Skin fungus

and Sabine Schrör, medical journalist Updated on

Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

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Sabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.

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Skin fungus (dermatomycosis) is a fungal infection of the skin or its appendages (hair, nails). Which symptoms occur in which part of the body depends on the particular pathogen. Skin fungus is usually treated with antifungal agents. Home remedies such as vinegar or essential oils can support this drug therapy. Read everything you need to know about the causes, symptoms, treatment and prognosis of skin fungus here.

ICD codes for this disease: ICD codes are internationally recognized codes for medical diagnoses. They can be found, for example, in doctor's letters or on certificates of incapacity for work. B37B36B35

Brief overview

What is skin fungus? Fungal infection of the skin and / or its appendages. Common forms are athlete's foot (tinea pedis), ringworm (tinea corporis), nail fungus (onychomycosis or tinea unguium), head fungus (tinea capitis), hand fungus (tinea manuum), cutaneous candidiasis and bran fungus (pityriasis versicolor).
Causes: Dermatophytes (thread fungi), yeasts (sprouts) or molds. Infection from person to person, from animal to person or through touching contaminated objects.
Risk factors: People with circulatory disorders (such as diabetes, a weakened immune system or obesity) are particularly susceptible.
Symptoms: e.g. reddened, itchy areas of skin on the trunk and extremities in ringworm; gray-white, swollen skin with small tears in the spaces between the toes with athlete's foot; Round, sharply demarcated skin changes on the head with broken or fallen hair with head fungus.
Treatment: Antifungal agents (antimycotics) for external (and possibly also internal) use. Supportive home remedies like vinegar. Careful hygiene. Regularly changing socks and shoes, washing clothes at at least 60 degrees. Treatment of fungal infections in pets (can transmit certain skin fungi).
Prognosis: With consistent treatment, usually complete healing without permanent skin damage. Complications especially in people with a weak immune system and children (fungal infection of internal organs).

Skin fungus: symptoms

The symptoms of skin fungus depend on which pathogen is causing the infection, which part of the body is affected and how widespread the infection is. The most common pathogens include thread fungi (dermatophytes). They can affect the skin, hair and nails. Other common pathogens are yeasts and molds. In addition to the skin, they can also affect mucous membranes and internal organs. Below you will learn more about typical symptoms of important types of skin fungus:

Symptoms of athlete's foot (tinea pedis)

Athlete's foot is one of the most common infectious diseases and is triggered by thread fungi. The fungi settle mainly in the spaces between the toes - this interdigital form of disease usually begins between the fourth and fifth toes: the affected skin looks red and scaly or gray-white and swollen and shows small fissures. Bacteria can easily penetrate through these tiny skin lesions and cause an additional infection (superinfection).

Athlete's foot can also affect the soles of the feet. The signs of the squamous-hyperkeratotic form are dry, white flaking of the skin. Sometimes a more inflammatory infection, with blisters and itching, also develops. The symptoms can also spread to the sides of the foot. The back of the foot usually remains symptom-free.

The vesicular-dyshidrotic form affects the arch and the edges of the foot, where the vesicles burst. The blisters on the soles of the feet do not burst because of the horny layer, but dry up. The athlete's foot is usually accompanied by a feeling of tension and itching.

Athlete's foot - one of the most common fungal skin diseases

The symptoms of athlete's foot depend on the type of fungus

Symptoms of ringworm (tinea corporis)

Tinea corporis (ringworm) is also a fungal skin infection caused by thread fungi. It affects the trunk and extremities. The affected areas of skin show round, scaly reddening that can flow together (confluent) and are usually associated with distinct itching.

Along the hair, this superficial fungal infection can spread into deep layers of the skin. The result is an increased inflammatory reaction, which is associated with the formation of painful, fluid-filled lumps. Neighboring lymph nodes swell. In addition, patients may develop general symptoms such as fever and fatigue.

You can find out more about ringworm in the article Tinea corporis.

Symptoms of head fungus (tinea capitis)

Fungi can also affect the hairy areas of the head. Mostly the scalp is affected and only rarely the eyebrows or beard, whereby thread fungi are the most common trigger. The resulting skin fungus symptoms are very diverse. In some patients, the head fungus infection has almost no symptoms (no signs of inflammation). In many others, circular, sharply delimited hairless areas of various sizes develop. The scalp shows grayish flaking in these areas. In other cases, the affected areas of the scalp are reminiscent of a field of stubble - the fungal attack has broken off the hair at about the same height.

