Fungal Infections

Skin, Hair & Detox CareImmune & Inflammation Support Care
Written By Jennifer Tang

Overview

Fungal infections occur when certain fungi grow on or invade areas of the body, causing symptoms. Common infections can affect the skin, feet, groin, scalp, nails, or mouth. Examples include ringworm, athlete’s foot, jock itch, fungal nail infections, and oral thrush.¹

At Tangible Health, we take an individualized approach by looking at where the infection occurs, how often it returns, previous treatment, skin and nail health, medications, diabetes or other health conditions, and environmental factors that may contribute to recurrence. Care focuses on appropriate antifungal treatment, preventing reinfection, and identifying health factors that may need further assessment.

What Are Fungal Infections?

Fungal infections, also called mycoses, are infections caused by fungi. Different types of fungi tend to affect different areas of the body, which is why “fungal infection” describes a group of conditions rather than one single disease.¹

  • Ringworm (Tinea): Despite its name, ringworm is not caused by a worm. It is caused by dermatophyte fungi that can infect the skin, scalp, feet, groin, or nails. The same group of fungi causes conditions such as athlete’s foot and jock itch.²

  • Athlete’s Foot (Tinea Pedis): A fungal infection affecting the feet, often between the toes. It commonly causes itching, scaling, cracking, or burning.³

  • Jock Itch (Tinea Cruris): A fungal infection affecting the groin and upper inner thighs, often causing an itchy or burning, scaly rash.⁴

  • Fungal Nail Infection (Onychomycosis): Fungi can infect the fingernails or toenails, causing thickening, discoloration, brittleness, or separation of the nail from the nail bed. Nail infections often take longer to treat than fungal skin infections.⁵

  • Oral Thrush (Oral Candidiasis): Thrush occurs when Candida, a yeast that can normally be present in the mouth without causing symptoms, grows enough to cause an infection. It may produce white patches, redness, soreness, burning, or changes in taste.⁶

  • Vaginal Candidiasis: Another common Candida infection, commonly called a vaginal yeast infection. It affects the vaginal area and has its own characteristic symptoms, diagnostic considerations, and treatment approach.

Common Symptoms of Fungal Infections

Symptoms depend on the type and location of the fungal infection.

Skin infections may cause:

  • Itching or burning

  • Red, brown, grey, or otherwise discoloured patches depending on skin tone

  • Scaling or peeling

  • Cracked skin

  • A circular or ring-shaped rash

  • Raised or defined rash borders

  • Irritation in warm or moist skin folds²˒³˒⁴

Fungal nail infections may cause:

  • Thickened nails

  • Yellow, white, brown, or otherwise discoloured nails

  • Brittle or crumbly nails

  • Nail separation from the nail bed

  • Changes in nail shape

  • Pain or discomfort in more significant cases⁵

Oral thrush may cause:

  • White or cream-coloured patches inside the mouth or on the tongue

  • Red or sore tissue underneath the patches

  • Burning or soreness in the mouth

  • Changes in taste

  • A cotton-like feeling in the mouth

  • Discomfort with eating or swallowing⁶

These symptoms are not unique to fungal infections. Eczema, psoriasis, bacterial infections, contact dermatitis, nail trauma, and other conditions can sometimes look similar, so persistent or unusual symptoms may need examination or testing.²

Causes & Contributing Factors

Fungal infections develop when someone is exposed to a fungus and conditions allow it to establish an infection.

