An antifungal drug is medication used to treat fungal infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Such drugs are usually taken after a doctor's prescription or purchased over-the-counter. Antifungals work by exploiting differences between mammalian and fungal cells to kill off the fungal organism without dangerous effects on the host. Fungal and human cells are similar at the molecular level. This means it is more difficult to find a weakness in fungi to attack that does not also exist in human cells - so, if you attack the fungus, you may also attack the human cells the fungus lives on. Consequently, there are often side-effects to some of these drugs. Some of these side-effects can be life-threatening if not used properly.
