Introduction
Skin-fungi are neither plants nor animals, so they represent an own empire. Accordingly, infections with fungi are treated differently than infections with bacteria or viruses. Medically important are three groups of fungi: There are the filamentous fungi (dermatophytes), which can digest keratin, a component contained in skin, hair and nails, and almost exclusively attack them.
Then there are the shoot fungi, which belong to the yeasts and mainly attack the mucous membranes. However, they can also penetrate into the organs in case of immune defects. Molds are the last group of medically relevant fungi. They are particularly relevant when severe burns or immune defects are present. Since our skin actually has a protective function that is also supposed to protect us from fungal infections, functional disorders of the skin are usually present when it is infected with fungi.
Symptoms
The skin fungus can manifest itself in many different places of the human body. All forms of the skin fungus show similar symptoms, which can indicate the existing disease. People suffering from skin fungus often suffer from dry and stressed skin.
The fungal pathogens can penetrate through a damaged and damaged skin barrier and lead to a local infection. The affected areas are usually conspicuous by a reddening of the skin surface and a strong and very unpleasant itching. In the course of time, the affected skin begins to flake strongly and small as well as deep cracks and wounds can develop in the skin.
Scaly plaques form, at the base of which some forms of skin fungus form small blisters that burst and release an infectious fluid. If these vesicles open, or the cracks that develop in the dry skin continue to tear, severe pain may occur. Depending on the localization of the skin fungus disease, limited mobility and function of the skin area is possible. For example, a fungal disease in the area of the foot can cause severe pain when walking. The symptoms of a skin fungal disease are not always clear, however, and may also point to other skin diseases, which should always be clarified.
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