Fungal infections of the skin, hair, or nails

Fungi are microorganisms which are present everywhere around you, even at places you least expect them to be - like your gym locker or your society swimming pool. When they enter your bloodstream through the skin, they may cause fungal infections of the skin, hair, or nails.

Like many microorganisms, fungi can do both good and bad to your body. When harmful fungi invade your body, it becomes too much for your immune system to handle. Because fungus love to ‘feast’ on the top layers of skin and therefore they take over a large area of the body and re-infect the person trying to recover from the attack. The good news is that they are rarely dangerous and can be treated with the utmost care and homeopathic treatment.

Before we move on to the treatment, let us first discuss different types of fungal infections that might affect you.  Fungal skin infections are divided into different types based on the causing factor and area they affect.

Common fungal skin infections are as below:

• Athlete’s Foot

  Athlete’s Foot or Tinea Pedis is a fungal infection that occurs between the toes or on the soles where you might see a scaly, pink rash. If the toenails get infected, they can become thick, yellow, and brittle. It occurs most often in athletes or sports people because the fungus grows perfectly in warm and moist environments such as socks and shoes, public pools and showers, sports equipment, and locker rooms.

• Ringworm

  It is a contagious fungal infection that may appear anywhere on the body. The fungus that causes ringworm is usually transmitted by human contact or by contact with animals, especially young cats and dogs. Ringworm patches spread to about two to three inches in diameter and may appear in clusters on one part of the body. The lesions have a slightly elevated border and itches. When they appear on the scalp and beard, they infect the hair and produce redness, flaking, and often hair loss. In cases where toenails or fingernails are infected, changes such as white or yellow nail discoloration, thickening of the nail, and separation of the nail from the nail bed can be seen. Nails infection occur most often in cooks, nurses, cleaners, or hairdressers as they wash their hands frequently. Constant washing damages the protective skin at the base of the nail and allows fungi to enter.

• Jock Itch

  It is a common fungal infection occurring in the groin area, buttocks, and inner thighs. As with almost all fungal infections, this one loves the excessive heat and moisture trapped in the groin area by tight underwear or athletic gear where the fungi multiply very quickly. For this reason, jock itch occurs mostly in warmer weather.

• Yeast infections

  Yeast infections caused by candida occur in moist areas, especially in people with high blood sugar (people with diabetes or those on oral steroids such as prednisone), because yeast eats glucose, our natural blood sugar. It commonly causes fungal toenail infections and diaper rash in infants.

  The fungal skin infections are diagnosed by clinical presentation and by examining small samples of skin, nail or hair under the microscope. Knowing which fungus is causing the infections gives information on what treatment is best and how to prevent new infections occurring.

Homeopathy provides a complete and holistic treatment for fungal skin infections, by correcting it from the root. The remedies are sourced from natural substances, so there is no scope of side-effects.

Homeopathic medicines boost your body’s healing process to fight and eradicate fungal infections naturally. There are different remedies for killing fungal agents in your body, for e.g. if you’re having a fungal skin infection in the groin area, remedy Sepia can help, for facial infection remedy Hepar Sulph is prescribed, and for scalp fungal infection remedy Graphites can help teat the infection.