Summer has arrived and with it the heat and foot fungus. True, it is annoying, reddening and itchy, but do not worry, you are not alone. It turns out that about 50 percent of the world’s population suffer from fungus, and it also has solutions
By: Orit Ronel
True, there are bigger troubles than this, but sometimes foot fungus, one of the most common diseases, can be very bothersome. It is red, peeling and itchy and above all very unpleasant. In the many hot and humid summer days still ahead of us, we have a greater likelihood of getting infected. So why do the fungi appear, and what can be done about it?
“About 50 percent of the world’s population suffer from various degrees of foot fungus”, explains Dr. Avner Shemer, a senior dermatologist at Sheba Hospital, Tel Hashomer. “Infection with foot fungus is a function of two factors: the presence of the fungus in the environment and the genetic tendency to be infected, which has a decisive influence. A person is born with this tendency, and when he comes into contact with the fungus he, unlike someone who does not carry this genetic tendency, has a high likelihood of being infected. Infection can occur in three ways: from person to person by direct contact, from the ground to a person and from an animal to a person”.
The fungus between the toes is most common in Israel during the summer months. The heat and humidity create a comfortable substrate for the growth of fungi, which settle mainly between the fourth and fifth toe of the foot. In this area the density is maximal, and it allows the fungus to live in deluxe conditions of darkness, moisture and heat.
“Fungi exist almost everywhere”, says Dr. Yoram Hart, a specialist in skin diseases, “they are found on every floor, in every house and in every pool. People who have a genetic tendency to fungal infection need to be doubly careful in public places, to walk in flip-flops, to ventilate the feet, to wear ventilated shoes, and to avoid wearing closed shoes made of thick rubber or wearing nylon socks. Even people without such a tendency may be infected, if they are exposed to the fungus to a very great extent”.
Caution, do not peel
There are more than 300 thousand types of fungi in the world, but only a few dozen of them harm humans. Foot fungi feed on external matter found on human skin, and irritate the immune system into a reaction, thus creating the redness in the skin that itches, peels and bothers. There are several different manifestations of foot fungus: the most common type is the fungus between the toes. The second type – a red sole with white scales (the sole and not the top of the foot), the third type – the skin of the sole is thickened and very rough, and a fourth form – the appearance of tiny blisters on the sole that itch a lot.
The usual treatment offered for fungus is the application of an antifungal ointment. The initial diagnosis is made by the doctor and not in a laboratory. The doctor indeed does not diagnose the type of fungus in a clinical diagnosis, but most of the ointments on the market today provide a response for many types of fungi, and therefore there is usually no need to diagnose its type. In cases where the treatment offered by the doctor is not effective or in borderline cases, a laboratory test is performed that gives an unequivocal answer about the presence of the fungus and its type within about three weeks. The ointments offered on the market are effective in many cases, and some are available without a doctor’s prescription. But even after the fungus has disappeared from the toes, it is recommended to continue applying it about once a week in order to prevent further infection, since fungi tend to return and reappear in 20 percent of cases.
How do antifungal ointments work? Ronit Segev, a biologist and developer of skin products, explains: “The fungus is a single-celled organism surrounded by a relatively rigid wall, which protects it and preserves its structural integrity. Most antifungal preparations actually damage this wall in various ways. In order not to harm the host, that is, the person, these substances damage areas on the parasite itself, which differ in their characteristics from human skin tissue.
The common substances present in preparations for application to the skin are tolnaftate or zinc undecylenate. Most preparations contain one of these substances, but one can also find a winning combination of both. To increase penetration into the skin, salicylic acid can be added, which peels the skin and helps better absorption”.
But applying an ointment does not always solve the problem. When the fungus refuses to disappear despite effective application of the ointment, an oral medication can be obtained, which reaches the skin through the blood. “About 50 percent of patients do not respond to local treatment”, says Dr. Shemer, “the ointments are effective only for mild to moderate cases, therefore many are forced to receive oral medications whose effectiveness is much higher. However, the pills have uncommon side effects such as headaches, abdominal pain, rashes and an increase in liver enzymes”.
