You have an itch; it is permeating your skin, affecting and discoloring your nails, and creeping between your toes. Maybe you have the classic “jock itch” or your baby has unusually bad diaper rash. Any of these scenarios or any red, itchy patch on the skin can indicate a fungal infection. Fungal infection of the skin is most common in moist areas, and areas the skin comes into contact with itself. Oral thrush in babies and thrush on the breastfeeding mother’s nipples are both common fungal infection. Nursing mothers with a Candida infection will experience pain while feeding and red, puffy nipples. A baby with thrush will have white creamy patches on the tongues and inner cheeks that may bleed when scraped. If your nails or between your toes are being attacked by fungus, they can become discolored and swollen, and the nails may become raised up above the surface of the nail bed. Ringworm is another common fungal infection that persists in the scalp and on the skin. Ringworm is characterized by small red spots that grow to be the size of about one quarter inch in diameter. As the inner ring heals, the outer ring remains inflamed, red, scaly, and itchy. If fungal infections persist for you, understand that they are a common sign of a depressed immune function. They also persist if you are on certain prescription drugs, such as oral contraceptives or antibiotics. People that perspire heavily or are obese are also more commonly affected by fungal infections of the skin. Fortunately, there are several ways you can treat these infections in conjunction with your doctor’s recommendations. Here are a few:

Tea Tree Oil

Tee tree oil is a natural antifungal for external use on the skin. It can be applied to the affected area of the skin several times a day, with full strength, or diluted with water. You can add black walnut extract to the oil to make an extra powerful treatment.

Honey & Garlic Treatment

Apply honey to the affected area for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove. Apply crushed garlic to the affected area for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove. Keep alternating applying honey and garlic to the affected area until symptoms improve. Garlic is a very strong and effective topical antifungal, and neutralized most fungi.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A aids in the healing of the skin and mucous membranes. Increase your vitamin A intake to help overall skin health, and to get over the inflammation of the infection faster.

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