Fungal infection cases rise in hot, humid weather

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 18

The rise in temperature coupled with humid conditions has triggered increase in the number of patients with fungal infection at the Civil Hospital.

Skin specialists at the government hospital have attributed the increase of patients to lack of awareness among people about personal hygiene and receiving treatment at ‘wrong hands’.

The skin specialists said one third of the total inflow of patients at the outpatient department (OPD) of the unit came with problem of fungal infection.

Dr Vikas, skin specialist at the Civil Hospital, said, “There has been a sizeable increase in the number of patients with fungal infection in the past five-seven years.”

“Around this time of the year, on an average, we used to attend around 15 patients with fungal infection on daily basis. That number has increased to 25 to 30 now,” he said.

He added that maintaining personal hygiene was very important to keep fungal infection at bay.

Lack of awareness among people often aggravates the disease and its manifestations, the doctor said.

“Wearing loose clothes, keeping body folds dry and clean, proper bath, adequate water intake, light food during summer and rainy season can prevent people from fungal infection,” added Dr Vikas.

The skin specialists at the hospital said it was being observed that patients of fungal infection (initial stage of disease), instead of visiting a skin specialist, take medicines from chemists, who in turn give them strong steroids, which immediately treat the infection but worsen the disease in the long run.

A skin specialist at the hospital said patients often get misguided and reach the hospital at a later stage when the situation has already worsened.

“The patients, especially from rural areas, either visit a ‘sorcerer’ or a medicine shop before coming to the hospital for proper treatment. Due to wrong treatment, not only the recovery time of the patients stretches for prolonged duration, but the medicine also become less effective,” he added.

Tips to avoid fungal infection 

• Avoid steroid-containing creams
• Complete the treatment given by dermatologists 
• Apply the cream on two-three cm of normal skin in addition to the rash.
• Daily wash and iron clothes and undergarments.
• Avoid wearing tight clothes, jeans and shoes.
• Take daily baths with antifungal soaps. 
• Keep nails short. 
• Keep yourself dry 
• Antifungal soap and powders help in prevention of infection.