No, psoriasis is not a fungal infection. It's an autoimmune disease. This means your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing them to grow too quickly. This rapid cell growth leads to the characteristic raised, red, scaly patches associated with psoriasis. In contrast, fungal infections, like ringworm, are caused by fungi. While there's some evidence suggesting a potential link between fungal dysbiosis (an imbalance of fungi on the skin) and psoriasis, psoriasis itself isn't caused by a fungus.
Several sources confirm this distinction:
- Cleveland Clinic: Explicitly states that "Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, while ringworm is a fungal infection." https://health.clevelandclinic.org/psoriasis-vs-ringworm
- Mayo Clinic: Describes psoriasis as an autoimmune disease, detailing its symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriasis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355840
- MyClevelandClinic: Specifically addresses nail psoriasis, stating it's "not a fungus," but rather an autoimmune disease. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22841-nail-psoriasis
- Multiple studies: Research indicates a possible correlation between fungal dysbiosis and psoriasis, but not a causative relationship. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00438/full, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8461225/
While some fungal infections can mimic psoriasis symptoms, leading to confusion, their underlying causes and treatments differ significantly. Psoriasis requires treatments targeting the immune system, unlike fungal infections, which are treated with antifungals.
