Table of contents:
- What is Candida?
- Where do mushrooms appear?
- What causes fungus on the skin and nails?
- How to treat fungus on the skin and nails?
- Then how to prevent fungus on the skin and nails?
Fungi do not only grow in damp and low light. In fact, fungus can also grow on your skin and nails. Yes, the fungus on the skin and nails is a type of candida fungus, which is a natural fungus that can cause infection in the affected part of the body. Men and women of all ages can be infected with this type of fungus. So, to find out more about fungi on the skin and nails, see the explanation of fungi on the skin and nails below.
What is Candida?
Please note, that there are more than 150 types of candida mushrooms. The species that most often causes the body to become mold, is Candida albicans. Meanwhile, 15 other species of Candida albicans are known to cause infections of the skin and mucous membranes throughout the body.
The excess of this growing candida fungus is more common in the moist skin. Candidiasis, the name for people who have candida yeast, can usually be treated with several over-the-counter medicines that are sold in pharmacies if the condition of the yeast infection is mild. Serious candida infections require medication and care from a doctor.
Where do mushrooms appear?
The following are the parts of the body that are most susceptible to the development of skin fungus.
- Skin folds
- Under the breast
- Groin and around inner thighs
- Armpit
- The space between the fingers on the hand and foot
- The foreskin of the penis is uncircumcised
Meanwhile, signs of fungus on the nails can appear with the condition of the nails that are brittle, easily broken, or have broken. If white or yellow spots often appear under the nails, it can be a trigger for fungus on the nails.
What causes fungus on the skin and nails?
This fungal infection of the skin is usually caused by conditions where the body is moist, warm and wet. The tightness of the clothes you wear can prevent your skin from getting good air circulation. When combined with humid and warm weather such as in tropical Indonesia, sweat can accumulate on tight clothing, especially in the folds of the body, and is an ideal location for fungus to grow. When you do not maintain good body hygiene, the risk of developing candida fungus on your skin is even higher.
Meanwhile, the fungus found on the nails can be caused by several specific jobs. For example, if your job requires you to be in frequent contact with certain substances and chemicals or you are constantly in water, so that your nails become brittle quickly.
However, it cannot be denied that brittle nails can be caused by genetic factors and aging. In addition, women are more susceptible to nail fungus than men.
How to treat fungus on the skin and nails?
Treatment of fungus on the skin and nails can generally be treated with antifungal drugs such as miconazole, clotrimazole, and oxiconazole which can help heal infections in the skin.
To speed up the healing process of fungal infections on the skin and nails, it's a good idea to keep both parts of the body dry and not moist. If the fungal and nail infection is severe, immediately consult a doctor to be given medication according to the prescription and the severity of the infection.
Then, severe skin infections, often caused by invasive candidiasis and need to be treated by a doctor. Invasive candidiasis is a serious yeast infection that affects the blood, heart, eyes, brain and bones. People with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV / AIDS, are more at risk of being affected by this invasive infection. You should immediately seek medical help to be hospitalized.
Then how to prevent fungus on the skin and nails?
- Keep your nails protected from exposure to chemicals or water continuously. Wear waterproof gloves for everyday tasks that require you to come into contact with water.
- You can also treat and strengthen nails with petroleum jelly or lotions that are oil-based rather than water-based.
- If the nail infection cannot be treated, you will need to have the nail removed. It is hoped that new nails will grow, but this will take a long process.
- Take B vitamins with biotin to make brittle nails look strong. However, this is a long-term treatment and should be done on a regular basis.
