What Is Skin Fungus
Skin fungus is a type of dermatitis that is caused either by the candida or malessezia yeast. Both of these fungi are a normal part of skin flora and usually don’t create problems unless something like a compromised immunity or a change in environmental conditions makes proliferation favorable for them. Diabetics are one group of people who can be severely immune compromised and tend to be prime targets for fungal infections and other infections in general. The candida fungus is especially a danger for diabetics to the point of being life threatening. If you are not diabetic then you don’t have anything to fear from either of these fungi. Treating a skin fungal infection whether it is candidiasis, tinea versicolor, ringworm, jock itch, dandruff, or athlete’s foot is the same – the use of antifungals.
Tinea versicolor is characterized by inflamed scaly skin in parts of the body where you sweat a lot and have a lot of oil deposits. This can be on the back, chest, or arms. This is caused by a malessezia fungus that feeds off the oil secretions from the skin. Dandruff is another disease caused by a closely related fungus from the same family. Ringworm, jock itch, and athlete’s foot are all diseases caused by the same fungus but from a different family, and not malessezia. These fungi feed off the keratin deposits under the skin. There is one common thread among all fungi; they require a damp, warm environment to thrive it. Get rid of this and you can stop the spread, as well as the incoming attack from fungi.
Skin Fungus Treatment
The first step in treating any fungal infection is to first clean the infected area. Hydrogen peroxide is the weapon of choice for this task, as the substance is cytotoxic to fungi. In fact, bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus, which also live inside our bodies, keep the spread of fungal infections in check by secreting peroxide or by creating an acidic environment. Apply hydrogen peroxide liberally as many times a day as you wish on the affected areas. Next, after drying off, dab some tea tree oil over the affected region and allow it to dry out. Finally, no antifungal assault is complete without oral supplementation. Increase your intake of garlic to a whole bulb every day. Garlic contains a substance called allacin that is toxic to both bacteria and fungi, and will be quite useful in containing the fungal attack.
