Fungal Infections (Mycosis)

Fungal infections (mycosis) are diseases caused by a fungus (yeast or mold). Fungal infections most often affect your skin or nails. Sometimes, you can get them in your mouth, throat, lungs, urinary tract and many other parts of your body.

The most common fungal infections, like those on your skin or nails, aren’t usually serious. They’re treatable with antifungal medications. Infections deeper in your body can be more serious.

What are fungi?

Fungi are living things that work differently from plants or animals. They move around by spreading out or by sending out tiny parts, called spores, into the air. Many fungi live naturally in your body (in your mouth and GI tract or on your skin), but they can overgrow under certain circumstances.

Scientists estimate that there are millions of fungi in the world, but only a small number are known to cause diseases in people. These include certain yeasts and molds.

Types of fungal infections

Fungal infections can be:

• Superficial or mucocutaneous: On the surface of your skin, nails or mucous membranes
• Subcutaneous: Underneath your skin
• Deep/invasive: Inside other organs of your body, like your lungs, brain or heart

Superficial fungal infections

Superficial fungal infections affect your nails, skin and mucous membranes (like your mouth, throat or vagina). They can cause itchiness, skin rashes or discolored nails. Examples of superficial fungal infections include:

• Candidiasis
• Onychomycosis, infections of your fingernails or toenails
• Ringworm
• Tinea versicolor

Subcutaneous fungal infections

You can get an infection under the surface of your skin if fungus gets into a cut or wound. This usually happens if you injure yourself while working with plants (like a scratch from a thorn). They cause rashes, ulcers and other symptoms on your skin.

Subcutaneous fungal infections are more common in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Examples include sporotrichosis, chromoblastomycosis and eumycetoma.

Deep (invasive) fungal infections

Deep fungal infections are found in organs other than your skin, like your lungs, urinary tract or brain. These are more likely if you have a weakened immune system. Many of the fungi that cause them are only found in certain areas of the world.

Examples of deep or invasive fungal infections include:

• Aspergillosis
• Blastomycosis
• Candidal urinary tract infection, a UTI caused by Candida yeast
• Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever)
• Cryptococcosis
• Histoplasmosis
• Invasive candidiasis
• Mucormycosis
• Pneumocystis pneumonia (PJP)

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 of superficial or subcutaneous infections can include:

• Itching, soreness, redness or rash
• Discolored, thick or cracked nails
• Painless lump under your skin
• Pain while eating
• Loss of taste
• White patches in your mouth or throat

Symptoms of fungal infections in your lungs include:

• Cough, sometimes coughing up blood
• Tiredness
• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain
• Headache
• Night sweats

Symptoms of fungal infections in other parts of your body could include:

• In or around your brain: Headache, fever, neck pain, nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion
• In your eye: Pain, redness, discharge, blurred vision, tearing, sensitivity to light
• In your intestinal tract: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting
• In your sinuses: Fever, nasal congestion, headache, one-sided facial swelling, face pain

What does a fungal infection look like?

Fungal infections on or in your skin can look red, swollen or bumpy. They can look like a rash or you might be able to see a lump under your skin. Fungal infections in your nails can make them discolored (yellow, brown or white), thick or cracked. Fungal infections in your mouth or throat can cause a white coating or patches.

Fungal infection causes

Yeast, molds and other types of fungus cause fungal infections. Most fungi don’t make you sick or cause skin conditions, but a few do. Some infections are opportunistic, meaning they usually don’t cause infections. But they can overgrow in certain situations, like if you have a weakened immune system.

Some common fungi that can infect you include:

• Dermatophytes: Dermatophytes are a group of fungi that live off keratin, a substance in your hair, 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: These live in soil or water. Examples include Histoplasma, Coccidiodes, Blastomyces and Aspergillus.

How do they spread?

Common ways to get fungal infections include:

• From direct contact with damp public spaces, like showers and locker rooms
• Through a break in your skin or an injury
• From direct contact with an infected person or animal
• From breathing in fungus 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

Are fungal infections contagious?

Some skin infections, like ringworm, can spread from person to person through direct contact or contaminated surfaces. Deep infections, like fungus that you breathe in from the environment, aren’t usually contagious.

Risk factors

Fungal infections are more common in places on your body that trap moisture or have a lot of friction. You’re at higher risk for infections, especially severe ones, if you have:

• A weakened immune system
• Diabetes
• Poor circulation

Complications

Invasive fungal infections can cause life-threatening complications, including:

• Pneumonia
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Respiratory failure
• Hearing or vision loss
• Behavioral and thinking issues
• Movement issues
• Seizures
• Sepsis

How doctors diagnose fungal infections

How a healthcare provider diagnoses fungal disease depends on where it is on your body. Some skin infections can be diagnosed just by how they look. Your provider may get samples of tissue or body fluids to look for signs of infection or to try to grow (culture) fungus from it. Samples could include:

• Skin or other affected tissue
• Nails clippings
• Blood
• Phlegm (sputum)
• Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid)
• Pee (urine)
• Fluid from your eye
• Vaginal discharge

If your provider thinks you have an infection in your lungs, brain or other internal organ, they might get X-rays, an MRI or a CT scan to look for signs of infection.

How do you get rid of fungal infections?

Many fungal infections can be cured with antifungal medication, which kills fungus in and on your body. The form of medication your healthcare provider prescribes depends on where the fungus is. They may prescribe:

• Oral medication (pills or liquid)
• 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

Some treatments may be available without a prescription, but it’s a good idea to check with your provider before treating a fungal infection.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

If you have symptoms of a fungal infection, especially in your lungs or other internal organs, contact a healthcare provider. Make sure to follow up with them if you’ve been treating a fungal infection and it’s not getting better.

What can I expect if I have a fungal infection?

What to expect when you have a fungal infection depends on whether you have underlying conditions and where the infection is on (or in) your body. Fungal infections on your scalp, skin and nails aren’t usually serious. But they 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 have a weakened immune system.

Can you prevent fungal infections?

Ways to reduce your risk of various fungal infections include practicing good personal hygiene and protecting yourself from fungi in the environment around you. Specific strategies 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 by practicing good oral hygiene.
• Clean and use contact lenses as directed by your eye care provider.
• Keep your nails short and clean.
• Only take antibiotics as prescribed.
• 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.