Antifungals
Antifungal medicines treat fungal infections. Fungus in the soil, air and on your skin can cause yeast infections, ringworm, and nail and skin infections. Breathing in fungal spores can lead to respiratory illnesses. People who have weak immune systems are more prone to fungal infections that require antifungal medicine.
What are antifungals?
Antifungals are medicines that kill or stop the growth of fungi (the plural of fungus) that cause infections. They are also called antimycotic agents.
Fungal infections can affect the:
- Circulatory system.
- Respiratory system.
- Skin and nails.
What is a fungus?
Fungi grow as yeasts, molds or a combination of both. They reproduce through very tiny spores. These spores can exist in soil or become airborne.
You can also have naturally occurring fungi, like Candida yeast, in your body. Fungi live on your skin, inside your digestive system and vagina (part of the female reproductive system).
Who is at risk for fungal infections?
Anyone can get a fungal infection. Most fungi cause no problems or the infections are easily treatable.
People who have compromised immune systems are more likely to develop serious fungal infections. These infections are called opportunistic infections. They can be life-threatening for people who have:
- AIDS.
- Autoimmune diseases like lupus.
- Cancer.
- Organ transplants.
- Stem cell (bone marrow) transplants.
Infections antifungals can treat
Fungal infections commonly treated with antifungals include:
- ringworm
- athlete’s foot
- fungal nail infection
- vaginal thrush
- some types of severe dandruff
Some fungal infections can grow inside the body and need to be treated in hospital.
Examples include:
- aspergillosis, which affects the lungs
- fungal meningitis, which affects the brain
You’re more at risk of getting one of these more serious fungal infections if you have a weakened immune system – for example, if you’re taking medicines to suppress your immune system.
Types of antifungal medicines
You can get antifungal medicines as:
- a cream, gel, ointment or spray
- a capsule, tablet or liquid
- an injection
- a pessary: a small and soft tablet you put inside the vagina
Common names for antifungal medicines include:
- clotrimazole (Canesten)
- econazole
- miconazole
- terbinafine (Lamisil)
- fluconazole (Diflucan)
- ketoconazole (Daktarin)
- nystatin (Nystan)
- amphotericin
How antifungal medicines work
Antifungal medicines can kill a fungus. Or they may stop it from multiplying or growing. There are several classes of antifungal medications and different types of medicines. Your healthcare provider will select the best prescription medicine. Or they may guide you to an effective over-the-counter (OTC) treatment.
How do you take antifungal medications?
There are OTC and prescription antifungal medicines. Talk to your healthcare provider about what treatment to use.
Antifungals come in different forms, including:
- Injections (shots) or IV.
- Oral pills or liquids.
- Topical (skin) creams, ointments, gels and sprays.
- Vaginal suppositories.
How long do you need to take antifungal drugs?
Treatment length varies depending on the fungal infection. Some fungal skin infections like ringworm clear up in a few weeks. But it can take months or years to clear up some fungal nail, blood and lung infections.
When to see a pharmacist or GP
See a pharmacist or GP if you think you have a fungal infection. They can advise you on which antifungal medicine is best for you.
If you take too much antifungal medicine, call 111 or speak to a pharmacist or GP.
If you’re advised to go to hospital, take the medicine’s packaging with you so the healthcare professionals who treat you know what you’ve taken.
Things to consider when using antifungal medicines
Before taking antifungal medicines, speak to a pharmacist or GP about:
- any existing conditions or allergies that may affect your treatment for fungal infection
- the possible side effects of antifungal medicines
- whether the antifungal medicine may interact with other medicines you may already be taking
- whether your antifungal medicine is suitable to take during pregnancy or while breastfeeding – many are not suitable
You can also check the patient information leaflet that comes with your antifungal medicine for more information.
Side effects of antifungal medicines
Antifungal medicines may cause side effects. These are usually mild and do not last long.
They can include:
- itching or burning
- redness
- feeling sick
- tummy (abdominal) pain
- diarrhoea
- a rash
Occasionally, antifungal medicines may cause a more severe reaction, such as:
- an allergic reaction – your face, neck or tongue may swell and you may have difficulty breathing
- a severe skin reaction – such as peeling or blistering skin
- liver damage (very rarely) – you may have loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, jaundice, dark pee or pale poo, tiredness or weakness
Stop using the medicine if you have these severe side effects, and see a GP or pharmacist to find an alternative.
Who shouldn’t take antifungal medications?
