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Ah, summertime is upon us! A time for bare feet and…fungus is among us!

Of course everyone is unfortunately familiar at some time with athlete’s foot, but there are others among us as well!

You can always recognize a fungal skin infection by the characteristic moist, weepy, red skin patches. Although opportunities for risk of fungal skin infections seem to be everywhere, some new evidence even points to involvement with sinusitis!

I mentioned athlete’s foot; it is really ringworm of the feet. There are other fungi of all kinds that thrive on dampness and warmth. Make sure that any concurrently occurring fungal infections – like athlete’s foot and ‘jock itch’ are both treated, so that the infection is not bounced from one area to another.

You want to avoid drug overuse, especially long courses of antibiotics and cortisones. Broad spectrum antibiotic and steroid drug use can kill friendly digestive flora and lower immune defense allowing fungus micro-organisms to keep growing.

Is your itchy skin a fungal infection? If it is, the area will be scaly, cracked, bleeding and tender with a bacterial odor. Ringworm, foot and toenail fungus, mouth (thrush) or nail infections and diaper rash in babies have moist thickened skin patches that do not dry out. Candida fungal infections have excessive belching from gas and allergy reactions and persistent headaches. If your feet always burn, it can be a sign of low iron as well as a fungal infection.

Now not to scare you, but just to inform you, there is even a fungus that has reportedly killed about 10 people in the Northwestern U.S. after an infection with C. gatti (Kathleen Doheny from WebMD Health News April 23, 2010)

This fungus has been dubbed a ‘killer fungus’ and has infected more than 50 people in the U.S. according to the CDC and is expected to spread from the Pacific Northwest where it first surfaced.

But there really isn’t any call for alarm, just concern and awareness. This fungus first surfaced in Canada in 1999 and appeared in the U.S. in Washington in early 2006. Since then, cases have reportedly occurred in Oregon and Northern California.

The fungus species triggering the infection is Cryptococcus gatti, which can cause pneumonia or meningitis. It is an air-borne fungus that is associated with certain tree species. It cannot be transferred from person to person. While it is a microbial pathogen that can cause significant illness and even death, it is very uncommon.

What Can I Do?

For thrush implement good oral hygiene practices. Rinse the mouth with diluted tea tree oil solution. Keep bathroom cup and toothbrush clean. Soak toothbrush in grapefruit seed extract solution.

For ringworm and impetigo: pat on vinegar, or garlic vinegar or a strong goldenseal-myrrh tea; apply a basil poultice to a ringworm patch; take Epsom salts baths for 20 minutes.

For athlete’s foot and toenail fungus: Keep feet and shoes aired and dry; change socks daily; go barefoot as much as possible and where appropriate; dab with vinegar daily; apply baking soda daily and soak your feet in warm Epsom salts water for 10 minutes; dry then apply witch hazel; expose affected areas to sunlight every day possible.

What to Eat?

You want to eat lots of cultured foods like yogurt, tofu and kefir to promote healthy intestinal flora and full nutrient absorption; add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; increase dietary protein for fastest healing; sea foods and sea veggies, sprouts, eggs, soy foods, poultry and whole grains. Drink 6 glasses of water; avoid foods that promote fungal growth environment – sugary foods are the big ‘baddie’ here, but red meats, dairy foods, cola drinks, caffeine and fried foods can promote fungus as well.

Reduce carbohydrates during healing – no pasta, pastries, breads, nuts and all sugary foods. Veggie carbs are OK!

Fungal skin infections can be spread by shared towels and bathtubs. Disinfect shower area and wash towels regularly. Use different towels to dry off the infected skin area. (You don’t want to spread it to yourself.)