Fungal infection (Mycosis): Types, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

 

Any disease or condition that is caused by a fungus is considered a fungal infection. They can infect your lungs or other regions of your body, but they typically affect your skin, hair, nails, or mucous membranes. If you have compromised immune function, you are less immune to fungal infections. Fungal infections are typically treated with antifungal medications.

Contagious fungal diseases are possible. They can transfer from one person to another. In rare circumstances, disease-causing fungi can also be acquired by humans from contaminated surfaces, soil, or animals.

What are fungal infections?

Mycosis, or fungal infections, are disease caused by fungi (yeast or mold). The most common fungal infections are on your skin or nails, but they can also occur in your mouth, throat, lungs, urinary tract, and many other parts of the body.

What are fungi?

Unlike plants or animals, fungi are considered independent entities. They disperse or release spores—reproductive parts—into the surrounding air or environment to move about. Many fungi are found naturally in human bodies (skin, GI tract, and mouth), but in certain circumstances, they can grow uncontrollably.

Only a tiny percentage of the millions of fungi that are thought to exist in the world are known to be harmful to humans, according to scientists. This includes certain molds and yeasts.

How does one look for a fungal infection?

Skin infections caused by fungi can look swollen and or rough. They may look like a rash or be visible as a lump beneath your skin. Your nails may become thick, cracked, or discolored (yellow, brown, or white) as a result of fungus infections. A white coating or patches in your mouth or throat might be caused by fungal infections.

Also Read: Asthma, Cause, Symptoms, Diagnose, Treatment and Prevention

For whom are fungal infections most likely to occur?

Fungal infections, particularly those affecting the skin or nails, can strike anyone at any time. Areas of the body with high friction or moisture retention are more susceptible to fungal infections. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, or a compromised immune system, you are more vulnerable to infections, especially severe ones:

• AIDS/HIV.
• Cancer or cancer therapies.
• Immunosuppressive medications (for bone marrow, organ, stem cell, or autoimmune transplants).

What types of infections are to fungi?

Fungal infections can be subcutaneous (under the skin), superficial (under the skin), or deep (within other organs such as the heart, brain, or lungs). They can also occur on the surface of the skin, nails, or mucous membranes.

Superficial infections with fungi:

Your nails, skin, and mucous membranes (such as your mouth, throat, or vagina) are all impacted by superficial fungal infections. The following are instances of superficial fungal infections:

• Dermatophytosis (ringworm). Ringworm is caused by a type of fungi called Dermatophytes, which feed on the cells of the skin, hair, and nails. They can infect your hands (tinea manuum), your scalp (tinea capitis), your feet (tinea pedis/athlete's foot), your groin and inner thighs (tinea cruris/jock itch), your facial hair and surrounding skin (tinea barbae), and other areas of your body (tinea corporis).

• The condition of onychomycosis. Onychomycosis, or fungal nail infections, can be caused by a variety of fungal species. Nail discoloration and cracking may result from this.

• Candidiasis. Candida (typically Candida albicans) causes infections known as candidiasis, which affect the skin and mucous membranes (mucocutaneous). These include esophageal candidiasis, candidal intertrigo, vaginal yeast infections (vulvovaginitis), oral thrush, and other diaper rash conditions.

• Tinea versicolor. Tinea versicolor, also known as pityriasis versicolor, is a skin discoloration caused by the fungus Malassezia.

Fungal infections subcutaneous:

If fungal particles get into a cut or wound, usually from an accident sustained when handling plants (e.g., a thorny scrape), you run the risk of developing a fungal infection beneath the skin's surface, or subcutaneous fungal infection. Their skin exhibits various signs such as rashes and ulceration.

More tropical and subtropical areas of the world experience subcutaneous fungal infections. Among the examples are:

• Eumycetoma. A variety of fungi can induce eumycetoma. Usually, it affects your feet.

• Sporotrichosis, often known as rose gardener's disease. The fungus sporothrix is the cause of sporotrichosis. Sporotrichosis can potentially affect the lungs or other body parts in your body.

•  Chromatoblastomycosis can be caused by a wide variety of fungus. Long-lasting (chronic) skin infections may result from it. It rarely spreads to other body parts.

Severe fungal infections:

Infections with deep-seated fungi can occur in tissues other than the skin, such as the blood, brain, lungs, or urinary tract. Certain infections are considered opportunistic, which means that they often only infect individuals with weakened immune systems.

Invasive or deep fungal diseases consist of:

• Infection with histoplasma. Your brain, lungs, or other parts of your body may become infected with the fungus Histoplasma, which is the cause of histoplasmosis. The valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers are typical locations for it.

• Valley fever(coccidioidomycosis). Coccidioidomycosis, which is caused by the fungus Coccidioides, is a lung infection that sometimes spreads to other parts of the body. Arizona and California are where it's most prevalent.

• Blastomycosis. The fungus Blastomyces, which causes blastomycosis, frequently infects your skin, lungs, and bones. It can infect your spinal cord and brain as well.

• Aspergillosis. Several lung illnesses, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, can be brought on by the mold Aspergillus, which is the source of aspergillosis. It may also develop into a fungus ball (aspergilloma) or spread to other parts of your body.

• Urinary tract infection caused by yeast. Most urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by bacteria, but some are also brought on by yeasts like Candida.

• Candidiasis with invasion. Invasive candidiasis is caused by several species of Candida. It can infect your brain, eyes (endophthalmitis), bones, heart, blood (candidemia), or other parts of your body.

• Pneumonia due to pneumocystis (PJP). Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is a fungal infection that can affect your lungs.

• Mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is caused by a group of molds known as mucormycetes. Mucormycetes can cause infections in a variety of body parts at once, including the skin (cutaneous mucormycosis), lungs (pulmonary mucormycosis), intestines (gastrointestinal mucormycosis), sinuses, and brain (rhinocerebral mucormycosis).

• Cryptococcosis. Cryptococcosis is brought on by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Usually affecting the lungs, they can also sometimes infect the brain and spinal cord (a condition known as cryptococcal meningitis).

What symptoms of fungal infections are present?

Depending on the type of fungal infection you have and where it is on your body, your symptoms will vary. The skin, nails, and mucous membranes (such as the mouth, throat, or vagina) are those parts where symptoms are most common. An infection in your sinuses, digestive tract, brain, eyes, or lungs can occasionally cause symptoms.

Symptoms of infections subcutaneous  or superficially:
Infections subcutaneous or superficially may cause the following symptoms:

• Itching, discomfort, redness, or rash in the area that is impacted.
• Thick, cracked, or discolored nails.
• Discomfort during eating, taste loss, or white patches in the throat or mouth.
• Under-the-skin bump that is painless.

 Symptoms of lung fungal infections:

The following are signs of fungal infections in the lungs:

• Cough, occasionally spitting blood.
• Fatigue (tiredness).
• Breathlessness.
• Fever.
• Aches in the muscles.
• Pain in the joints.
• Headache.
• Sweats during the night.

Additional symptoms of fungal infections

In many parts of your body, fungal infections might cause the following symptoms:

• The symptoms of a fungal infection in or near the brain include headache, fever, neck pain, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and confusion.
• Symptoms of a fungal infection in the eye include pain, redness, discharge, tears, blurry vision, and light sensitivity.
• Symptoms of an intestinal fungus infection include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
• Fever, nasal congestion, headache, symmetrical facial swelling, and facial pain are the symptoms of a fungal infection in the sinuses.

Causes:

Fungal infections are brought on by molds, yeast, and other fungus species. While most fungi do not cause disease in humans, some do. particular infections are opportunistic, which means they can prey on particular circumstances, such as a weakened immune system, although they often don't cause infections.

Typical fungi that can cause illnesses include:

Dermatophytes. A class of fungi known as dermatophytes feed on keratin, which is found in your nails, hair, and skin's outer layer. Living tissue is not infected by them.

Candida. Yeasts like Candida albicans reside on your body naturally and normally don't cause any issues. It can grow excessively in certain conditions, which can lead to redness and itching. It can, very rarely, lead to serious infections.

Fungi are found in the environment, either in soil or water. Aspergillus, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, and Histoplasma are a few examples.

Diagnosis:

Your doctor's diagnosis of fungal disease will vary depending on the place of the illness in your body. They might examine samples of yours for signs of fungal growth or attempt to cultivate fungal growth from them.

• Skin or any other tissue that is impacted.
• Nails (cutting of nails).
• Blood.
• Sputum or phlegm.
• CNS fluid is the fluid around your brain and spinal cord.
• Pee (urine).
• Your eye's fluid (secretions).
• Discharge from the vagina.
• In order to search for infection signs, they may order X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans if they suspect you have a fungal infection in your brain, lungs, or another internal organ.

Treatment:

How are fungal diseases treated?
Antifungal medications attack the fungus on and in your body, curing many fungal illnesses. The type of medication your doctor recommends will depend on where it is of the fungus.

While some over-the-counter (OTC) treatments may be accessible without a prescription, it is advisable to consult your healthcare practitioner before beginning any OTC treatment for a fungal infection.

What medications are prescribed to treat them?

Your doctor can recommend one of the following antifungal medications to treat a fungal disease:

• Oral pharmaceuticals (pills).
• IV medicine is administered straight into a vein in a hospital or doctor's office.
• Powder, cream, or lotion.
• Lozenges or mouthwash.
• Eye drops.
• Shampoo.

Prevention:

Keeping oneself safe from environmental fungus and maintaining proper personal hygiene are two strategies to lower your chance of developing any number of fungal infections. Here are some pointers to prevent fungal infections:

• After being sweaty or dirty, take a shower. Make sure that no part of your skin remains wet.

• In public bathrooms, showers, or locker rooms, never go barefoot.

• Put on dry, clean cotton underwear.

• Take good care of your oral health.

• Follow your eye doctor's instructions for cleaning and wearing contact lenses.
• Keep clean, short nails.

• Administer antibiotics exactly as directed. An infection may result from yeast overgrowth in your body if you use antibiotics for an extended period.

• Never give away towels, athletic gear, or other private belongings to another person.

• When working soil, put on protective clothes such as long sleeves, long pants, boots, and gloves. If you reside in an area where hazardous fungus is frequently found, wear an N95 mask to protect yourself from breathing it in.

• If you live somewhere where there is toxic soil fungus, stay inside during dust storms with closed windows or wear a mask.

References:

• White TC, Findley K, Dawson TL Jr, et al. Fungi on the skin: dermatophytes and Malassezia. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4109575/) Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2014 Aug 1;4(8):a019802. Accessed 10/25/2022.

• Nobile CJ, Johnson AD. Candida albicans Biofilms and Human Disease (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26488273/). Annu Rev Microbiol. 2015;69:71-92. Accessed 10/25/2022.

• Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Fungal Infections. In: Ryan KJ. eds. Sherris & Ryan’s Medical Microbiology. 8th ed. McGraw Hill; 2022.

• Kalra MG, Higgins KE, Kinney BS. Intertrigo and secondary skin infections (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24695603/). Am Fam Physician. 2014 Apr 1;89(7):569-73. Accessed 10/25/2022.

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fungal Diseases (https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/index.html). Accessed 10/25/2022.