“Many pedicurists tend to peel off with a knife the dry and cracked areas infected with fungus, and this is a mistake”, says Segev. “It causes the problem to worsen over the years, because the peeling removes not only damaged cells, but also living cells. It also does not solve the problem at the root, and thus the new skin that is exposed becomes infected again and the cycle repeats. Focused and effective treatment must be given for fungus until it disappears”.
Although it may seem that this is a mild disease that manifests in no more than an annoying skin irritation, the treatment must be adhered to in order to prevent complications of the fungus. Dr. Shemer: “Severe neglect of the fungus may cause an infection called ‘erysipelas’ – a bacterial infection that penetrates the skin, or various allergic reactions, caused by small particles of fungus that penetrate the bloodstream, and cause an allergic reaction in various parts of the body”. Dr. Hart: “When a fungus is neglected, one may suffer from infections so severe that it is impossible to walk without suffering from pain. A bacterium that can enter the deeper tissues of the body can cause a deep infection, fever and pain. A fungus cannot disappear on its own, and although it is not life-threatening, it must not be neglected”.
The solution: eat healthy
While dermatologists relate to fungus as a relatively mild problem, and offer us preparations for local treatment, alternative medicine actually sees this problem as an indication of a much deeper problem, in which local treatment alone is not effective. “Western medicine sees the access to a moist environment as the problem, but Chinese medicine and homeopathy claim that no matter what the environment is, a fungus will not develop if there is no internal problem, and if the body is balanced”, says Dr. Roy Gonik OMD., ND , who treats with Chinese medicine, naturopathy and homeopathy. “If it does develop in such cases it will be only temporary.
“According to Chinese medicine, the skin is governed by the lungs, and they receive energetic nourishment from the spleen. The spleen has an effect on the quality of the blood and on the quality of the substances flowing in the body and also on the digestive system. If the nutrition is good, rich in vitamins, fibers and nutrients, the spleen will maintain its balance, and then the digestive system will work more efficiently, and hence the lungs will receive the proper nourishment from the spleen, and will properly nourish the skin. When the skin does not receive nourishment properly, then a sole that is in a hot and moist place becomes a comfortable substrate for the growth of a fungus”.
גוניק suggests undergoing an accurate diagnosis by a practitioner who combines insights of naturopathy and Chinese medicine, and can provide a more comprehensive response through suitable nutrition that usually includes foods such as brown rice, root vegetables, quinoa and a significant reduction in sweets, processed foods and dairy products.
“A fungus on the soles of the feet usually indicates the formation of candida, a fungus of the digestive system”, explains the naturopath Shiri Caspi, “when the candida goes out of balance it allows external fungi to develop, and this is expressed in fungi on the skin and feet. The recommended treatment is both external and internal. That is, treatment with local ointments and oils and strengthening the digestive system, in order to reduce the candida. It is recommended to do a body cleanse of three to four months by avoiding all those foods that serve as food for fungi, such as yeast, wheat and sugars. Usually if balance is achieved in the digestive system, one can get rid of the external fungus”.
Drip tea tree oil
Aromatherapy too has a holistic answer for treating foot fungus. Rachela Bogin, an aromatherapy teacher at Reidman College, also claims that the fungus is only a sign of another weakness, of the immune system. “We look at this phenomenon as an expression of a kind of stagnation, being stuck”, she says, “after all, even if you apply an ointment it usually does not help. The fungus returns and you do not get rid of it. Therefore, in order to treat this, you need to treat something deeper.
“A person who is in a state of being stuck in his life will have a weaker immune system, and will have a tendency to be infected with fungi. This is explicitly an emotional state. It is impossible to separate the four layers of the person: the physical, the mental, the emotional and the spiritual from one another, therefore the answer must be holistic”.
Bogin recommends dripping tea tree oil on the affected area. “It kills the fungus, and in the right amount it is absorbed into the skin to the bloodstream and affects the whole body. Thyme oil, cinnamon oil and clove also do the job, but they must be diluted with additional substances. Essential oils penetrate into our body through smell, and affect our behavior. Tea tree oil creates an emotional response of a desire to take matters into one’s own hands and move things, therefore it helps a lot to get out of being stuck. It is advisable to consult an expert and to continue the treatment for at least half a year, because the fungus has spores and it may break out again”.