Fungi that cause fungal disease are microbiological organisms that can cause infection in the human body. Under normal conditions, there are fungi and bacteria species in the microbiological flora of the body and they continue to live in a balance without causing any disease. However, as a result of the deterioration of the balance in this flora for various reasons, fungi can reproduce rapidly or in cases where the integrity of the skin is impaired (such as scratches, scrapes, excessive moisture), exogenous fungi may enter the body and cause infection.
What is Fungus Disease?
Fungal infections can show itself with many symptoms such as color, texture and appearance changes, itching and discharge, depending on the area where it occurs. Fungal infection, which can be seen in many areas of the body covered with skin, often occurs in areas such as scalp, nails, vagina, anus, hands, feet and groin.
Because of its unique symptoms, it is usually easy to be noticed by the patient.
Fungal disease, also called mycosis in medicine, is a type of infectious disease caused by single-celled fungi. There are many types of fungi that can cause skin infections. When any of these multiply on the skin and cause an infection, some symptoms such as redness, swelling, itching begin to appear on the skin.
Due to the high air temperature, the incidence of the disease increases in summer, since the ability of fungi to reproduce is much higher in summer.
If not treated in time, it may intensify, spread and combine with other types of infection.
Fungal diseases, which make up a large part of skin diseases, are generally seen in keratinized tissue types such as hair, nails and skin, but can also cause infection in different regions such as lymph nodes, vagina and even tongue.
At the same time, fungal infections, which can multiply on the scalp and cause ringworm, are among the infectious diseases. For this reason, individuals who experience symptoms of fungal disease should consult a physician and undergo an examination, as well as not sharing personal items such as combs, slippers, shoes with others.
What are the Symptoms of Fungus Disease?
Although fungal disease in humans differs according to the region where it develops, it often causes similar symptoms. Common symptoms of body fungus on the skin include:
- Itching
- Irritation
- Scaling and rashes on the skin
- Redness and swelling
- Blisters on the skin
In addition to itching and redness, a vaginal discharge similar to cheese cuts is usually observed in individuals with vaginal yeast infections. All these symptoms are among the typical symptoms of fungal infection and individuals experiencing these symptoms should apply to health institutions as soon as possible and undergo an examination. It occurs when the dead keratin cells infect the cells. Some of the reasons that can be considered as risk factors for fungi to multiply and cause infection are as follows:
- Obesity
- The skin does not dry completely and remains moist after a shower or because of sweating
- Wearing tight clothes
- Wearing clothes with low air permeability and fabrics that increase sweating
- Staying in shoes for too long during the day
- Pregnancy
- Using antibiotics
- Having diseases that weaken the immune system or using drugs that cause it
- Unhealthy and unbalanced diet
- To be in contact with an individual or animal with a fungal infection
- Using communal areas such as pools, showers, bathtubs or sharing personal items such as towels, sheets, slippers, shoes with others that create a contagious environment
- Not paying due attention to hygiene, not changing underwear often enough
- Cleaning the skin or vaginal area with care products containing chemicals that are not suitable for skin health or at an inappropriate pH
What are the Types of Fungus Disease?
Different types of fungal diseases differ according to the regions where they develop. are divided into subgroups. The most common types of fungus are as follows:
How to Diagnose Fungus Disease?
Most fungal infections begin to show themselves with clear symptoms from the onset of the disease. . Therefore, it is very easy to be noticed by patients.
It is very important for patients with symptoms of fungal disease to apply to health institutions as soon as possible without waiting for the problem to heal by itself, in order to treat the disease before it progresses.
In patients who apply to dermatology outpatient clinics with findings indicating a fungal infection, a preliminary diagnosis can be made by a physician by performing a physical examination. In addition, a diagnostic diagnosis can be made by taking samples from the region in question and sending them to laboratories for examination.
In vaginal infections, it can be determined whether the infection is bacterial or fungal by examining the sample taken from the vaginal discharge in laboratories. Since the sampling process is carried out using very thin rods, it can also be applied to individuals who have not had sexual intercourse.
After the examination and diagnostic tests, the treatment plan is determined by the physician in patients who are diagnosed with fungal disease.
How to Treat Fungus Disease?
Fungal treatment is given according to the region and severity of the infection. performed by physicians in a patient-specific manner.
Antifungal drugs are used for the treatment of rectal fungus or for many types of fungi that occur on the skin surface in various parts of the body. Antifungal drugs can be in the form of topical creams and pomades, or they can be in the form of pills taken by mouth.
Answers to questions such as how to treat fungus in patients with symptoms of fungal infection, what is good for fungal disease, are frequently searched on the internet. The point to be noted here is that the symptoms of fungal disease cause similar symptoms that can be confused with many diseases caused by bacterial or different factors. Therefore, in order to initiate fungal treatment, it must first be determined by the physician that the symptoms in question are caused by the fungus. should be confirmed. Treatment applications performed unconsciously by the patients without the advice of a physician can make the infection much more severe.
For the treatment of tongue fungus, it may be recommended to use toothpastes containing a small amount of fluoride in mild infections, and antifungal drugs can be used in severe cases.
Recurrence of the disease is also possible in some of the patients who have had a fungal infection. If resistant infections develop in this way, long-term antifungal treatments may be required. In order to prevent the re-development of the disease, it is very important for individuals to pay attention to issues such as personal hygiene and clothing selection.
To answer the question of how the fungal disease is transmitted, it can be said that contacting an individual with a fungal infection or using the common areas used by these individuals are the most important ways of transmission. Therefore, you should be very careful in these matters.
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