“Doctor, my fungus infection comes back as soon as I stop medicines. What should I do?”

Fungal infection of skin also called ringworm, tinea or daad is rising in India. It is not responding to treatments easily.

The main causes of the increase and resistance of fungal infections are:

• Application of steroid creams on ringworm.
• Overuse of antibiotics
• Use of insecticide and pesticides has increased the level of fungal spores in the environment.
• Fungal elements are not getting destroyed easily and are found to survive on toilets seats, bedding, shoes, clothes, nails etc.
• Incomplete treatment.

Precautions to stop Ringworm:

Do not self medicate

The most important precaution does not self medicate. Most tubes available at the chemist’s shop have steroids that reduce itching and redness, but fungus increases. Steroids reduce your immunity. Once there is no fight between fungus and immunity, redness and itching go. But fungus increases. This is the reason when you stop the steroid tube fungus comes back even more severely.

Do not itch

Avoid itching because this will lead to the spreading of fungal infection. Take anti-itching medicine like cetirizine to stop itching.

Avoid tight clothes

Wear loose cotton clothes that allow air circulation. Avoid tight cloths like jeans or leggings etc.

Wash cloth seperately

Wash your clothes inside out. If possible, iron them inside out before wearing them.

Do not miss dose

Fungus is getting more resistant day by day. if you miss medicines chances are that medicines prescribed by the doctor would stop working. Also, apply medicine 2 cm beyond the margins because fungus lives on the margin of the rash.

Watch this video for full list of precautions:

Treatment of ringworm

It is absolutely important to take the medicine as prescribed by dermatologist. This course of anti-fungals might last for 1-3 months. Interestingly the old medicine like Fluconazole, clotrimazole, or miconazole are not showing much response. More so if you have applied steroids.

Itraconazole is the only effective medication. It has side effects. Do not take it without consulting a doctor. In addition, you have to put 2 different anti-fungal creams like luliconazole and amorolfine for 3 months continuously.

Home remedies of fungus

Fungus tends to recur even after treatment, You can put mustard oil twice a day because it has anti-fungal action.

You can also make this anti-fungal oil oil to prevent recurrences by mixing:

• Mustard oil- 100ml
• Tea tree oil- 5ml to 10 ml(reduce concentration if it irritates your skin)
• Garlic oil 1 ml
• Neem oil- 5 ml to 10 ml (reduce concentration if it irritates your skin)

Do not use this oil on active red lesions because it will irritate them. Start it once air skin gets normal to prevent recurrences.