Yes, Fungus Is Amazing. What Does This Have To Do With My Health?

Fungi are one of the five kingdoms of life, and represents hundreds of thousands (if not millions including those yet undiscovered) of organisms ready at a moment’s notice to interfere with your life.

Fungi do not have chlorophyll.  Rather than photosynthesizing, fungi feed on dead matter, recycling our planet’s natural waste and creating opportunity for new life.  Unfortunately, sometimes they start early, feeding on things which we still really need like skin or space station portholes.

Various fungi can cause innumerable health issues.  When a doctor can’t figure out what is causing your symptoms it just might be because you have one of the fungi that the medical community hasn’t identified yet.

Fungal infections can occur anywhere on the skin, and often grow from the inside out – like a fairy ring in the forest – leaving the skin broken and irritated. This is why a fungal infection often looks like a red, round patch and is also known as “ringworm” (a.k.a. Tinea or Dermatomycosis).  Candida is another common fungus.  Normally present on the skin, sometimes Candida can form localized skin and nail infections.

Coccidioidomycosis

As with Candida, many fungi are present on a healthy body, and flare up when a person’s immune system is compromised or if the body is otherwise out of balance.  Some fungal infections can be quite serious, such as Coccidioidomycosis, which is present in the southwestern United States, Central and South America.  Coccidioidomycosis is caused by inhaling fungal spores, which then can spread through the body causing flu-like symptoms and is sometimes fatal to those with already compromised immune systems.

Fungi are difficult to kill, and usually require treatment with anti-fungal drugs over an ongoing period of time.  The people who are most vulnerable to fungal infection are those on immunosuppressant drugs or who have illnesses which compromise the immune system.

Sources:

Merck online manual

DrFungus.org