Which Skin Infection Is Caused By A Fungus?

Expert reviewer, Dr Anton Alexandroff, Consultant Dermatologist
Next review due April 2024

Fungal skin infections are caused by many different types of fungi, including yeasts. These infections are quite mutual and often cause an irritating rash.

Hither we describe some of the most common fungal peel infections and how to care for them. Yous'll as well observe information most how to avoid catching fungal infections or passing them on.

Types of fungal pare infections

There are several different types of fungal infection that can bear on your skin and nails.

Athlete'southward pes

This is a actually common infection. Around seven in x people have athlete'southward pes (tinea pedis) at some bespeak in their lives. Information technology's acquired by a fungus that grows in the pare between your toes and on the soles of your feet. It grows easily here because the area gets moist when your anxiety sweat.

The peel between your toes can go itchy, flaky and cerise, with painful cracks, or fissures. The sole of your pes tin can also become itchy, thickened and scaly. Yous might get blisters too.

Athlete'southward foot is more probable if your footwear makes your feet sweaty and you're in a warm, humid environment. Yous can catch it by walking barefoot on damp, contaminated floors such every bit in communal bathing or pond areas. Subsequently scratching the afflicted surface area, you tin can spread the infection to other parts of your trunk.

Athlete's foot

Nail infections

Fungal smash infections can bear upon whatever part of your nails. Toenails are much more likely to exist affected than fingernails. The infection causes nails to discolour and become rough and crumbly. Your nail may also become thicker.

You're more likely to get a fungal boom infection if you have other fungal infections, such equally athlete's foot. They're also more common if yous're older, take another medical status such every bit psoriasis or diabetes or if y'all seize with teeth your nails.

Fungal nail infection

Ringworm

Despite its name, ringworm is an infection with a fungus not a worm. It gets its proper noun because information technology often causes a ring-shaped rash. Ringworm infections are very mutual and can bear on unlike parts of your body.

Ringworm on your body

This is most common on parts of your body that are exposed, such every bit your arms, legs or trunk. It causes a red, scaly, ring-shaped rash. You can grab ringworm by touching somebody who already has it or past touching contaminated items such as clothing or bedding. Animals, including cats and dogs, can likewise carry the ringworm fungus.

A photo of someone with ringworm

Ringworm in your groin

Ringworm in your groin causes an itchy, red rash in your groin and effectually the summit of your legs. Also called 'jock itch', it's more common in men. You're more likely to get it if:

your skin in this surface area oftentimes gets warm and damp
you lot're very overweight
you often article of clothing tight vesture
you accept diabetes

You're virtually probable to get ringworm in your groin if you have other fungal infections. For example, about half of people who are affected also accept athlete's foot. Y'all can spread it to other parts of your body by scratching. You tin as well pass information technology to others by straight contact or by sharing towels or habiliment.

Ringworm on your scalp

You can become this at any historic period, simply it by and large affects children. Scaly patches develop on your scalp and may exist itchy. In some people, the patches become inflamed and red and have pus-filled spots. You may besides develop a pus-filled surface area on your scalp; this is called a 'kerion'.

Y'all can get ringworm on your scalp by sharing a contaminated hairbrush or article of clothing used by somebody with the infection.

Scalp infection

Candida (yeast) infections

Candida is a yeast, which is a kind of mucus. It may live harmlessly inside your digestive arrangement or vagina. But if conditions are correct, candida can multiply and start to crusade symptoms. These yeast infections well-nigh often announced around your genitals (vagina or penis), in your mouth or where y'all have folds of skin. A common name for candida infections is 'thrush'.

Thrush makes the affected area sore and itchy. The skin is unremarkably cherry and moist, and small pus-filled spots may appear. In women, vaginal thrush can cause itchiness and a white discharge. Thrush in the mouth most often affects babies and older people (particularly if you lot take false teeth or a medical condition that lowers your resistance to infection). It appears as white patches, which get out a red marking if y'all rub them off.

oral thrush infection

Pityriasis versicolor

This is caused past a type of yeast called Malassezia, which usually lives harmlessly on the skin. It typically affects teenagers and immature adults. Pityriasis versicolor causes patches of scaly, discoloured skin that are sometimes mildly itchy. It well-nigh ordinarily appears on your back, chest or upper arms but it can exist in other areas. Patches can be pink, brown or cerise, or may exist paler than the surrounding pare. You may find this especially afterwards being in the sun because the affected surface area doesn't tan as much every bit the residuum of your skin.

Pityriasis versicolor infection

Symptoms of fungal peel infections

The symptoms of a fungal skin infection depend on the type of mucus or yeast that'southward caused information technology, and where it is. You may detect changes in your skin, hair or nails, which may or may not cause discomfort. The fungus can bear upon just one area or several areas of your body.

Fungal skin infections can crusade a variety of different skin rashes. Your peel may:

be red, scaly and itchy
produce a fine calibration, similar to dry skin
become cherry-red and sore, with pus-filled spots

Fungal rashes can sometimes be confused with other skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema. Still, unlike these conditions, fungal skin infections often expect more than inflamed around the edge than they do in the heart of the patch.

Fungal nail infections often have no symptoms. But over fourth dimension, they may cause pain or pins and needles, which can interfere with standing and walking or exercising.

Fungal infections of your scalp can cause your hair to go brittle and break off, leaving bald patches, but it usually grows back after handling.

Diagnosis of fungal peel infections

If you lot meet your GP, they'll ask about your symptoms and examine you. They may also ask about your medical history.

Your GP volition usually diagnose a fungal skin infection by looking at your skin and where your rash is if you have one. If your rash looks unusual or has spread, they may take a scrape of skin or blast for testing. They will send this sample to a laboratory to confirm the diagnosis.

Handling of fungal skin infections

You might not need to come across your GP if you demand fungal infection handling. You may be able to get rid of a fungal infection at home with medicines that you can buy over the counter. Your pharmacist volition be able to give you advice. Just if the condition gets worse or isn't helped by over-the-counter medicines, contact your GP.

Self-assist

There are several things you tin can do to aid finish a fungal infection spreading to the surrounding skin and other parts of your body.

Wash the afflicted areas daily.
Dry your skin thoroughly afterward washing or bathing, peculiarly in the folds of your skin.
Wear loose-fitting clothes fabricated of cotton fiber or a material that'south designed to wick sweat away from your skin.
If you have a toenail infection, continue your anxiety dry out and your nails short.
Wear breathable, well-fitting shoes and cotton socks (which y'all should alter every 24-hour interval).
Wash your dress, bedding and towels often.

To avoid spreading the infection to other people:

Don't share personal items such as towels, wearable, brushes or combs.
If you lot have athlete'due south foot or a toenail infection, don't go barefoot in communal changing rooms, swimming pools or the gym.

If you have a fungal infection you can still go to piece of work, and your child can still go to school. But you should start handling as soon as possible and remember to practise adept hygiene to stop it spreading to others.

If you lot take an infected toenail that isn't causing y'all any symptoms, you lot don't necessarily demand to treat it unless its advent is bothering you.

For more data, see our section on preventing fungal skin infections beneath.

Medicines

Most medicines for fungal skin infections are topical treatments (you lot put them straight onto your skin). There are a diverseness of fungal infection treatments available in the grade of creams, lotions, shampoos and pessaries. Some of these are bachelor over the counter from a pharmacist and then y'all don't necessarily need to meet your md.

Your pharmacist will be able to advise on the best treatment for you. Always read the leaflet that comes with your medicine to see how to employ it and for how long. If yous take whatever questions, ask your chemist for communication.

If you have a rash that covers a big area of skin or affects your nails or scalp, you may demand to take tablets. Your GP may also prescribe tablets if you've used a topical treatment and information technology hasn't worked. Side-furnishings of anti-fungal tablets may include feeling sick, diarrhoea and headache.

It'due south important to follow the instructions that come with your medicine or the instructions your GP gives you. You lot may need to go along treatment for upwards to ii weeks after your symptoms disappear depending on the type of fungal infection you accept and how bad it is.

Some fungal infections demand to be treated for much longer. For example, if you have a fungal nail infection, you may need to care for information technology for up to a year with a topical treatment or for several months with tablets. It can take some other six months to a year for your smash to recover, although it might never look completely normal.

Fungal infections can come back, even if they seem to have cleared upward, particularly infections of the anxiety and toenails.

Causes of fungal skin infections

Many dissimilar fungi and yeasts can cause infections of your skin, pilus and nails. These may be spread:

from person to person
from animals to people
more rarely, to a person from the soil

Some fungal peel infections – for example, candida (thrush) – unremarkably come from an overgrowth of your ain previously harmless fungi.

You can pick up fungi which might cause infection if you come up into contact with an infected person or fauna. That'due south why people who play close contact sports such every bit wrestling are more likely to go fungal skin infections. Yous can also selection upward fungi by sharing contaminated items such as clothes, towels, hairbrushes or bedclothes. Walking barefoot in shared showers and puddle areas may mean yous option up fungi on your feet.

Fungi like warmth and moisture so you're more probable to get an infection if you lot:

clothing tight article of clothing, or shoes that don't allow your feet 'exhale' in a warm, humid environs
are overweight and so have skin folds which rub confronting each other

You're also more probable to take a fungal skin infection if you:

accept a weakened immune system through illness such as HIV or use of medication such as corticosteroids
have diabetes
accept been taking antibiotics
are pregnant

Prevention of fungal skin infections

Y'all tin can reduce your risk of getting a fungal pare infection by taking some simple precautions.

Dry your skin well after washing – particularly in skin folds.
Wash socks, clothes and bed linen regularly to remove whatsoever fungi.
Don't walk barefoot in communal areas such equally showers, saunas and swimming pools.
Wear loose-plumbing fixtures clothes made of cotton or a breathable material that's designed to keep moisture abroad from your pare.
Don't share towels, hairbrushes or combs.
Alternating your shoes every ii or three days to give them time to dry out.
If yous take diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control.
If someone in your family has scalp ringworm, wash bedding, hats, combs and pilus accessories in bleach diluted with water.
If you suspect that your pet has ringworm, accept them to the vet.

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