Medication safety depends on the antifungal drug. Breastfeeding infants who develop thrush (an oral yeast infection) can get antifungal mouth drops. Their moms also need treatment, typically with an antifungal skin cream. Your healthcare provider can determine whether it’s OK for you or your child to take an antifungal medicine.
What is antifungal resistance?
Antifungal resistance means a fungus no longer responds to treatment. This response makes the fungal infection harder to treat.
Some fungi are naturally resistant to certain antifungals. Fungi may also develop resistance when you use antifungal medicine for a long time. Skipping doses, stopping treatment too soon or receiving a too-low dose can also lead to antifungal resistance.
Antifungal medicines for children
Some antifungal medicines can be used to treat children and babies – for example, miconazole oral gel can be used for oral thrush in babies.
But different doses are usually needed for children of different ages. Speak to a pharmacist or GP for more advice.
Hygiene – or the lack of it – plays a key role in the spread of fungal infections. With a little care, you can avoid fungal infections, reduce the risk of recurrent fungal infections, and even stop the spread of an infection if you do get one.
Good Hygiene Can Lower The Risk of Fungal Infections
Many instances of fungal infections can be traced back to poor hygiene or carelessness with things like drying off properly after a bath. Why? That’s because fungus thrives in wet and damp spaces. For instance, the kind of fungus responsible for one of the most common fungal skin infections – ringworm, flourishes where your skin is warm and moist or sweaty. Sweating is a normal process that is unavoidable, but not washing up regularly or not dealing with excessive sweating and poor hygiene can make this problematic.
Hygiene Tips To Prevent Fungal Infections
The good news is that fungal infections can be easily avoided if you take a little extra care and pay attention to hygiene.
- Never go barefoot in places like the gym, swimming pool or other changing rooms, locker rooms, or common showers.
- Rotate the use of footwear to allow each pair to dry well before it is reused.
- Wear open sandals if the weather is hot and sweaty. Avoid socks of synthetic fabric like nylon.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing, and undergarments should be made from natural fibers like cotton.
- Do not share clothing, sports equipment, socks/shoes, and towels with anyone who has a fungal infection.
- Avoid physical contact with anyone who has a fungal infection.
- Keep your skin dry and wash well with soap once a day, more if you sweat a lot.
Hygiene Tips If You Have a Fungal infection
If you do have a fungal infection, hygiene becomes doubly important to help you get rid of the infections quickly and to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body.
- Always keep your nails clipped short. Ensure they are always clean, as grime and sweat as well as germs can accumulate and spread the infection to other parts of the body.
- Never scratch or itch the affected area, this can interfere with healing and spread the infection.
- Ensure your feet stay cool and dry by using a dusting powder and changing socks and footwear often.
- Keep the skin that is affected clean and dry. Dry well with a separate soft clean towel used just for that part of the body.
- Use a good antifungal treatment like an antifungal cream or antifungal powder to treat the problem.
- Wash your hands well before you apply the cream and after you are done applying it as well.
- Do not stop using the antifungal medication even if the rash or other symptoms go away; you must complete the entire course of treatment to prevent it from flaring up again.
How To Treat Fungal Infections
If you get a fungal skin infection, you will usually need to use a good antifungal cream or antifungal dusting powder to treat the problem. Clocip cream is an effective remedy against problems like ringworm, athlete’s foot, fungal nappy rash, and fungal sweat rash. Simply apply it to the affected area and you should see symptoms of the fungal infection – like a rash or itching – reduce in a few days. This antifungal cream kills the fungus, giving you respite from the discomfort. For problems like Athlete’s Foot you may find an antifungal dusting powder like Clocip Dusting Powder useful to absorb excessive sweat and moisture, reduce friction and sweating, and lower the risk of recurrent infections.
Clocip cream and Clocip dusting powder are available nationwide at pharmacies online and offline. Keep them handy at home if you are prone to fungal infections or have one at the moment.
Changing season often brings with it cold and dry weather. But that doesn’t mean you won’t catch a fungal infection in such season. You could be as vulnerable to fungal infections in changing weather as in other months for a host of reasons. Thankfully treating the problem isn’t hard. Here’s a closer look at why you could catch fungal infections in changing season and how to treat and prevent them.
Can You Get Fungal Infections In Changing Season?
While the hot and sweaty humid weather of summer is an obvious time for fungal infections to flourish; rainy, winter and changing season doesn’t mean complete freedom from such infections either.
