One in four people worldwide will have to deal with a fungal infection at some point. There are many different types of fungal diseases. While some are mild, others can be very severe and even lethal.
Each type of fungal disease requires a different kind of treatment. However, doctors are still working on the best ways to diagnose fungal infections.
Unfortunately, inaccurate diagnoses are common. But why is that?
Inaccurate Diagnoses and the Bests Way to Diagnose Fungal Infections
How do doctors find out what type of fungi they are dealing with? Why is there so much room for error?
• Using Visual Hints
Fungal skin infections can create rashes. They also lead to flaking skin. So to reach a diagnosis, doctors will inspect the surface of the skin.
It’s also possible to diagnose diseases of the nails this way. After all, fungi can lead to changes in color. Your nails and toenails can also change shape or start flaking.
So is this an effective method? Can doctors get good results just by looking at fungal infections?
Research shows that doctors tend to make many mistakes. There was a survey that proved this conclusion.
A group of doctors got to observe photographs of fungal infections. But they identified the fungi correctly in only half of the cases.
Thus, visual identification tends to be inaccurate. The good news is that there are other ways to diagnose fungal infections.
• Growing Fungi in a Lab
Laboratory analysis is a better approach. Doctors can take a sample and grow it in lab conditions.
However, this also has a downside. Experts say that this approach can take too long. This can be dangerous, especially when people are seriously ill.