A special form of tinea capitis is the rare favus (hereditary grind). This form of fungal infection of the scalp now only occurs in countries with poor hygienic conditions and poor health care. Scar-like changes on the scalp that lead to irreversible hair loss are typical.

Everything about the causes, symptoms and treatment of head fungus can be found here!

Symptoms of facial fungus (tinea faciei)

A thread fungus infection on the face manifests itself in the form of flaky, itchy areas of skin. The symptoms usually worsen when the facial skin is exposed to strong light. Tinea faciei can also occur together with tinea corporis. If the symptoms are very pronounced, this can be a sign of a weakened immune system.

Symptoms of hand fungus (tinea manuum)

Fungal skin symptoms on the hands can also be traced back to a thread fungus infection. Usually only one hand is affected at first. The fungal infection can later spread to the other hand. Many tinea manuum patients also suffer from athlete's foot.

Doctors differentiate between two forms of hand fungus:

hyperkeratotic-squamous form: Typical for this are skin vesicles that dry out quickly, from which round, scaly foci of infection develop. Sometimes the whole palm of the hand is covered with fine scales along the lines of the skin, like "flour dust". Later, thick scales may form that spread across the palm of your hand. Many fine, painful skin cracks are also possible. If the fungus also affects the hair follicles on the back of the hand, round, inflammatory foci of infection develop, partly covered by pustules.
Dyshidrosiform hand fungus: occurs less often than the hyperkeratotic-squamous form. Typical fungal skin symptoms are itchy blisters on the palm, the edges of the hand and / or on the sides of the fingers.

A special form of tinea manuum is the "one hand / two feet" syndrome. It is also known as tinea palmoplantaris: the skin fungus symptoms show up on the palm of the hand and the soles of both feet. Diabetics are often affected as they are particularly susceptible to infections.

Symptoms of nail fungus (tinea unguium)

The nail fungus (tinea unguium or onychomycosis) is usually caused by thread fungi. Mold or yeasts are less common. The toenails are most commonly affected, but it can also affect the fingernails. Sometimes the pathogens penetrate below the nail at the end of the nail, in other cases they attack the nail surface. Typical symptoms in both cases include dull nails and a thickened nail plate. In addition, the edge of the nail turns white or yellowish. In addition, whitish, yellow or gray-brown spots appear in the nail. At an advanced stage, pain can also occur.

You can read about what helps, how it can be recognized and treated, in our text on nail fungus!

Symptoms of inguinal fungus (tinea inguinalis)

Men who sweat profusely often get fungal infections in the groin region. Typical symptoms are burning, sharply defined reddening of the skin with a pronounced edge and partial flaking. The infection usually begins on the skin between the thighs and the scrotum. Later it often spreads towards the anus and buttocks. The scrotum, penis and, in women, the vulva can be affected.

Symptoms of cutaneous candidiasis

Cutaneous candidiasis is a fungal skin infection caused by yeasts of the genus Candida (mainly C. albicans) designated. It develops preferentially in moist and warm areas of the body. Usually the so-called intertriginous regions are affected. These are parts of the body where adjacent, sometimes directly opposite skin areas often touch. Examples of this are armpits, groin region, gluteal folds, genital region, spaces between toes and fingers as well as the skin area below the female breast.

Cutaneous candidiasis initially presents with nodular vesicles (papulopustules). This quickly results in large areas of red, sometimes oozing plaques with a scaly edge, which are accompanied by small pustules.

In general, a yeast infection (candidiasis) can affect the mucous membranes as well as the skin. A fungal infection of the genital region is known as genital candidiasis. It manifests itself in women as vaginal thrush. Typical symptoms are severe itching, blotchy reddening, wipeable white deposits on the mucous membrane and an odorless, crumbly white discharge. Genital yeast infestation affects men less often. If so, it manifests itself as an inflammation of the glans (penis fungus).

Symptoms of bran fungus (pityriasis versicolor)

The bran fungus is a skin fungal infection with yeasts of the genus Malassezia. It develops predominantly on the chest, back, shoulders and neck. However, sometimes the infection also spreads to the arms and middle trunk.

This form of skin fungus begins with sharply defined, rounded spots that are the size of lentils or pennies and hardly itchy. Over time, the spots combine to form larger, map-shaped herds with a smooth surface. If you rub it with a spatula, the skin flakes off. The flakes of skin are reminiscent of the bran that gives it its name.

