair follicle.
Ringworm causes red scaly patches, which are typically ring-shaped. It
can affect on the feet, hands and the upper body including hair on the
head. Hair is normally cut to the bone in the latter case.
Safety measures
- Never touch stray cats and dogs no matter how cute the animals may look.
- Tell your children to keep away from stray animals at all times.
- Do not hesitate to take your offspring to the dermatologist should you
spot the ring-shaped patches on their skin.
Thanks to ubiquitous TV commercials, we seem to be perfectly aware of
two major problems affecting women these days i.e. menses and thrush. We
are going to talk about thrush or candidosis since menstruation has
nothing to do with fungal infections.
Candidosis is a common yeast infection of moist areas of the body,
usually caused by Candida albicans, hence the name. It is especially
common in the vagina though it can also affect the mouth, skin folds or
the intestines. Compared to candidal infection of the bowel,
vulvovaginitis does not pose an immediate threat to women’s health. At
the same time, it causes plenty of discomfort. In the vagina it produces
itching accompanied with a thick, cream discharge. There is usually pain
on intercourse. It should be noted that the majority of women experience
the condition while many a woman have a chronic form of it, with periods
of exacerbation and remission coming and going regularly.
The condition should be treated by the gynecologist. A smear test should
be carried out in any case because candidosis often shows on the
background of other non-fungal infections, hormonal disruptions and the
like. An unbalanced diet (alcoholic beverages, food made from yeast
dough) may bring about the production of “creamy stuff.”
Uncircumcised men have good chances of contracting candidal
balanoposthitis or inflammation of the foreskin and the surface of the
underlying glans penis. The affected area becomes red and swollen, which
consequently narrows the opening of the foreskin and makes passing of
the urine difficult and painful. An infected man may pass on the
infection to all the partners with whom he would have sexual
intercourse. In their turn, his partners would pass it back to him in
the course of a relationship. In other words, candidal infection would
come full circle. All in all, nature took “good care” of men by making
them a target for jock itch, which is commonly seen in boys and men. It
rarely affects women. The infection shows as a red-brown scaly rash
occurring in the groin areas, sometimes with small blisters or pustules
at the edge. At times the skin many show a thickened appearance from
rubbing or chronic scratching.
Tips to keep a fungal skin infection at bay
- Wash the body daily. Dry the skin carefully after bathing
- Change underwear daily, wash towels daily
- Always seek medical help at the occurrence of the first symptoms of a
fungus. Under no circumstances you should interrupt a course of
treatment that you have to complete. Always take control tests upon
completion of treatment.
- Eschew candy and cake during the course of treatment (the majority of
pathogenic fungi live on sugar).
Medportal.ru
Translated by Guerman Grachev
Pravda.ru