Candidiasis (yeast infection)

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Candidiasis is infection with the yeast Candida.

Candidiasis tends to occur in moist areas of the skin.
Candidiasis may cause rashes, scaling, itching, and swelling.
Doctors examine the affected areas and view skin samples under a microscope or in a culture.
Antifungal creams or antifungal drugs given by mouth usually cure candidiasis.

(See also Overview of Fungal Skin Infections.)
Candida is a yeast that normally resides on the skin and in the mouth, digestive tract, and vagina and usually causes no harm. Under certain conditions, however, Candida can overgrow on mucous membranes and moist areas of the skin. Typical areas affected are the lining of the mouth, the groin, the armpits, the spaces between fingers and toes, on an uncircumcised penis, the skinfold under the breasts, the nails, and the skinfolds of the stomach. Yeast is a type of fungus.
Conditions that enable Candida to infect the skin include the following:

Hot, humid weather
Tight, synthetic underclothing
Poor hygiene
Infrequent diaper or undergarment changes, particularly in children and older people
A weakened immune system resulting from diabetes, HIV infection/AIDS, or use of corticosteroids and other drugs that suppress the immune system
Pregnancy, obesity, or use of antibiotics
Other skin disorders such as intertrigo and psoriasis

People taking antibiotics may develop candidiasis because the antibiotics kill the bacteria that normally reside on the body, allowing Candida to grow unchecked. Corticosteroids or immunosuppressive therapy after organ transplantation can also lower the body’s defenses against candidiasis. Inhaled corticosteroids, often used by people with asthma, sometimes cause candidiasis of the mouth. Pregnant women, people receiving cancer therapy drugs, obese people, and people with diabetes also are more likely to be infected by Candida.
In some people (usually people with a weakened immune system), Candida may invade deeper tissues as well as the blood, causing life-threatening systemic candidiasis.