Who gets fungal infections?

Almost anyone can develop some kind of fungal infection. Some of these infections are contagious, which means they easily spread from person to person. For example, close contact or sharing a comb or hairbrush with someone who has tinea can spread the fungus from one person to another. Fungi need a warm, dark, and humid place to grow which is why public showers, pools, locker rooms, and even the warmth of shoes and socks can be considered the perfect environment for developing fungal infection.

Antibiotics and fungal infections

Antibiotics can also cause some kids to get a yeast infection. Even the harmless bacteria that normally fight with the yeast for a place to live are killed by antibiotics and the yeast is free to grow. 

The most common fungal infections

Tinea
Tinea is a very common type of fungal infection which is localized on the hair, skin, or nails. It is very easy to recognize the first symptoms - when it's on the skin, it usually begins as a small red area the size of a pea. It slowly grows and spreads out in a circle or ring. Tinea is often called ringworm because it may look like tiny worms are under the skin. Since the fungi that cause tinea live on different parts of the body, they are named for the part of the body they infect.
 
Athlete's foot
This is another common fungal infection. It usually appears between the toes but it can also affect toenails and the bottom or sides of the feet.

Jock itch
This is a fungal infection of the groin and upper thighs. Many people still believe that only men get it, but women can get it too.

Candida
Candida most often affects the skin around the nails or areas around body openings: vagina, mouth etc. Diaper rash in babies is one type of Candida infection, as is thrush characterized by white patches often found in the mouths of babies. Older girls and women may develop another form of Candida infection in and around the vagina.

Treatment of fungal infections

There are several problems in treatment of fungal infections: because many of these infections develop slowly, months or years may pass before a person seeks medical attention. People that have a weakened immune system also present a problem. In them the fungal infections can be very aggressive, spreading quickly to other organs and often leading to death.

There are several drugs which are effective against fungal infections, but the structure and chemical makeup of fungi makes them difficult to kill. A complete treatment often lasts for several months.

 

Drugs for Fungal Infections

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drug

 

Common Uses

 

Side Effects

 

Amphotericin B

 

Wide variety of fungal infections

 

Chills, fever, headache, vomiting; lowered blood potassium levels, kidney damage, anemia

 

Caspofungin

 

Aspergillus and possibly Candida

 

Fever, nausea, inflammation of veins

 

Fluconazole

 

Candida and other fungal infections, including Cryptococcus

 

Liver toxicity but less than that with Ketoconazole

 

Flucytosine

 

Candida and Cryptococcus infections

 

Bone marrow and kidney damage

 

Itraconazole

 

Candida and other fungal infections

 

Nausea, diarrhea, liver toxicity but less than that with Ketoconazole

 

Ketoconazole

 

Candida and other fungal infections

 

Nausea and vomiting, blocked production of testosterone and cortisol, liver toxicity

 

Voriconazole

 

Aspergillus and Candida

 

Visual disturbance