Fungal infections

What are fungal infections?

A fungal infection, also called mycosis, is a skin disease caused by a fungus (such as Candida albicans). They usually affect your skin, hair, nails or mucous membranes but they can also infect your lungs or other parts of your body. Symptoms may range from mild for superficial infections, to serious for life-threatening infections. For superficial infections (such as athlete’s foot, jock itch), common symptoms are the following:

Irritation
Scaly skin
Redness
Itching
Swelling
Blisters

Life-threatening infections usually happen to people who are immune compromised. Do seek for immediate medical attention if you suspect that the fungal infection is serious (or life-threatening) and not resolving to current medications.

What are some possible treatments for fungal infections?

For fungal infections that occur on the skin, the most common medication is an anti-fungal cream, such as miconazole (such as Beacons Micon Cream) and clotrimazole. This medication is contra-indicated for those who are allergic to the medication.

Apply the cream to the affected area once to two times a day or as directed by the physician. As fungal infections are harder to treat, the duration of treatment is often a few weeks. Unless otherwise directed by the doctor, apply this cream daily until the infection is completely gone. It is sometimes recommended to apply for an additional week (after all symptoms have resolved) to prevent recurrence.

For full information on the medication, please refer to the specific product’s information. Also, discuss with your healthcare team if you have questions on the medications or are taking other chronic medications at the same time.

For lifestyle changes, do keep the affected area dry and clean. As it is possible to spread fungal infections, don’t share towels or personal items with others.

References:

Written by Beacons Health
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