Likely, you don’t give enough attention to your toenails until such time that they exhibit a problem. Healthy toenails are usually pink, smooth, and shiny. A fungal infection may cause the nails to become thick, distorted, crumbly, brittle, and at times even painful. Toenail infection is also known as onychomycosis. This condition is common, but it is hard to treat.
Causes of Nail Fungus
Nail fungal infections are often caused by fungi that belong to the group called dermatophytes. These usually infect the skin underneath the nail. Another common cause is yeast or mold. Toenails are the most infected due to the contact between the feet and any damp surface like pools and locker rooms and also because of the environment inside the shoes.
Some people are more prone to nail fungus infections, such as those who are diabetic, suffer from a circulation disorder, a nail injury, or a weakened immune system, among others.
Symptoms of Nail Fungus
Nail fungus systems may take time to develop. That’s why the symptoms are not noticed at first. Some of the most common symptoms are white spots on the nails, darkening, clouding, or discoloration of the nail, nail thickening, nail distortion, having brittle, crumbly, or ragged nails on the edges, sudden dullness of the nail, nail separation from the nail bed, pain originating from the tips, and sometimes foul odor from the infected area.
Treatment Options
A clinical diagnosis that often requires a nail sample to be sent to a lab for fungal culture will determine the right nail fungus treatment. More often, the doctor will prescribe oral antifungal medications, which could last from 6 to 12 weeks. Topical antifungals may also be recommended which may take the form of nail polish, cream, or ointment. The doctor may also recommend taking both oral antifungals and topical ones. For severe cases of nail infection, nail removal may be recommended by your doctor for a new nail to grow.
1All about the Indian Senna
The senna or Indian senna is a popular herb in the practice of traditional Ayurvedic medicine because of its significant medicinal and therapeutic properties that can be applied to both traditional and modern systems of medicine. This leguminous herb grows annually. It is primarily cultivated due to its flowers, pods, fruit, and leaves. These all have extensive uses in creating herbal formulations. Herbal teas and extracts that come from Indian senna have been used as a laxative and stimulant in Ayurveda. This plant is native to Egypt, but it is now being cultivated around the world including the countries of India and also the Arab and African countries. Today you can find senna sold over the counter as a supplement for constipation, but it is also used rarely in weight loss drinks and pills. Some of the English names for this plant are Alexandrian Senna and Senna Alexandria. It also has various names in the Indian subcontinent.
Traditional Use
There are 9th-century writings that describe how the herb was used by Arabian physicians. A rare Egyptian medical papyrus that dates back to the 16th century BCE, senna was prescribed by many physicians due to their distinguished impact. Native Americans in North America also used seeds or pods as a remedy for sore throat. Cherokees used the bruised root and moistened it with water and used it for dressing sores. This is also used as a herbal tea which will help get rid of fevers whose side effects include black spots and paralysis.
Treatment Forms
Indian senna can be taken as a leaf or pod tea. All you have to do is to pour hot water to ½ to 2 grams or a quarter of a teaspoon of crushed Senna herb. Let the concoction steep for 10 minutes before straining it.
Another form of senna treatment is a senna leaf or pod tincture. When taken traditionally, it requires 2 to 3ml of the tincture to be taken 2 to 3 times daily or as directed by your herbal practitioner.
Senna has to be used only as a short-term remedy. Using this for the long term may cause laxative dependence.
As an Antifungal and Antimicrobial
A study has examined the antifungal activity of the senna flower against five fungal species. The methanolic crude extract and its partially purified fractions were found to have antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Candida utilis, