Understand the different types of fungal infection

You might have seen a discolored green mold growing in odd places either in your gardens, deteriorated wood, dead animals, stale food, walls, and regions that come in contact with rain or any contaminated water.

Well! It's a fungus, or called fungi.

Understanding fungi: It can be defined as eukaryotic organisms that cover several microorganisms such as yeasts, moulds, rusts, and smuts. Starting from the dead to the livelihood, these living organisms are found everywhere but can not be seen via human eyesight.

Most of the time, these organisms are harmless and sometimes even used for medicine preparations like penicillin. However, an uncontrolled development of fungi can also be responsible for countless health concerns mainly fungal infection and in today’s blog, we will be discussing majorly about it, like what is fungal infection, how it looks, its causes, types of fungal infection, and how can Ayurveda help.

Who gets a fungal infection and what does it look like?

Although fungal infection can affect anyone still, some individuals experience fungal infection the most. It mainly includes:

• • Who have a weekend immune system
  • Those who do not care about hygiene
  • People with HIV/AIDS
  • Those who share personal hygiene products such as towels, shoes, soaps, bedsheets, etc.
  • Individuals with chronic respiratory issues or 
  • If they are being treated for cancer
  • Those who have a problem with poor blood circulation
  • Patients with diabetes
  • Individuals who own pets

Appearance: Well, the appearance of different types of fungal infections on skin could be different. But most of the time, it appears as a discomfiting patch or rash followed by intense itching, redness, and pain which turns intolerable when you sweat.

Signs that confirm Fungal Infection: If you or anyone you know is dealing with skin issues and is confused about whether it is a fungal infection. Then surely give it a read.
Here are some of the most common fungal infection symptoms that are seen among patients:

• • Red, itchy, and discomforting patches
  • Swollen and lumpy skin 
  • Intense itching in the affected areas
  • Red raised bumps
  • Skin discoloration 
  • Dryness and cracking of the skin
  • Thick or pitted nails
  • Tongue discoloration (oral thrush) 

Observing any of these signs?
Seek a doctor’s advice today! 

Because If left untreated it can affect your whole body and can even spread to your family/friends.

TYPES OF FUNGAL INFECTION

Different types of fungal infections exist that appear in diverse forms following multiple causative factors. Let’s have a quick and brief discussion about the most common types that are commonly seen among patients: 

1/7. Athlete’s foot:

That’s the most common type of fungal infection and is also known as tinea pedis. It mainly arises in the feet region and mainly affects the toes, soles of the feet, and spaces between two toes. In fact, that is the reason why it is named Athlete’s Foot.

Here’s the feedback of our patient- Sukhmeet Kaur, who was dealing with the same problem i.e. tinea pedis, and how choosing Ayurveda for fungal infection proved a miracle for her. 

Symptoms of Athlete’s foot:

1. 1. Itchy and sweaty toes
   2. Peeling of the skin between the toes
   3. Burning or stinging sensation
   4. Red rashes on the feet
   5. Blisters that often ooze
   6. Skin discoloration and swelling

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Keep your feet dry and clean.
   2. Avoid wearing same-smelly shoes or socks.
   3. Apply antifungal creams or herbal pastes to the affected areas.
   4. Avoid using any kind of steroids or chemical-based ointments.
      

2/7. Jock itch:

Jock itch is seen more in individuals who wear tight undergarments, or sweat a lot. This mainly affects the moist skin such as groins, thighs, and buttocks.

If you are already having some other skin condition such as vitiligo, eczema, or psoriasis then you are way at more risk of developing jock itch. Better take care of your hygiene and prevent it in the best possible manner.

Symptoms of Jock itch:

1. 1. Rashes in the groin areas, upper thighs, and buttocks.
   2. Water or fluid weeping from the rashes.
   3. Pain and itching which becomes intense with sweating.
   4. Scaly, inflamed, and rough skin.

