Fungal infections can manifest in different places of the body. Depending on the infected area, symptoms may vary substantially.
Fungal infections of the skin
Fungal infections can occur anywhere on your skin: on your torso, arms and legs, in your face, under, on or in your hair, in your groin, on the soles of your feet, the palms of your hands, between your fingers or toes, etc…
In your skin, the fungus often grows from the inside out, like a fairy ring in the forest. The fungus leaves the skin broken and irritated. This is why a fungal infection often looks like a red, round patch and is also known as 'ringworm'.
Fungi is known to be the cause of this form of skin infection . However, there are a few forms that require our special attention because they are not due to fungi in general.
Fungal infections of the mouth and oesophagus
A white coating in the mouth, with a clear red mucous membrane with sores under it, is known as 'oral thrush'. The cause: the fungal yeast 'Candida'.
Thrush can extend to the throat and the oesophagus 
where it causes pain and sores. Everyone has fungal yeasts in their intestines. Over 20% of the population even have it in their mouths where Candida causes no problems whatsoever.
Fungal infections of the vagina
A few words about vaginal discharge.
A little vaginal discharge is normal; it affects some women more than it does others. Over the course of the menstrual cycle this may vary. During the ovulation (between two cycles of menstruation), discharge will be a little more. About 5 ml a day is not unusual (this is half a tablespoon). The thickness of the discharge also varies.
Excessive discharge combined with an itchy feeling can have various causes. It is always caused by an imbalance in the vagina, for instance by bacteria, parasites, fungi or viruses, but also by irritation due to wearing tight or synthetic trousers, panty liners or sanitary towels.
Please continue reading to find out what the main causes are:
- Imbalance of the vaginal flora
- Fungi (Candida)
- Trichomonas
- Chlamydia
- A foreign object in the vagina
Attention!
One of these causes, the Chlamydia infection, can be very dangerous. This is a sexually transmitted disease. It is important to go straight to the doctor if you have had unprotected sex and have strange vaginal discharges, interim bleeding or pain in the abdomen. The doctor will find out what the problem is and prescribe the necessary treatment.
Imbalance of the vaginal flora
Most forms of excessive vaginal discharge are caused by an imbalance of the vaginal flora. With 'flora' we refer to the micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, etc…) that normally live inside the vagina without causing any problem.
It could happen that some microorganisms suddenly increase in numbers, thereby dominate other species and create an imbalance. The 'cocci', spherical bacteria, are chiefly responsible for this phenomenon.
A bacterial discharge is a thick, greyish-white, liquid discharge that smells unpleasant ('rotten fish').
Candida infection
The fungus Candida can end up in the vagina in different ways. For example, via toilet paper or a flannel that was used for the anus before. The fungus is in your intestines where it does no harm. In some women, the fungus finds exactly the right nutrients in the vagina and the right environment to flourish: sugar and acid. It is especially in the second half of the menstruation cycle, during pregnancy, when the pill is taken and if you are diabetic, that the vagina has a higher sugar content.
Candida discharge is thick, crumbly, white and odourless. Often the labia are also irritated: peeing and sexual intercourse may be painful.
Infections of the internal organs
Most internal infections are caused by the invasion of Aspergillus. The spores of this so-called 'invasive' fungus are found everywhere. They are breathed in and enter the body via the bronchi. A systemic infection with Aspergillus can be life threatening. Fortunately, not everyone is infected; it mainly affects people with damaged bronchi or those who have a weakened resistance.
If fungal spores are breathed in, different symptoms may appear:
- Asthma, caused by an allergy for the fungus. These are occupational diseases that affect farmers, pigeon flyers, beer brewers, etc…
- A fungal ball. This happens to people who suffered a pulmonary disease that left a 'hole' in the lung, e.g. tuberculosis. In this hole, the spores can grow into a fungal ball. In many cases, the patient will not be bothered by it, but sometimes this fungal ball causes other diseases.
- Lung growth. In people with a seriously weakened resistance, the fungus can grow into the lungs and finally even into the blood vessels which can be fatal. Doctors will undoubtedly try to stop the growth of the fungus with medication but treatment is not always effective.
