Your Beautiful Magazine!
Page 18
Female Focus
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections are quite common in humid regions like the coast and occur all year round. They are a frequent cause of consultation at the end of the summer as, in many cases, they show up in spots that appear after being exposed
to direct sunlight. Fungus alters the melanin of the skin causing round spots of clear skin over brown areas. Moreover, as these areas which lack melanin get further exposed, they can easily burn thus causing a combination of spots of different
colours; some are dark, some pale and others red. This is the ‘Pityriasis versicolor’, very typical of this time of the year. Some people tend to think that they got the infection from the beach or the pool, but most times the infection was there long before. Other forms of fungal infection ‘Intertrigo’ occur in areas that are usually wet by perspiration and get worse with the heat and the rubbing of clothes ; eg: the arm pits, groins, belt areas, collar neck and under the breast. This shows up as red patches of skin that may eventually peel off and it can spread to surrounding areas. Another common form is the so called “athlete’s foot” which is basically a fungal infection that affects the sole of the foot and the inter digital spaces causing small holes in the epidermis and red sores, patches and blisters which can extend to the upper leg. Sometimes this irritation may be so severe that bacteria causes secondary infections with serious consequences - especially in diabetic patients. Nails can also be affected ‘Onychomycosis’ and when this happens, the nail becomes progressively detached from its bed and later begins to take the shape of a horn ‘Onychogryphosis’. If not treated, the same germ that causes nail infections may spread to the surrounding skin, even extending to the groin. Yeast infections like Candida may be included in this chapter although they are not truly fungus. They are similar but with the difference that they do not affect the skin, only the mucosa of the mouth or genitals. They are frequent complaints in the summer because of many factors but especially due to wearing wet swimming suits or underwear. Another factor is the use of antibiotics that not only kill the bad bacteria but also the “good ones” responsible of the care of our skin and mucosa. The treatment of all is with anti fungal agents (not antibiotics!) like fluconazole, ketoconazole, Itraconazole or Terbinafine. The dose and length of treatment is different for each case ranging from one week for Pityriasis to three months for athlete’s foot or even one year for Onychomycosis. It always better to have the treatment supervised by a doctor and it is very important to have an early assessment in order to eliminate other causes. For prevention there are plenty of disinfectant shower gels on the market that can be used when going to public showers like in gyms and spas. Regular bleaching of such spaces and never sharing towels with other people also help prevent spreading and picking up these infections.
Tel: 965 792 418 11am - 1pm or 652 286 720 (24hr).
Dr.I.Poole@gmail.com
Article supplied by Dr. I. Poole, Clinica El Arenal which can be found at Av. Arenal 2, Jávea.
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