Thrush and fungal infections
Thrush can be very itchy and annoying! It is caused by a fungus Candida albicans. However there are many fungal infections that can cause us issues.
Here are 4 of the most common ones:
- Thrush:
Vaginal thrush is thick white bland discharge (like cottage cheese) with no odour. The vulval area will be extremely itchy and irritated. Causes are antibiotics, perfumed bubble baths, douching, tight synthetic underwear and trousers/tights, pregnancy and HRT. Conventional medicine will use antifungal pessaries to treat it.
75% of UK women have it at some point in their lives. Homeopathic remedies are Borax, Nat mur and Sepia.
Oral thrush is a white coating on the tongue and sometimes the inside of the cheeks/roof of mouth. There may be an unpleasant taste in the mouth too. Causes are inhaled steroids used for asthma treatment not being washed away from back of the throat, smoking or newborns coming through the birth canal. Conventional medicine uses oral antifungal gel or liquid to treat this.
Homeopathic remedies are Borax, Merc viv and Nat mur.
- Athlete’s foot:
This is a fungal infection affecting the skin between the toes. The skin is very itchy with white patches. These can be sore and the skin can look red underneath the white areas. This can also spread to the groin area and be called ‘dhobi itch’ or ‘jock itch’. This happens when a man scratches his infected foot and then his groin! (Yuck!). 17% of UK adults suffer this condition. Causes are synthetic socks and shoes, not drying your feet properly, excessive sweating of feet causing moist warm environment.
Conventional treatments include antifungal creams, powders and sprays to treat the feet and your socks/shoes etc. However fungal creams must be used for 7-10 days after the issues appears to have resolved or the fungus can grow again. This is because funguses go into protective spores when attacked. These can survive the toughest conditions, and will only reemerge when it is safe to do so.
Homeopathic remedies are Graphites, Thuja and Silica.
- Ringworm:
This is not a worm but a fungal skin infection. It is a ring-shaped lesion on the skin and/or scalp. It is red and scaly. Occasionally it can be itchy too. Causes are infected combs/barber’s equipment, sharing a towel with an infected person etc. Up to 20% of UK adults will have it at some point.
Conventional treatment involves antifungal creams.
Homeopathic remedies Bac, Thuja and Tub are useful here.
- Fungal nail infection:
Mainly affecting the big toe, nails become discoloured and brittle. They can also become thickened often starting on the edge before spreading to the whole nail. 25% of UK adults suffer.
Conventional treatment is antifungal paints to apply to the nail or oral antifungals.
Homeopathic remedy Ant C can be helpful here. Mixing the following essential oils and applying externally to the affected nail daily can be helpful too: Tea tree + Neem + Rosemary + Eucalyptus and Oregano oils.
For ALL fungal conditions, I recommend cutting back on sugar as much as possible as this feeds the fungus!