Warmth & Moisture
Many fungi thrive in warm, moist environments. Sweaty footwear, damp clothing, skin folds, communal showers, and prolonged moisture can create conditions that favour infections such as athlete’s foot and jock itch.³˒⁴

Contact & Reinfection
Dermatophyte infections such as ringworm can spread through contact with an infected person or animal, or through contaminated surfaces and shared items such as towels, clothing, footwear, or grooming tools.² Having athlete’s foot can also increase the likelihood that the fungus spreads to the toenails or other areas of the body.³˒⁵

Antibiotics & Corticosteroids
Antibiotics can alter the microorganisms normally present in the mouth and may increase the likelihood of oral Candida overgrowth. Inhaled or systemic corticosteroids can also increase the risk of thrush in some people. Rinsing the mouth after using an inhaled corticosteroid can help reduce this risk.⁶

Diabetes & Blood Sugar
Diabetes, particularly when blood glucose is persistently elevated, can increase susceptibility to some fungal infections and may make infections more difficult to clear.⁶˒⁷

Immune Function & Medical Conditions
People taking immune-suppressing medications or living with conditions that weaken immune defences may be more susceptible to candidiasis and other fungal infections. Recurrent, severe, or unusual fungal infections may therefore warrant additional medical assessment.⁶˒⁷

Skin & Nail Factors
Skin injury, nail trauma, occlusive footwear, frequent exposure to water, and existing skin or nail conditions can also make fungal infection more likely in particular areas.

Our Approach to Fungal Infections

At Tangible Health, we focus on identifying what type of infection is present, where it is occurring, and what may be contributing to persistence or recurrence.

Your Infection Pattern
We review where symptoms occur, how long they have been present, whether they recur, previous antifungal treatments, possible exposure sources, and whether other areas such as the feet, nails, scalp, mouth, or skin folds are also affected. Persistent or recurrent symptoms may need confirmation because many non-fungal skin and nail conditions can look similar.

Your Health & Contributing Factors
We look at medications, antibiotic or corticosteroid use, diabetes or blood-sugar concerns, immune-suppressing treatments, skin and nail care, footwear, moisture, hygiene practices, and other relevant medical conditions. Rather than assuming recurrent fungal infections come from a generalized “Candida imbalance,” we look for specific and clinically relevant factors that may influence infection risk.

Your Goals
Your priorities may include clearing an existing infection, preventing reinfection, improving skin or nail health, addressing recurrent thrush, understanding why treatment has not worked, or identifying whether an underlying health condition deserves further assessment. Your care plan is developed around the type of fungal infection, previous treatment, health history, and goals.

Treatments That May Be Included

Antifungal medication is the established treatment for fungal infections. The appropriate medication and duration depend on where the infection occurs and which fungus is responsible.¹˒² Your individualized supportive care plan may include:

  • Lifestyle Medicine to support skin and foot hygiene, moisture control, footwear practices, prevention of reinfection, and other condition-specific habits

  • Clinical Nutrition when diabetes, nutritional status, or another metabolic concern is relevant to recurring infections

  • Botanical Medicine in selected situations when there is reasonable evidence for a specific topical use, and it is safe for the affected area

  • Nutraceuticals & Supplements when a specific nutritional deficiency or other clinical indication has been identified

  • Medication & Supplement Review to identify medications that may increase fungal-infection risk and prevent interactions with antifungal treatment

  • Collaborative Care when prescription antifungals, laboratory testing, dental assessment, dermatology care, or medical investigation is appropriate

Many uncomplicated fungal skin infections can be treated with topical antifungal creams, sprays, powders, or solutions. Scalp ringworm requires prescription oral antifungal treatment, while fungal nail infections may require longer treatment and sometimes oral medication.²˒⁵ Corticosteroid creams should not be used on a suspected ringworm infection unless specifically recommended after appropriate assessment, since they can alter the rash and allow the fungal infection to worsen.²

What to Expect

Initial Assessment
We begin with a detailed review of where your symptoms occur, how they developed, duration and recurrence, previous fungal infections or treatments, medications and supplements, antibiotic or corticosteroid use, diabetes or other medical conditions, skin and nail care, and possible exposure or reinfection risks.

Identifying the Type of Infection
Many fungal infections can initially be recognized through their appearance and history. When the diagnosis is uncertain, symptoms are persistent, or a nail or scalp infection is suspected, a skin, hair, or nail sample may be examined under a microscope or cultured to help confirm the diagnosis.²˒⁵ Because nail changes can have many causes, confirming a fungal infection can be especially useful before committing to prolonged treatment.²

Personalized Plan
Your care plan is developed around the location and likely type of infection, previous treatment, risk of recurrence, medications, underlying health conditions, and personal goals. When prescription antifungal treatment is needed, supportive strategies can be coordinated alongside medical care.