The skin spots are discolored compared to healthy skin. There is a color difference depending on the skin color:

Pityriasis versicolor alba: The skin spots appear light in dark or tanned patients. This is due to the thick carpet of mushrooms on the skin, which keeps out UV rays. This means that the skin underneath can no longer form any color pigment (melanin). The result is white spots on dark skin.
Pityriasis versicolor rubra: In fair-skinned patients, however, the bran fungus appears with reddish-brownish spots. The color is created by pigments that the fungus itself produces.

You can find all details, symptoms and treatment of bran fungus in the under Pityriasis versicolor!

Symptoms of microsporia

This fungal skin disease is caused by filamentous fungi of the genus Microsporum (such as M. canis). These fungi often affect pets such as dogs and cats. A person can become infected with the fungus through contact with such infected animals. This happens especially to children. They develop inflammatory, disc-shaped skin changes on the trunk and scalp. If the scalp is infected, the hair can break off in the affected areas.

Skin fungus: treatment

Fungal skin infections are treated with antifungal drugs. These are drugs that work specifically against fungi. Patients can support drug treatment with general tips and home remedies.

Skin fungus treatment: medication

Antimycotics can either inhibit the growth and reproduction of the fungi (fungistatic effect) or kill the fungi (fungicidal effect). They are almost always applied externally (topically) in the form of ointments, creams, powders, sprays, tinctures or shampoos. Treatment with tablets is only necessary in very rare, severe cases.

Topical antimycotics include nystatin, clotrimazole, miconazole, isoconazole and amorolfine. For internal use, amphotericin B, itraconazole, ketoconazole, terbinafine and flucytosine are used.

Many antifungal drugs are available over the counter. Before you treat your skin fungus yourself, you should see a dermatologist. He can tell you which antifungal drug is best for you. The type of skin fungus and individual factors, for example your age and any pregnancy, play a role here.

In the case of severe itching or burning of the skin, anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids ("cortisone") in cream or ointment form can be applied to the relevant areas of the skin in addition to the antimycotics.

Fungal Skin Treatment: General Tips

As a patient, you can support drug therapy by avoiding typical causes and risk factors of a fungal infection. In the case of the widespread athlete's foot, this means, for example:

Do not wear shoes that are not very breathable.
You should change socks, stockings and underwear every day and wash them at at least 60 degrees Celsius.
During and immediately after athlete's foot treatment, it helps to disinfect stockings, socks and shoes with an antifungal agent.
Always dry the spaces between the toes well after showering or bathing (use a separate towel!), As mushrooms love it moist and warm.
In places where there is an increased risk of fungal infection (such as swimming pools, saunas, etc.), you should pay particular attention to hygiene and not go barefoot.

Basically, it is important to always keep endangered or already affected parts of the body such as armpits, genital area and feet dry. You should also always use a separate towel to dry off. This will prevent the fungal infection from spreading to other parts of the body or other people.

Another valuable tip: Support your immune system in the fight against fungi by getting enough sleep, eating healthily, avoiding stress and getting fresh air regularly.

Skin fungus: home remedies

As with many other diseases, various home remedies are recommended for skin fungus. How effective these will be in individual cases cannot be predicted. It is best to discuss with your doctor or pharmacist which home remedy for skin fungus is suitable for you. The expert can also point out possible side effects and interactions.

An extensive fungal infestation always requires drug treatment. You should only use home remedies as an accompanying measure. An inadequately treated skin fungus can become chronic and sometimes even spread to internal organs. Under certain circumstances, this can lead to life-threatening complications!

Skin fungus treatment with vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is known as a home remedy for skin fungus. Vinegar socks, for example, should help with athlete's foot: To do this, stir six tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into 200 milliliters of water, dip cotton socks in them and put them on before going to bed. You should wear a pair of dry woolen socks over them. Doing this for several nights in a row is supposed to cure the athlete's foot.

Skin fungus treatment with essential oils

Various essential oils can kill fungi. They also have a regenerating effect on the skin and are anti-inflammatory. The most important essential oil for skin fungus treatment is tea tree oil. Since this oil dries out the skin, you should treat it at the same time with a nourishing oil or shea butter.