When the weather is chilly or cold, drying up after baths can be more hurried because we want to warm up quickly by putting on our clothes and footwear. If you rush and don’t take care to dry between your toes before wearing your socks, it could bring on a case of Athlete’s Foot.
You may also spend long hours in socks and boots which do not allow your feet to air. As a result, the moisture from the sweat and heat in your toes and feet could become a good breeding ground for fungal infections.
In such chilly weather, you may opt for a session at a gym rather than the cold outdoors. This will mean the use of shared locker rooms and shower areas. If someone at the gym has an infection and you walk around barefoot in the same space, you could catch the fungal infection.
You may even find yourself sweating from time to time if you are bundled up in heavy warm clothing and then move to indoor spaces that are warmer. This sweaty damp environment is ideal for fungal growth.
Preventing Fungal Infections In Changing Season
Follow the same rules as you do in summer when it comes to personal hygiene. Don’t let your guard down.
- Always wear waterproof footwear in public restrooms or changing rooms at the gym and indoor swimming pools. Wipe any equipment before using it and strictly avoid sitting on damp or wet benches.
- Wash yourself well with soap and water and dry up properly after your baths.
- If socks or footwear feel damp, change them right away. Air your shoes out after each use.
- Do not reuse socks.
- Use an antifungal dusting powder for your feet if you tend to get sweaty in closed shoes/socks.
- Avoid sharing towels, bed linen and blankets with anyone who has a fungal infection. Ideally have a separate set of each for whoever you live with.
- Keep your immunity up by eating healthy, nutritious food, exercising, and getting some sunlight exposure every day.
- Treat any fungal infection immediately using a good antifungal cream.
Antifungal Remedy To Try In Changing Season
If you’re looking for a hassle-free but effective way to get rid of a fungal infection in this changing season, Clocip cream is a reliable antifungal remedy that can offer respite from fungal infection symptoms. This over-the-counter fungal infection cream is to be used topically on the affected skin. It kills the fungus by destroying the fungal cell membrane, stopping the spread of the infection, and clearing up the affected area. This antifungal cream should relieve any itching or pain you are experiencing as a result of the fungal infection, making you feel more comfortable.
Clocip cream is available nationwide at pharmacies online and offline. This effective antifungal cream could be the answer to your winter fungal infection woes!
Fungal infections of the skin are a fairly common problem. Yet we can sometimes find ourselves unsure of how to deal with them when we do get one. Here are some simple remedies to help you treat a fungal skin infection and control its spread.
What Is A Fungal Skin Infection?
As the name suggests, these are infections of the skin caused by specific fungi. Such an infection is also known as mycosis, and is usually a superficial condition affecting just the upper layers of the skin, resulting in rashes, itchiness, scaliness, discoloration, irritation, swelling, and rarely ,blisters. Fungal skin infections include infections like Athlete’s Foot, Ringworm on the body or scalp, as well as Jock Itch.
Exercise Good Hygiene To Prevent Spread Of The Fungal Infection
Fungi are present all around us in our homes, gardens, outdoors, and on people we come in contact with. However, for a fungus to grow and thrive it needs moisture as well as warmth. If you can deprive a fungus of these conditions, it can help control the fungal infection of the skin.
Here are some things you can do to prevent the spread of fungal skin infections:
- Always keep your body, particularly the feet, clean and dry. Wipe well with a clean cloth or towel after washing.
- Use cotton and shoes that allow your feet to air properly.
- Do not share towels, clothing, bedding, or footwear with anyone who has a fungal infection.
- Do not go barefoot in any public areas like locker rooms, gym shower rooms etc.
Apply Antifungal Cream
The only surefire way to get rid of a fungal infection is to use antifungal medication. For a skin fungal infection, a topical antifungal remedy workseffectively. Use a reliable antifungal cream like Clocip cream to kill the fungus that’s causing the skin infection. It will clear the area in a few days, but continue using it for the entire course to prevent the problem from flaring up again.
Use An Antifungal Powder In Your Shoes
A good antifungal powder can help keep your feet clean and dry and ward off fungal infections. For instance, Clocip dusting powder can be used on your feet, between the toes, to absorb excess moisture and prevent and treat a fungal infection. It can also help reduce the itchiness you experience from a fungal infection and make you feel more comfortable.
Clocip cream and Clocip dusting powder are effective antifungal remedies for fungal skin infections. They are available nationwide at pharmacies online and offline and can be sued for a variety of fungal skin problems.
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