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Try wearing loose and comfortable clothes.
   2. Use deodorant or sweat-counter agents.  (But make sure they contain no chemicals)
   3. Take daily baths and avoid sharing products like towels, soaps, combs, or garments.
   4. Avoid any kind of scratching to the affected areas.

3/7. Ringworm:

As the name clears itself the appearance of this type of fungal infection. The ring-shaped lesions start to arise in the different areas of the body. Depending upon where such ringworms or patches arise, different types of fungal infections have also been described further in the blog.

Besides being discomforting to look at, they cause immense itching, pain, discomfort, and a burning sensation. In medical terminologies, it is also known as “dermatophytosis.”

Symptoms of Ringworm:

1. 1. Coin shaped patches
   2. Red-painful patches
   3. Skin dryness and cracking
   4. The skin may peel off
   5. Skin discoloration and swelling

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Wash the affected areas with soap and dry them using a soft-clean towel.
   2. Make sure to wash your hands after touching the affected areas.
   3. Apply herbal pastes and ointments suggested by the experts.
   4. Don’t apply any random cream or gel on such patches.

4/7. Nail fungal infection:

Sometimes, the nails may also get affected by fungal infection. Onychomycosis is a separate term that is used to describe such types of fungal infections.

The fungi start to grow beneath the nails, and as a result, your nails start to discolor, crack, and become weak. Not only the nails but the associated skin near the nail areas also get adversely affected.

Symptoms of Nail fungal infection:

1. 1. Pitted, brittle, and distorted nails.
   2. Nail discoloration, most of the time turns pale or yellow.
   3. The nails may fall off from the hyponychium (skin under the nails).
   4. Pain and itchiness in the associated regions of the nails.
   5. White patches on the surface of the nails.

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Take care of hygiene and wash hands frequently.
   2. Strictly avoid nail biting.
   3. There are several anti-fungal nail paints available in the market, you can use them. 
   4. Otherwise, multiple herbal pastes/ointments are also advised by the experts, you can also apply them. It mainly includes crushed garlic cloves, aloe vera gel, neem oil, virgin coconut oil, tea tree oil, or cow’s ghee.

5/7. Scalp fungal infection:

Mold-like fungi start to rise in the scalp and harm the hair, skin, and follicles. Sometimes the symptoms and appearance of it resemble scalp psoriasis or normal dandruff, but in reality, it could be a different and serious condition.

Symptoms of Nail fungal infection:

1. 1. Itchy rashes on the scalp.
   2. Skin flaking that resembles dandruff.
   3. Bald patches and hair loss.
   4. Hair fall and thinning.
   5. Pus containing pimples/pustules.

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Keep your scalp dry and clean
   2. Avoid using chemical-based shampoos/conditions
   3. Use natural products such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, aloe vera gel, tea tree oil, etc.
   4. Avoid stretching the scalp or bursting the pustules.

6/7. Yeast infection:

Yeast, also called Candida, is a type of fungus that is found normally on the skin, inside the digestive system, and in the vaginal regions of women.

Most of the time it is harmless, but an overgrowth of it can result in a painful and discomforting condition which is to say yeast infection. This type of fungal infection mainly affects areas such as groins, armpits, under the breast, and skin folds.

Symptoms of Yeast infection:

1. 1. Itchiness, dryness, and pain.
   2. Pain while urinating.
   3. Sore mouth and throat.
   4. Difficulty while swallowing.
   5. Painful intercourse.

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Massage the affected areas with yogurt.
   2. Avoid using chemical-based intimate care products.
   3. Drink more water, preferably lukewarm.
   4. Wear cotton undergarments and loose-fitting clothes.
      

7/7. Thrush fungal infection:

This type of fungal infection mainly affects your tongue. It can affect anyone irrespective of their age but mainly the kids, toddlers, and people of 65+ years of age experience this skin condition the most.

A weak immune system, poor oral hygiene, anemia, stress, or excessive medications are some of the actual culprits behind causing thrush fungal infections.

Symptoms of Thrush infection:

1. 1. Creamy white raised lesions on the tongue.
   2. Lost taste senses.
   3. Cotton-like feeling in the mouth.
   4. The skin around the lips may become dry, cracked, and rough.
   5. Intense pain and sometimes the occasional bleeding from the lesions.

