Skin Fungus

 

 

There are many types of fungus and some can live on your skin. Normal hygiene eliminates most without you even being aware of it. But various fungi thrive in warm humid climates. You may begin to feel an itch, often in the parts of your body that are warm and moist. Fungal skin infection is readily transmitted from one person to another. The problem is compounded by the many different skin fungus infections, including ringworm, athlete's foot and jock itch. These fungal skin infections may present with rashes, itching, flaking skin, redness and even bleeding. Some simple skin fungal infections may be cleared within two weeks using home remedies. 1. Proper Hygiene - Keep the affected area clean by washing with soap. Regularly scrub to rid the area of dead skin cells. If the infection is on your feet, take note to keep your feet and shoes dry. Always dry your feet whenever you shower or take a bath. If your job involves lots of activity and your feet sweat a lot, change into clean and dry footwear regularly. Baby powder applied to your shoes and socks will keep away moisture. 2. Boosting Immune System - If you have a weakened immune system, you have a higher chance of infection by disease-causing fungi and other microorganisms. You may boost your immune system by supplementing your diet with vitamins and herbal supplements containing vitamins C, D, echinacea, zinc and olive oil extract. Try to boost your immunity so that your body can naturally resist the effects of yeasts and other fungi. You can improve your immunity by doing the following: Exercise regularly Eat more fresh foods Cut down your consumption of refined sugar and sugary foods Reduce your consumption of alcohol Quit smoking 3. Yogurt - Unsweetened natural yogurt contains active, live cultures of friendly bacteria (probiotics). These bacteria produce lactic acid that kills fungus on skin. To treat skin fungal infection using yogurt: Eat three cups of yogurt daily for one to two weeks. Prevent future fungal infections by making natural yogurt part of your daily meal. Soak a ball of cotton wool with natural yogurt and gently apply to the affected skin area, leaving it on for 30 minutes. Wash with warm water and dry it with a towel. Repeat this treatment two times daily. 4. Apple Cider Vinegar is a popular home remedy for skin fungal infections. Its mild acidic and antimicrobial qualities kill infection-causing skin fungus, promoting recovery and preventing spread of the infection. There are two ways to treat fungal skin infection with apple cider: Mix equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water, apply to the affected area and leave it on for 30 minutes. Dry with a towel. Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to one glass of warm water, stir and drink two times daily. Dilute 1 part of raw apple cider vinegar with 4 parts of water to dilute the ingredients. Apply the mixture over your affected skin and wait for 30 minutes to rinse it off. 5. Garlic is an effective antifungal and antibiotic as well as a healing and recovery agent. Make a paste with two crushed cloves of garlic and half a teaspoon of olive oil. Apply to the affected area, leaving it on for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel. Repeat two times daily. Adding a few cloves of garlic to your food daily will aid in healing and prevention of fungal skin infections. 6. Tea Tree Oil has anti fungal and antiseptic properties. Mix one part of tea tree oil to one part of olive oil or sweet almond oil. Apply to the affected area two to three times daily. Alternatively, mix one part of aloe vera with three parts of tea tree oil. Apply to the affected area two times daily. Prepare a mixture of tea tree oil and aloe vera gel with a ratio of 3:1. Rub the mixture over your infected area twice per day. Add the olive oil and 3 or 4 drops of tea tree oil to your salt bath can provide additional relief. Stir the bath water using your hand to help combine the salt and oil. Soak for at least 12 minutes, 2 or 3 times a week. Pat dry and apply virgin coconut oil. 7. Oregano Oil Oregano oil has antimicrobial and antifungal qualities that make it an effective remedy for fungal skin infections. Mix one part of oregano oil and one part of extra virgin olive oil. Apply the mixture to the affected area, leaving it to dry on the skin. Put three drops of oregano oil into a glass of water and drink it. Repeat two times daily. Take one to two oregano oil capsules after your meals. Repeat two times a day. 8. Hydrogen Peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is routinely used to clean cuts and protect against topical infections by killing microorganisms, including fungus on the skin. But before using hydrogen peroxide on your skin, make sure you dilute it with water to avoid skin irritation that can result from use of concentrated hydrogen peroxide. To treat fungal infection on your skin, soak the affected area with the dilute hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes, two to three times per day. 9. Epsom Salt and Baking Soda Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) has mild antiseptic qualities that come in handy in destroying and controlling fungus on your skin. You can increase the potency of the treatment by mixing Epsom salt with baking soda. To kill fungus on your skin, add 1 to 2 cups of Epsom salt and baking soda respectively to your bath water and soak the affected area for 15 minutes daily. Applying some baking soda powder three to four times daily may help. 10. Coconut oil has antifungal properties and may be used both topically and internally. Rub extra-virgin coconut oil on your infected area, let it dry naturally. Mix coconut oil and cinnamon oil with a ratio of 1:1. Apply it over your infected area and repeat it twice per day to get good results. White vinegar is a cheap and effective way to treat and cure any infection. You can use white vinegar as a way of treating a fungal infection. For the purpose of the below instructions, we have chosen the fungal infection athlete’s foot to demonstrate the process. However, the same process can be applied to other forms of fungal infections. Mix approximately 3 tablespoons of white vinegar with ½ a cup of baking soda. Stir the white vinegar and baking soda so that it forms a creamy paste. Apply the creamy paste to the affected areas. You can even use white vinegar on its own (without the baking soda). However, the baking soda does make it easier to apply it to the affected area. If you make a paste, then you are far more likely to have some leftover so that you can reapply it in a few hours. Another great thing about applying the baking soda with the white vinegar is that it helps to alleviate the smell of the vinegar. We all know vinegar has quite a distinctive smell. Baking soda neutralizes this odor and refreshes your affected area. Many fungal skin infections can be treated with topical medical preparations in the forms of lotions, creams, medicated powders and sprays. Many of these are available from pharmacists without prescription, and the pharmacist may give you advice accordingly. Due to the recurrent nature of fungal skin infections, you might be advised to take the medication for two weeks or more after the physical signs of the infection disappear. If infection persists, consult your doctor who will examine and prescribe more potent medication, usually in form of tablets. Prescribed medication will usually clear the infection, although some of it may have some side effects such as skin irritation for topical preparations and upset stomach from oral medications. Too sanitize your laundry, keep the infected items separate from the rest of the laundry to avoid contamination. Launder the infected clothing at 60 C with the ordinary detergent running a complete cycle. Try to add all-fabric bleach to the washer to destroy fungus spores more successfully. Make sure all the necessary steps are completed. For wool items, opt for warm water laundry with a pine oil disinfectant, or go for Lysol adding it straight into the wash water. Lysol should be added to the rinse cycle and allowed to stay there for 16 minutes. When drying garments, choose the hottest setting possible to kill the spores for sure. To clean your clothes with vinegar, put 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar in your washing machine’s detergent compartment. You may not need to add any other detergents. Brighten your clothing by making a bleach-like solution by combining 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of borax. Add this to your washing machine. You can also soak your clothes in this solution and a gallon of water. Not all materials can be treated with bleach, and your washer may not permit its use either. Fortunately, there are other agents, such as hydrogen peroxide and borax, tea tree oil, and lavender essential oil, that can also help disinfect your laundry after it's been exposed to germs or unsanitary conditions. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil into your wash cycle will freshen up your laundry load and get rid of any nasty smells and bacteria lurking around. Because tea tree oil contains anti fungal and anti bacterial properties it will kill any bugs, mold and mildew in your load of washing. All you need to do is add 10 drops to your current laundry detergent and wash as you normally would – you’ll be amazed at the results… your laundry will smell good and fresh.