Yeast infections on the skin can take many forms. Approximately 10% of the population can be expected to have a fungal infection on the skin at any one time. This is because yeast infections are not caught. Yeast will normally live on the skin and it is the skin and immune system of the host, which must change in order for infection to show up.

Common yeast infections on the skin include athletes foot, jock itch, ringworm, vaginal yeast infections, thrush and common diaper rash. These infections can be the result of excessive sweating, antibiotic use, a lack of era circulation to the area, lack of movement leading to skin occlusion and diseases such as diabetes which affect the immune system of the individual.

Treatment of yeast skin infections will vary dependent upon where those infections are. For instance diaper rash, otherwise known as candidal infections are easily treated with over-the-counter Nystatin and powders or anti-fungal creams or lotions. If these diaper rash is up here to worse than at any time or if the lesions do not clear up in one week then the healthcare practitioners should be called. Any time fever, chills, vomiting or the rash appears to spread to other parts of the body these may be signs that the illness may be more serious.

Skin infections such as jock itch or athletes foot can also be treated with over-the-counter antifungal medications. Athletes foot is also called tinea pedis, and is a fungal infection of the foot which causes peeling, redness, itching, burning and sometimes blisters and sores. This is a very common infection which grows best in a warm moist environment.

It is common in the summer and in warm humid climates and often appears in people who wear tight shoes and use community baths or pools. More severe infections will require oral medications, or those taken by mouth. Treatment includes keeping both feet dry and clean and wearing shoes which breathe.

Oral thrush will require the care of the healthcare practitioner. Thrush causes curdle like white patches inside the mouth and on the tongue. It can also cause cracked, red and moist areas of skin at the corner of the mouth. These patches may or may not be painful. Thrush happens more often in infants and can interfere with drinking fluids for long periods of time.

If this is the case the infants or children must be taken to the physician immediately so that appropriate means of hydrating them can be taken in order to reduce the risk of any side long-term side effects.

Yeast skin infections rarely require hospitalized treatment. However people with weak immune systems will run the risk of organisms growing in their blood or internal organs when not treated immediately. This can cause life-threatening illnesses and your doctors should be immediately consulted if you believe that you have a systemic yeast infection.