What to Do If You Have Recurrent Fungal Infections?
Skin is the body’s outer layer and the first line of protection against disease and infection. Although relatively thin, it does an amazing job of protecting the internal organs. However, nothing is flawless and fungal, bacterial, or viral infections can infect the skin itself in various ways.
Dr. Shikha Aggarwal, a dermatologist in Ludhiana at Bliss Laser Skin Clinic, shares that skin infections are usually caused by microbes, which come in thousands of different forms. The symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Mild infections are typically treated with medications available at a nearby pharmacy. However, stubborn and aggressive conditions necessitate diagnosis and suitable treatment by a dermatologist. Dermatology clinics are the first port of call for those requiring expert guidance and support in treating all skin conditions, including fungal skin infections.
Do You Have Recurrent Fungal Skin Infections? Consult A Dermatologist
Recurrent fungal skin infections are very common nowadays, causing discomfort and frustration. Whether it is a ringworm infection or any other fungal skin infection, it is crucial to understand its causes and know an appropriate treatment to eradicate it. Many people consult dermatologists every 4-6 months to get treated for fungal infections. If you are one of them looking for effective fungal infection treatment in Ludhiana, there is no need to worry any longer. You have come to the right page!
Continue reading this post and learn about fungal skin infections, their potential reasons for recurrence, and their available treatment modalities. You can also watch this video by our fungal infection treatment doctor and skin expert Dr. Shikha Aggarwal:
What Are Fungal Infections?
Fungal infections, also known as mycosis, are skin diseases caused by fungi. Millions of fungal species exist, and they require a warm, damp environment to thrive. Skin is one of the surfaces on which fungi can live. If fungus starts living on the skin’s surface, it causes a fungal skin infection.
Fungal infections most commonly affect the foot, groyne, under the chest area in females, abdominal folds (especially in obese people), and armpits.
They can be pruritic and annoying but rarely are serious. A person’s specific body chemistry and lifestyle choices can raise the risk of fungal infection. Athletes often suffer from fungal skin infections because of their excessive sweating.
Some of the fungal infections include:
- Ringworm: Ringworm is a mould-like parasitic fungus that causes ring-shaped lesions on the skin surface.
- Athlete’s foot: Athlete’s foot can affect any part of the foot, usually between the toes, and is characterised by scaling, cracking, and redness.
- Nail fungus: Nail fungus causes toenails and fingernails to become discoloured and brittle, sometimes breaking off completely.
- Oral thrush: It is a fungal infection of the mouth.
What Causes Recurrent Fungal Infections?
In basic terms, recurrent fungal infections are skin infections caused by a fungus that repeatedly affects an individual even after it is treated at first onset.
There are multiple reasons why fungal infections can recur. These include:
- Unintentional usage of topical steroids: Some over-the-counter topical steroid creams are available. People may try to lessen their symptoms of fungal infections with steroids, but steroid use does not help eradicate the fungus-causing infection. Discontinuing the application of steroids could result in fungal infection recurrence.
- Proper treatment duration: Different strains of a fungus can cause a skin infection. It is not necessary that every time one gets infected, the same fungal strain has caused the skin infection. Thus, there is a need to take the best-suited treatment for the proper duration to avoid the recurrence of fungal skin infections. Normally, people undergo treatment for fungal skin infections until they get relief from their symptoms and then discontinue it, or they may not select the right treatment option. This way, recurrence of fungal infection is possible.
- General measures: If one fails to practise self-hygiene, the chances of having a recurrence of fungal infection are higher. For example, leaving the body surfaces moist after bathing for too long or not washing and drying clothes properly can cause fungal infections to occur repeatedly.
What Are The Ways To Avoid Recurrent Fungal Infections?
There are certain measures by which one can get rid of fungal infection in a single go. Here are the two kinds of measures to cure fungal infections:
- General measures (sanitation and hygiene practice): An infected person’s clothes must be washed separately in hot water. After washing, the clothes must be reverse-dried outside under the sun to ensure complete drying. Ironing is advised before wearing the clothes.
A person with a fungal skin infection must make use of a separate bed sheet while sleeping, wash it often, and keep changing it. This way, fungal spores will not dissociate from the body and enter the environment. Fungal spores can remain in the environment for nearly 40 days. Therefore, it is advised to wash used bedsheets and towels frequenty.
Also, it is important to take a bath twice a day, and an infected person must wear clothes only after properly drying the body. The nails must be kept trimmed so that itchy skin lesions are not scratched. Rest and a skin specialist-prescribed emollient can be used. - Antifungals: An infected person must consult a dermatologist and take prescription antifungals for a specific period. Dermatologists may recommend an antifungal treatment course for 4-8 weeks, and the patient must not withdraw from the treatment before its completion. Regular application of topical antifungals is a must for some time.
When using antifungal cream on the affected skin, the cream must be applied 1 cm away from the lesions to cover a larger surface area. If any other person at home has the same infection, simultaneous treatment of the person in the same way is recommended. All these general measures help prevent recurrent fungal infections.
How Do You Prevent Skin Fungus Infections?
- Wear loose, breathable clothing, such as those made of cotton fabric.
- Wear shoes that are not too tight and made of natural materials, such as leather, rather than plastic, or choose open footwear, such as flip-flops, to keep the feet cool and dry.
- Keep your body and feet clean and dry at all times. After taking a shower, thoroughly dry yourself off. Moisture on the skin after a shower or sweating while doing chores can also be a fungi breeding habitat.
- Do not go barefoot. Wear flip-flops or sandals, particularly in communal areas of the gym and locker rooms. People who have cuts on their feet can contract fungal skin infections (athlete’s foot) from the floor.
- Take a healthy diet. Probiotics can supply healthy bacteria that help the body fight off harmful fungi that cause fungal skin infections. Limiting the sugar in the diet can reduce the likelihood of yeast infections.
- Change your socks and shoes if they become wet or sweaty. Never reuse socks. Allow the footwear to air out between uses.
How To Prevent Skin Fungus from Coming Back?
One can lessen the risk of a fungal infection recurrence by following some simple sanitation and hygiene steps:
- Always wear slippers when walking on moist surfaces to prevent recurrent fungal infections of the foot or nail.
- When affected, wash your bedsheets and towels regularly and avoid exchanging linens and towels with anyone infected.
- Avoid scratching infected areas since this can spread the fungal infection to other areas of the body. If your feet are infected, applying an antifungal powder, such as Clocip dusting powder, can help keep them dry and inhibit the spread of any fungal infection.
- When you have a fungal infection, finish the entire course of antifungal medicine the doctor prescribes or use the over-the-counter treatment for the suggested period until the disease is completely gone.
- Apply prescription antifungal cream to the soles of the feet and nails twice weekly. This may help prevent the fungus from regrowing too quickly. In some cases, an oral drug may be prescribed.
- Keep your toenails short and cut them straight across to avoid ingrown nails. Do not use the same clippers for abnormal and normal nails.
Sometimes, a fungal infection resembles skin itching. It is important to consult a dermatologist in Ludhiana to diagnose the concern effectively and achieve healthy, disease-free skin with effective treatments.