Skin fungus: causes and risk factors

Different types of fungus can cause skin fungus:

Thread fungi

In most cases, skin fungus infections are caused by thread fungi (dermatophytes). Experts then also speak of dermatophytosis. The most common trigger in Central Europe is the filamentous fungus Trichophyton rubrum. It is mainly responsible for ringworm and nail fungus. Other filamentous fungi that often trigger skin fungus are Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis (trigger of the microsporia) and Trichophyton verrucosum (zoonotic pathogen, especially in rural areas).

A fungal infection with Trichophyton species is also called trichophytia.

Yeasts

The skin and mucous membrane can also be attacked by yeasts (mushrooms). The best known yeast is Candida albicans. It belongs to the natural flora of the mucous membranes. Under certain circumstances (such as immune deficiency) it can multiply and cause an infection, for example in the vaginal region (vaginal fungus). Another known yeast infection of the skin is bran fungus (pityriasis versicolor).

Molds

As a causative agent of skin fungus, molds only play a subordinate role. However, like yeast, they can also attack internal organs and thus trigger severe systemic mycosis. This is a fungal infection that affects several organ systems or practically the whole body.

Skin fungus: transmission and contagion

When asked "Is skin fungus contagious?" the clear answer is yes. Skin fungi can be transmitted directly from person to person, but also from animal to person. You can also become infected indirectly through contaminated objects, such as bath mats, clothing and shoes. Since mushrooms love it moist and warm, the risk of infection is particularly high in swimming pools, saunas, tanning salons and public toilets.

Skin fungus: risk factors

Various individual risk factors favor a skin fungus. These include, for example, diabetes (diabetes mellitus) and obesity.With the latter, sweat builds up in the skin folds, which provides fungi with optimal living conditions.

The skin and mucous membranes of people with circulatory disorders are also susceptible to a fungal infection.

Another risk factor is a weakened immune system. The immune system weakness can be caused by a serious illness (such as HIV) - or it can be caused by drugs that suppress the immune system. Such immunosuppressants are administered, for example, after organ transplants and in autoimmune diseases.

Skin fungus: examinations and diagnosis

If there is a suspicion of skin fungus, the family doctor or a dermatologist (dermatologist) is the right contact. In the case of skin fungus in the genital area, you can also consult a gynecologist or urologist.

The doctor first collects your medical history (anamnesis) in a detailed discussion: He asks you exactly about the type and duration of the complaints. He will also ask if you have any underlying illnesses (diabetes, etc.) and if you have recently had contact with people with a rash.

This is followed by a physical exam. The doctor carefully examines the skin changes. Usually he can already tell with the naked eye whether it is actually a skin fungus or not.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor takes a swab from an affected area of skin. A fungal culture is created in a special nutrient medium in the laboratory. In this way, any mushrooms can be grown and identified under optimal growth conditions. This can take up to four weeks. Evidence of the type of pathogen is important for choosing the right treatment.

Certain types of fungus can also be recognized directly on the skin under the microscope or under special UV light - known as Wood light. This light has a wavelength of approximately 365 nanometers and is an important aid in diagnosing various skin diseases. For example, in the case of a bran fungus (Pityriasis versicolor), the affected skin areas show an orange coloration under Wood light. Some dermatophytes, on the other hand, fluoresce yellow-green under the Wood light.

In individual cases it can be useful to take a tissue sample (biopsy) for a more detailed examination.

Skin fungus: disease course and prognosis

Skin fungus does not heal on its own, but needs to be treated. Patience is required, because fungal infections are usually persistent. It is particularly important to use the antifungal drugs (antifungal drugs) for as long as the doctor has prescribed. If the therapy is interrupted prematurely, the skin fungus can return. However, with correct treatment, the picin infection almost always heals completely. The complexion normalizes and any hair that has fallen out grows back.

However, complications are also possible, especially in people with weakened immune systems and in children. These patients are at an increased risk of the skin fungal infection spreading to organs inside the body.

Skin fungus: prevention

In order to prevent a (renewed) skin fungal infection, you should take a few tips to heart:

Pay particular attention to hygiene in places with a high risk of infection (such as swimming pools, saunas, tanning salons).
Change socks and underwear daily and wash them at at least 60 degrees Celsius.
Avoid shoes that are not very breathable and always keep the skin dry on sensitive parts of the body (folds of the skin, spaces between the toes, etc.).
Pets such as dogs, cats and horses can transmit skin fungi to humans. You should therefore have them checked for skin fungus by the vet and, if necessary, treated with appropriate antimycotics.

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