Ongoing Support
Follow-up allows us to review whether the infection is clearing, whether new areas are developing, and whether reinfection or an underlying health factor may be contributing. Nail infections in particular can require patience because healthy nail growth can take months even after effective treatment.⁵

When to Seek Support for Fungal Infections

Consider speaking with a healthcare provider if:

  • A suspected fungal infection does not improve with appropriate over-the-counter treatment

  • The infection repeatedly returns

  • A rash continues to spread

  • You have a suspected fungal nail infection

  • You develop possible ringworm on the scalp or beard

  • Oral thrush repeatedly returns

  • You have significant pain or inflammation

  • You have diabetes or a condition that weakens immune function

  • You take medications that suppress the immune system

  • You are uncertain whether a rash or nail change is actually fungal²˒⁵˒⁶

Seek prompt medical assessment if:

  • A rash becomes rapidly more painful, swollen, or widespread

  • You develop fever or feel significantly unwell alongside a skin infection

  • The infection involves the eye or surrounding tissues

  • Oral thrush is accompanied by significant difficulty or pain with swallowing

  • A fungal infection is severe or rapidly progressing in someone who is immunocompromised

  • Symptoms continue to worsen despite appropriate antifungal treatment

True invasive candidiasis is very different from common skin or oral Candida infections. It is a serious infection involving the bloodstream or internal organs and occurs primarily in people with significant medical risk factors or serious illness.⁷

Book An Appointment

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. Candida can normally live on the skin, in the mouth, and on other mucous membranes without causing disease. Candidiasis occurs when Candida grows enough to cause a localized or, much less commonly, invasive infection.⁶˒⁷

  • No. Candida is a yeast, while common infections such as ringworm, athlete’s foot, and jock itch are usually caused by dermatophyte fungi. Fungal nail infections can be caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, or moulds.¹˒²

  • Many are. Ringworm, athlete’s foot, and jock itch can spread through contact with infected skin, animals, contaminated surfaces, clothing, towels, footwear, and other shared items.²

  • Recurrence can happen because treatment was stopped too early, the fungus remains in another location such as the feet or nails, reinfection occurs from the environment, or an underlying factor such as diabetes or immune suppression increases susceptibility.³˒⁵˒⁶

  • A high-sugar diet by itself is not considered a diagnosis or established cause of generalized Candida overgrowth. Persistently elevated blood glucose in diabetes can increase susceptibility to certain fungal infections, which is different from saying that eating sugar directly causes Candida infection.

  • There is no established restrictive “Candida diet” required to treat common fungal infections. Treatment should target the actual infection with an appropriate antifungal while addressing specific health factors when relevant.

  • It depends on the location. Many fungal skin infections are treated over several weeks, while scalp and nail infections generally require longer treatment. A damaged toenail may take many months to grow out completely even after the fungus has been successfully treated.²˒⁵

  • Not on your own. Steroid creams can suppress the skin’s inflammatory response while allowing a dermatophyte infection to spread or become harder to recognize. Suspected ringworm should be treated with an appropriate antifungal instead.²

  • Not necessarily. Thrush can occur after antibiotics, with inhaled corticosteroid use, dentures, dry mouth, diabetes, or other common circumstances. Recurrent or unusually severe thrush may warrant assessment for an underlying condition.⁶

  • Naturopathic care can help assess recurrence patterns, skin and nail habits, medications, metabolic health, nutrition, and other relevant factors while supporting appropriate antifungal treatment and identifying when testing or medical referral is needed.

 

Related Care

Fungal infections may overlap with several areas of health. You may also benefit from:

Jennifer Tang
Previous

Anxiety
Next

Immune Health & Recurrent Infections