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1.
Overview and Causes|
Fungal infection,
also called tinea, is an infectious mycosis of the skin, due to
a fungal intrusion of the skin, hair, or nails. Common cases include
hand-foot tinea, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea unguium, tinea
capitis and tinea versicolor. It has a high incidence rate in warm
seasons and warm areas. |
2. Symptoms|
(a)
Hand- foot tinea: The skin lesion is in most cases limited to the
palm, sole, and between the toes. It causes itching, burning, and
stinging sensations. The skin between the toes reddens, cracks open,
and crumbles. In extreme long-lasting cases, the toenails may become
infected, discolored, and overgrown. The fungus may spread to underside
of foot, beneath the arch, producing groups of itching blisters
and peeling of the skin.
(b) Nail tinea (onychomycosis): It results mainly from the spreading of hand-foot tinea. Its clinical manifestations include thick growth of the nail edge or the whole nail, with rough and uneven surface, loss of luster, opaqueness of the nail and the colour turning gray. The surrounding cuticle may become red, tender, and swollen, and ooze pus if a bacterial infection accompanies. It is also manifested by crispness of the affected nail, which is often incomplete or misshaped, but painless. (c) Tinea corporis and Tinea cruris: Tinea on the face, neck, torso or limbs is classified as tinea corporis. Tinea cruris refers to those on the inside surface of the upper end of the thigh, including those, which spread to the genital organs or buttocks. It is manifested by ring- shaped or multi-ring-shaped erythemas with clear and prominent boundaries, papular eruptions, vesicles (lesion filled with clear fluid), scabs, which are mostly near the boundaries. The affected area may be extremely itchy. (d) Tinea capitis: This is a kind of surface mycosis on the scalp and hair, found mainly among children. At first, there appear papular eruptions on the hair follicles. These are covered with grayish, or yellowish, or white scales. The scales may join together, or spread separately. The affected hair is dry and crisp, and gradually it begins scaling off unevenly. Later, the hair follicles become damaged, may result in permanent scars. The scalp itches and smells. The course is chronic. Return To Top |
3. TCM Effectiveness
and Evaluation
|
It is the treatment of choice for fungal infection. It has
been successfully used in Asia to treat fungal infection. It can
be used alone, or in conjunction with other methods. However, the
prevention is a very important factor in the treatment process,
because the infection often relapses. |
4.
Common Syndromes and Treatments in TCM
This ailment, according to TCM,
has different syndromes. The treatment for these syndromes using herbal
medicine and acupuncture is shown below.
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(a) Qigong and other therapies
For effect of Qigong on the Nervous System Function, click here. Generally speaking, Qigong is good for healing effect of this specific ailment, however individual results may vary. It improves the flow of the qi and the circulation of the blood, so you'll experience more energy, but, you won't see/ feel any immediate effects, as with many exercises and therapies, it takes a few weeks or even months of practice before you'll see any significant improvements. The following types of Qigong may help:
For the information of different types of Qigong ,just click a link above. This information is for education purpose only. We strongly advise you seek a licensed Qigong master to learn the correct ways to conduct these exercises before attempting them.
(b) Medicated diet Acknowledgments:
We also greatly acknowedge Ms. Najaf Munir, MBBS, for her editorial support. Ms. Munir simplified the highly technical medical documents into easy-to-read documents, for the enjoyment and education of our numerous visitors. |
5. Healing by
Other Therapies
