Fungi can be responsible for various diseases and symptoms of disease. They can enter the body through an unhygienic environment or, if present in it, can begin to cause damage in the body through massive multiplication when the immune system is weakened.
What are fungi?
Fungi are eukaryotic living organisms. This means that their cells, for example, unlike those of bacteria, have a nucleus. They also have mitochondria and what is called a cytoskeleton (network of proteins in the cytoplasm). Fungi are neither counted among the animals nor among the plants. What distinguishes them from plants is, for example, their metabolism and lack of chlorophyll. They take up nutrients by utilizing biomass, like animals. In turn, they differ from animals in that they cannot move, on the one hand, and in their cell structure, on the other. Like plants, they have a solid cell wall. Their reproductive behavior is also different from that of animals. Mycology, the science of fungi, distinguishes between unicellular and multicellular fungi. Yeast fungi, for example, which can be responsible for various diseases in humans, belong to the unicellular fungi.
Occurrence, distribution and properties
Like some other fungi, yeast fungi can occur in the bodies of humans without necessarily causing disease. However, depending on the condition of the fungus carrier, they can become pathogens, for example, when they become weakened or after surgery. Molds that are absorbed through breathing, mucous membranes, or touch can develop in moldy food, in the building fabric, or in damp areas (e.g., bathroom mold). Yeast fungi found on human mucous membranes can be transmitted through kissing and sexual intercourse. One of the most common fungal diseases, athlete’s foot, can be transmitted through contact with infected skin or by walking unprotected on contaminated surfaces. This can happen in swimming pools, for example. A humid climate on the foot helps the fungus to develop. Therefore, even after contact with filamentous fungus, rigorous drying of the feet can counteract an outbreak of the disease. In the building structure, moisture is one of the causes of mold spread. Pipe leaks, leaky walls, poor insulation, etc., favor the development of the dangerous fungi, which can seriously affect health and, in the worst case, can even be fatal. Mold deposits also form on old or incorrectly stored food. Moldy food should therefore be disposed of. In exceptional cases, such as a small spot of mold on fruit jelly that is more than 50% sugar or sugar substitutes, the spot can be generously cut away and discarded, but the basic rule is that visible mold spots on food surfaces are evidence of an even larger mold infestation inside that you can’t necessarily see.
Meaning and function
Fungi are found in mostly invisible forms almost everywhere. They also exist in the human body on mucous membranes, on the skin and in the intestines. They belong to the very own flora of humans. Normally, they do not affect the well-being. A whole human life can pass without a fungal disease occurring, because a healthy immune system copes well with the fungi that are present in a healthy body. This can change if factors encourage a “flourishing” of fungal spread. A weakened immune system, obesity, diabetes, chemotherapy, antibiotic use, antidepressant use, the weakened state after surgery, HIV, etc. are among them. Even taking birth control pills increases the risk of fungal disease. It causes the mucous membranes in the body to become more permeable and provide an increased sugar climate. Both make it easier for fungi to colonize. A fungal infection, also called mycosis, can be treacherous. It often further weakens an already compromised organism. It is treated with antimycotics. However, since fungi have much more complex structures than bacteria, there is not a wide range of effective drugs for antifungals, as there is for antibiotics, for example.Moreover, because fungal cells are much more similar to the structure of human cells than, for example, bacterial cells, it is much more difficult to develop drugs that specifically attack fungi but leave the human body unharmed.
Diseases and ailments
Common fungal diseases are, for example, skin fungus, athlete’s foot, fungal infections on the oral mucosa or in the genital area. Here, antifungal ointments, creams or sprays usually help. The treatment can be carried out locally. So-called systemic mycoses, on the other hand, mean that the pathogenic fungi have spread through the bloodstream and attacked organs. These diseases can have a very severe course and a fatal outcome. They usually affect people with a severely weakened immune system. Fungi that are already present take advantage of the weakening to spread more. However, there are also pathogens that infect healthy people and can cause massive damage to them without any previous strain on the organism. However, these hardly occur in the European area. Toxins emanating from molds can, in addition to a carcinogenic effect, also have a neurotoxic effect, damage the genetic material, fetuses and the immune system, trigger allergies, damage organs and impair the metabolism. It is therefore of great importance to pay attention to mold infestation both in food and in the living area and to take immediate countermeasures or not to “turn a blind eye” to moldy food.
