On Earth, there are over 100,000 species of mushrooms. Some of them are able to live on human skin, causing fungal diseases of the skin and nails, or fungal infections. It is very easy to infect them from a sick person or animal. It happens that the infection, as it were, "sleeps" in the body, does not manifest itself in any way. But it is worth it for a person to get into a stressful situation, get injured or get sick, as the fungus raises its head and begins to grow violently on the skin or nails.
All fungal skin diseases can be divided into the following types:
According to the depth of penetration:
- Keratomycosis, which are located in the most superficial layers of the epidermis or in the cuticle of the hair.
- Dermatophytosis, located in the deeper layers of the skin.
- Deep mycosis, affecting the deep layers of the skin, the underlying tissues, internal organs.
- Candidiasis that affects the skin, mucous membranes, nails and internal organs.
By localization of mycosis can be divided into fungal diseases of the skin of hands, feet, face, scalp, mucous membranes, nails and internal organs.
Symptoms of fungal diseases of the skin are different, most often this is a discoloration of the skin, its peeling, cracking, itching, burning, pain, etc. With such symptoms, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, who can determine the type of fungal skin damage and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Consider the most common skin mycosis.
1Different-colored, or pityriiform lichen.
The disease begins with the appearance of yellow spots on the skin. Over time, they turn into clearly defined spots that have a color ranging from yellow to dark brown with scaly scales on the surface. Stains can merge and affect large areas of the skin. Under the influence of sunlight, the peeling increases. The affected areas remain untouched.
Dermatophytosis
To dermatophytosis are:
- widespread fungal diseases of the skin of the legs (mycosis stop);
- similar among themselves in the clinic microsporia and trichophytosis, as well as favus, which can be attributed to fungal diseases of the scalp, but which can affect other skin areas, nails and internal organs;
- rubrophytic and epidermophytosis, which can occur on any part of the body and more often in the natural folds of the skin.
Mycosis stop often becomes infected in public baths and in swimming pools. There are several forms with different clinics: from meager manifestations in the form of skin peeling in the interdigital folds to ulceration with the formation of deep ulcers and cracks.
Microsporia is one of the most common fungal skin diseases in children. Most often, the source of infection are homeless cats and kittens. Rashes are ring-shaped, with damage to the scalp - the hair breaks off, as if the site had been shaved. Therefore the second name of the disease is "ringworm." With microsporia similar in symptomatology of trichophytosis. Distinguish these two diseases for certain can only be through laboratory diagnostics. In the favus (scab) around the hair appear scutules - yellow crusts with an impression in the center, which merge and form a foul-smelling crust. With prolonged flow of scab, post-facial baldness can develop.
Rubrophytia and epidermophytia are one of the most common fungal infections of the skin of the body and face. The most common lesions are large folds: inguinal, axillary, popliteal. Rose-red rashes, covered with scales, disturb with severe itching, which leads to combing, roughening of the skin and the risk of entering a bacterial infection through damaged skin.
Deep mycoses
Deep mycoses (sporotrichosis, histoplasmosis and others) are dangerous because they affect internal organs, the central nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system. In addition, they are prone to chronization, so treatment of deep fungal skin diseases is long and complex.
Candidiasis
Candidiasis is caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida. The resulting bubbles quickly open, merge and form large erosion areas. Often interdigital gaps, mucous membranes, interannual and inguinal folds, as well as nails are affected. Changes in the skin are often accompanied by painful itching. Candidiasis can occur as a complication of antibiotic therapy, as well as with reduced immunity.
In general, the symptoms of fungal skin diseases are very diverse, so diseases require careful diagnosis by a dermatologist. To clarify the diagnosis, methods of microscopy and cultivation of fungi on nutrient media
Treatment of fungal skin diseases should be carried out by a specialist and selected with regard to the pathogen and the features of the course of the disease in a particular person. Various antifungal ointments are used, as well as preparations for oral administration. The most effective are itraconazole, diflucan, terbinafine.
Treatment of mycoses is complex and long, as mushrooms are very tenacious. Therefore, the prevention of fungal diseases of the skin is extremely important: the use of personal hygiene products, washing hands after talking with animals, increasing immunity.