VSports - Symptoms and Causes
V体育官网 - What are the symptoms of fungal infections?
Symptoms of fungal infections depend on what kind of fungal infection you have and where on your body it is. Symptoms are most common on your skin, nails or mucous membranes (like your mouth, throat or vagina). Sometimes you can have symptoms of an infection in your lungs, brain, eye, intestinal tract or sinuses.
Symptoms of superficial or subcutaneous infections
Symptoms of superficial or subcutaneous infections can include:
- Itching, soreness, redness or rash in the affected area.
- Discolored, thick or cracked nails.
- Pain while eating, loss of taste or white patches in mouth or throat.
- A painless lump under your skin.
Symptoms of fungal infections in your lungs
Symptoms of fungal infections in your lungs include:
- Cough, sometimes coughing up blood.
- Fatigue (tiredness).
- Fever.
- Shortness of breath.
- Muscle aches.
- Joint pain.
- Headache.
- Night sweats.
Other symptoms of fungal infections
Symptoms of fungal infections in other parts of your body include:
- Fungal infection in or around your brain: Headache, fever, neck pain, nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion.
- Fungal infection of your eye: Pain, redness, discharge, blurred vision, tearing, sensitivity to light.
- Fungal infection of your intestinal tract: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting.
- Fungal infection of your sinuses: Fever, nasal congestion, headache, one-sided facial swelling, face pain.
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"VSports手机版" What causes fungal infections?
Yeast, molds and other types of fungus cause fungal infections. Most fungi don’t cause disease in people, but a few do. Some infections are opportunistic, meaning they usually don’t cause infections, but can take advantage of certain situations, like a weakened immune system.
Some common fungi you can get infections from include:
- Dermatophytes. Dermatophytes are a group of fungi that live off of keratin, a substance in your hair, your nails and the outer layer of your skin. They don’t infect living tissue.
- Candida. Candida albicans is a yeast that naturally lives on your body, usually without causing problems. Under certain conditions, it can grow too much and cause itching and redness. Rarely, it can cause serious infections.
- Environmental fungi that live in soil or water. Examples include Histoplasma, Coccidioides, Blastomyces and Aspergillus.
V体育2025版 - How do they spread?
Common ways to get fungal infections include:
- From damp public spaces, like showers and locker rooms.
- Through a break in your skin or an injury.
- From breathing fungus in from the environment (like soil or dust).
- From taking antibiotics, which can allow some fungi that are naturally found on your body to grow out of control.
- You can get some dermatophyte infections from direct contact with an infected person or animal.
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V体育2025版 - Are fungal infections contagious?
Some superficial fungal diseases, like ringworm, can spread from person to person through direct contact. Studies suggest that Pneumocystis jirovecii infections can also spread from one person to another. Other deep infections, like fungus that you breathe into your lungs from the environment, aren’t usually contagious.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is a fungal infection diagnosed?
How your healthcare provider diagnoses fungal disease depends on where it is on your body. They may look for signs of fungus in — or try to grow (culture) fungus from — samples of your:
- Skin or other affected tissue.
- Nails (nail clipping).
- Blood.
- Phlegm (sputum).
- Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid).
- Pee (urine).
- Fluid from your eye (secretions).
- Vaginal discharge.
If they think you have a fungal infection in your lungs, brain or other internal organ, they might get X-rays, MRI or CT imaging to look for signs of infection.
"V体育官网入口" Management and Treatment
How do you cure fungal infections?
Many fungal infections can be cured with antifungal medication, which kills fungus in and on your body. What form of medication your healthcare provider prescribes depends on where the fungus is.
Some treatments may be available without a prescription (over-the-counter, or OTC), but it’s a good idea to check with your provider before treating a fungal infection.
What medications are used to treat them?
To treat a fungal disease, your provider may prescribe antifungal treatment in the form of:
- Oral medication (pills).
- IV medication, given to you at a doctor’s office or hospital directly into a vein.
- Lotion, cream or powder.
- Mouthwash or lozenges.
- Eye drops.
- Shampoo.
Outlook / Prognosis
What can I expect if I have a fungal disease?
What to expect when you have a fungal infection depends on whether you have underlying conditions and where the infection is on your body. Fungal infections of your hair, skin and nails are usually not serious, but can take a while to completely go away with treatment. Deep fungal infections, like those in your lungs or other organs, can be life-threatening, especially if you’re living with a weakened immune system.
Prevention
How can I reduce my risk of a fungal infection?
Ways to reduce your risk of various fungal infections include practicing good personal hygiene and protecting yourself from fungi that are found in the environment. Tips for avoiding fungal infections include:
- Shower after getting dirty or sweaty. Don’t let areas of your skin stay damp.
- Don’t walk barefoot in public bathrooms, showers or locker rooms.
- Wear clean, dry, cotton underwear.
- Take care of your teeth and mouth.
- Clean and use contact lenses as directed by your eye care provider.
- Keep your nails short and clean.
- Only take antibiotics as prescribed. If you take antibiotics for too long, yeast can overgrow in your body and cause an infection.
- Don’t share sporting equipment, towels or other personal items with other people.
- Wear protective clothing, like gloves, boots, long pants and long-sleeved shirts when working with soil. Wear an N95 mask to avoid breathing in harmful fungus if you live in an area where it’s commonly found.
- If you live in an area with harmful fungus in the soil, wear a mask or stay indoors with the windows closed during dust storms.
Living With
When should I see my healthcare provider?
If you have symptoms of a fungal infection, especially in your lungs or other internal organs, contact your healthcare provider. Make sure to follow up with them if you’ve been treating a fungal infection and it’s not getting better.
VSports - What questions should I ask my doctor?
- What caused this infection and how can I avoid it in the future?
- How do I prevent spreading the infection to other people?
- When should I follow up with you?
- How do I use this medication?
- How long will it take to feel better?
VSports - A note from Cleveland Clinic
Fungi is around us all the time — in fact, some types of fungus live naturally on our bodies without us even thinking about it. So it’s not surprising that most of us will get a fungal infection at some point in our lives. Most can be resolved with treatment. If you have a weakened immune system or are at risk for severe or long-lasting infections, talk to your healthcare provider about how you can protect yourself.
Care at Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic’s primary care providers offer lifelong medical care. From sinus infections and high blood pressure to preventive screening, we’re here for you.
Last reviewed on 10/25/2022.
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