Most people will have one or more fungal infections in their lifetime. While most are easily treated and not dangerous, serious fungal infections like histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis and paracoccidioidomycosis can develop into major health problems.
These fungal infections are mostly confined to different regions in the world -- for example, blastomycosis is found in Africa and parts of the eastern and central United States.
5 Common Fungal Infections
Here are five types of the most common fungal infections found on different parts of the body:
1) Tinea: This is an infection of the skin, nails or hair. When found on the skin, tinea is a small, pea-sized red area. But once it spreads, it becomes to resemble a ring or circle. This is sometimes referred to as ringworm, because it resembles a ring of tiny worms under the skin. The tinea infection is named for the location of the body part it invades – for example, scalp ringworm.
2) Athlete’s foot – This infection is red and extremely itchy and appears between the toes when moisture and warm conditions allow it to spread. It also can appear on the bottom and sides of the feet or in toenails. Wearing dirty, sweaty socks or walking barefoot in shared common areas that are moist and warm, like gym showers, can cause the infection.