Healthy Lifestyle

Ringworm infection is one of the most common skin infections that affects humans. It is caused by a plant-like organism known as a fungus that feeds on the outermost layers of the skin. Ringworm has nothing to do with worms per se.

You can get it by sharing towels, clothing, or sports equipment or by having direct contact with an infected person’s rash.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a system of treatment that uses minute amounts of natural substances to stimulate the defensive systems of the body in a very subtle way.

What distinguishes the practice of homeopathy from other approaches is that instead of focusing on the specific causes of disease (such as viruses, bacteria or fungi), homeopathy focuses on the specifics of the presentation of the symptoms of disease, as they are experienced by the individual patient, said Dr Pallavi Dialani, a homeopathic consultant with Whatever Healing Space.

This protocol recognises that each person is unique and will have an individual disease pattern.

Homeopathic philosophy strongly believes that skin diseases are never just skin deep. These are considered as mere external expressions of an internally weak or imbalanced immune system.

Since the defence system is weak, it gets attacked by various organisms.

Hence, homeopathy treats skin diseases at a deeper level, not by external applications but by orally administration of chronic constitutional remedies. Homeopathic remedies stimulate the body’s defence mechanism thus enhancing the body’s ability to heal itself gently from within.

Some of the homeopathic remedies recommended for ringworm include sepia for brown, dry scaly patches, tellurium for prominent, well-defined, reddish lesions, graphites for thick scales or sticky discharges and sulphur for intense itching.

Ayurveda

Ayurvedic literatures describes the disease as contagious, which means that it can spread by contact such as skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or through the surfaces that an infected person has touched, such as clothing, towels, bed linens, combs or brushes.

This condition involves the disturbance in pitta and kapha doshas, which are responsible for symptoms such as redness and inflammation around the edge of the rash, and itching and elevation of the rash respectively, said Dr Rangesh, senior advisor, research and development at Himalaya Herbal Healthcare.

Although unpleasant, ringworm is usually not a serious condition, except in the case of people with weak immune systems.

Hence, Ayurveda advises the application of therapeutic emesis and purgation under the physician’s supervision. After this detox therapy, the treatment usually consists of antifungal medications that are applied on the skin.

There are several external applications advised in Ayurveda. For example, an application made of the Bermuda grass, sickle senna, myrobalan, salt, and basil helps in relieving the itching and inflammation.

Similarly, an application of a compound made out of sal tree resin, sickle senna seeds, myrobalan and rice husk effectively controls the infection.

This treatment can be followed with internal medications such as manjishta and neem.

Modern medicine

Ringworm can affect any part of the body and is commonly found on the feet (”athlete’s foot”, “Singapore feet”), groin (”jock itch”), body and scalp.

It can look like a red “ring” that expands outwards, leaving a clear centre. It is a scaly or flaky rash that is very itchy. On the scalp, it can present as scaly bald patches with “broken” hairs.

Occasionally and very rarely, it can present as fluid-filled blisters on the feet that can be painful and itchy.

It can spread through direct contact with an infected person, or through bathroom or changing room floors, where the fungus thrives on the wet surface, said Dr Mark Tang, an associate consultant with the National Skin Centre.

It can be made worse with hot and humid weather, which leaves the skin moist and damp.

People with impaired immunity such as those with diabetes mellitus, are at greater risk of ringworm infection.

The diagnosis can be confirmed with a simple “scrapping” of the rash, which can identify fungal elements under a microscope. This may be important since many other rashes can look like ringworm.

Applying anti-fungal creams for a few weeks can treat most ringworm infections. It is important to avoid steroid creams that can make it worse. Some patients require a course of anti-fungal tablets if the infection is very extensive or persistent.

If a rash is not getting better with treatment, seek medical attention to confirm the diagnosis.

Ringworm infection can recur. To prevent repeat contagions, practise good skin hygiene to keep the skin clean and dry.

Try to avoid walking barefoot in the locker room and dry the feet carefully, especially between the toes after bathing.

SHINGLES, also known as herpes zoster, is an uncomfortable and often painful rash. Since it usually appears on the abdomen or buttocks, herpes zoster is named for the Greek word zoster, meaning “girdle”. The name shingles comes from the Latin word cingulum, a translation of zoster, which also means “girdle”. Shingles is
caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which also causes chickenpox.

Naturopathy
The naturopathic treatment aims to improve the immune function. Sometimes, the immune system can be affected by a toxic system, said Dr Sundardas DA, naturopathic physician and clinical director
of Natural Therapies Centre.

Dietary changes are then recommended. The advice is to include raw fruits, vegetables, brewer’s yeast, brown
rice and whole grains in the diet to build up and strengthen the immune system.

A cleansing fast can help. This can be a modified one where you eat only raw fruits and vegetables, or drink raw vegetable juice over three days.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
According to TCM diagnosis, the symptoms of shingles are attributed to toxic fire and damp-heat accompanied by a weak qi, said Mr Lee SC, the principal TCM practitioner with Chinese Herbal Heritage.

An infection arises due to the penetration of a toxic substance, in this case the varicella-zoster virus. Fever, tingling and burning sensations are characteristic of fire.

Damp-heat is descriptive of the wet, infected, fluid filled blisters. Stress and repressed anger, aggravated by an imbalanced diet characterised by over-indulgence in alcohol and rich, spicy and greasy foods, can cause heat and dampness to build up and precipitate an outbreak of shingles.

Qi energies, associated with the strength of the immune defence system, generally wane with age and immunity is compromised. This explains why the elderly and sickly are more susceptible to shingles.

The treatment of shingles using TCM is two-pronged. The short-term objective is to minimise an impending eruption and this depends on when treatment is initiated. If herbs such as woad root, phellodendron and
wild chrysanthemum are taken at the first signs of tingling and sensitivity, the blisters will not surface. The long-term aim is to reduce or eliminate recurrent episodes. A practitioner may advise diet changes and
herbal therapy and recommend acupuncture to resolve underlying root causes.

Modern medicine
Herpes zoster infection, or shingles, is caused by VZV, the same virus responsible for chicken pox. Chicken pox (varicella) represents the primary infection with VZV, after which the virus persists in an area of
nerves called dorsal root ganglia. Shingles results from the reactivation of this latent virus. Impaired immunity increases the risk of reactivation, said associate consultant Dr Audrey Tan of the National Skin Centre.

The onset of zoster is characterised by pain, followed by an eruption of red spots, which develop into vesicles in a continuous band along a stretch of skin known as a dermatome. In individuals with impaired immunity,
vesicles can become generalised. In severe cases, other organs may be involved, including the liver, lung and brain. People with zoster are infectious, from the virus present in the skin lesions and sometimes from the nose. Eye complications can result when zoster affects the skin around the eye.

Most people recover in two to four weeks, but some, especially those above 50, may experience pain for more than a month after resolution of the skin lesions. This complication is post-herpetic neuralgia. Early treatment with appropriate antiviral medication prevents progression and reduces pain during treatment. Various
topical and oral medications are available.