Fungal Skin Infections

You may not notice anything special about your bathroom. But for certain types of fungi, it’s a little comer of paradise.

These microorganisms thrive in the warm, moist environments of bathtubs and showers. That’s where they find their way onto you. And once they get under your skin, you’re in for some combination of itching, burning, and oozing-the unpleasant symptoms of a fungal skin infection.

Fungal skin infections are sometimes called tinea, or ringworm. But don’t let the word ringworm scare you: The infections have nothing whatsoever to do with worms. Rather, ringworm describes the telltale ring­shaped rash that the invading fungi often cause.

Perhaps the best-known fungal skin infections are athlete’s foot and jock itch. Athlete’s foot (or tinea pedis) produces mild to severe itching and burning on your feet, especially between your toes. The affected skin becomes soft and painful. It may also crack, allowing fluid to ooze out. Athlete’s foot is more common among men than women, but anyone can get it. In fact, an estimated 70 percent of Americans have a bout of athlete’s foot at least once in their lives.

While athlete’s foot targets the feet, jock itch (tinea cruris) invades the groin area. It produces persistent itching, along with redness and thickening of the skin. Jock itch is often thought of as a man’s disease, as wearing an athletic supporter creates the warm, moist environment that fungi love. But women can get fungal infections in the groin area, too-especially if they wear tight leotards to exercise.

Fungal skin infections can also occur on the scalp (tinea capitis) and trunk (tinea corporis). When the infection develops on the scalp, especially in young children, the fungi can trigger hair loss that leaves behind patchy bald spots. On the trunk, the infection spreads outward in its characteristic ring pattern.

Toenails are vulnerable to fungal infections, too. The affected nails thicken and become discolored and perhaps deformed, a condition known as onychomycosis.

While fungal infections are uncomfortable and unpleasant, they are seldom serious. Still, once you’ve experienced one, you probably don’t want another. Avoiding the offending fungi can be a challenge, since they hang out just about anyplace warm and moist. That includes not only in bathtubs and showers but also in locker rooms, around hot tubs, and even in sweatdrenched socks and poorly ventilated shoes.

Compounding the problem is the fact that the fungi are so contagious. For example, if you develop a case of athlete’s foot, you can pass the infection to other family members simply by walking barefoot on your bathroom floor.

There are things that you can do to create a less hospitable environment for invading fungi and to reduce your exposure to them. But, if you pick up a fungal infection anyway, take your pick of the remedies that follow. Your skin should be in the pink in no time.
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