Tips for the patients:

1. 1. Practice good oral hygiene 
   2. Dissolve 2 spoons of salt in a cup of lukewarm water and do gargles.
   3. Consume probiotic foods like yogurt, fermented rice, buttermilk, etc.
   4. Completely avoid spicy and fried food items as they can make the condition worse.

How can Ayurveda help the Patients?

Ayurveda, the ancient healing therapy holds immense power to heal all types of diseases. Our forefathers after years of study and experiments, have uncovered multiple magical measures and procedures through which one can fight, prevent, and even defeat countless health concerns including fungal infections.

Dardu kushtha is the general term that represents these contagious skin conditions, called fungal infections these days. Following certain Ayurvedic remedies, dietary adjustments, lifestyle changes, and herbal pastes/ointments, a holistic effort is made to reattain the lost health and glory of the skin.

In this blog, we have divided the Ayurvedic treatment for fungal infection into 3 major sections, namely:

(1). Herbal Healing

(2). Dietary Changes

(3). Lifestyle modifications

1/3. HERBAL HEALING:

Fungal infection treatment in Ayurveda primarily involves the use of herbs. There are countless such herbs that can help the patients and most of them may be already available in their houses. 

Best herbs for fungal infection: Neem, haldi, tulsi, majishtha, ginger, garlic, aloe-vera, triphala, mulethi, amalaki, guggulu, trikatu, and pippali are some skin-friendly herbs that are best for fungal infection.

How to use them?

• External usage: By crushing these magical herbs along with some water or oils, a herbal paste can be prepared. The application of such paste will help you immensely to reduce the patches, itchiness, redness, and other fungal infection symptoms.
• Internal usage: Besides herbal pastes, these herbs can also be used for oral consumption. You can add them to your routine meals, make their herbal teas, or take them in a powdered form with some lukewarm water.

2/3. Healthy Dietary Changes:

Also, there is a need to be highly conscious about your routine meals when you are dealing with any skin disease. The consumption of Western diet mainly those items that are high in sugar and low in fiber act as one of the major causes of fungal infection.

Besides these, Tamsik ahaara such as highly fried, oily, processed, stale, frozen, and even excessive non-vegetarian food should also be avoided to a complete extent if one wants to keep the skin and other organs in a good state.

What to eat?

• Juicy fruits: Strawberries, avocados, oranges, apples, papaya, raspberries, pineapples, kiwi, and dragon fruit.
• Fresh vegetables: Bell peppers, broccoli, sponge gourd, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, spinach etc.
• Herbal teas: Ginger tea, Basil tea, Green tea, hibiscus tea, and so on.

3/3. Lifestyle Modifications:

Besides all the measures mentioned above, patients are highly advised to make certain changes in their routines. Choosing Ayurveda for fungal infection relief mainly suggests the following changes:

• Take care of your hygiene. Try to keep your body dry and clean. Take routine baths, change your clothes daily, and wear loose comfortable clothes.
• Quit alcohol and smoking as they can trigger existing symptoms or make fungal infections worse.
• Avoid using chemical-based and steroid-containing products whether it is a soap, shampoo, cream, conditioner, moisturizer, or any other beauty product.
• Don’t share your personal essentials such as towels, undergarments, toothbrushes, comb, etc.
• Limit intake of foods that are high in sugar content and refined carbohydrates.
• Avoid walking barefoot in public areas like pools, lock-rooms, etc.
• Don’t be your own doctor, and always consult a healthcare expert or dermatologist whenever any skin problem arises.

Takeaway

Fungal infection can haunt in several ways. Induced by different causative factors, these infections could be of several types. But if you hold the hands of Ayurveda and show dedication to a healthy lifestyle followed by dietary precautions, and Ayurvedic medicines, you can manage and even cure all the types of fungal infections. 

All that it demands is your faith and commitment to Ayurvedic treatment.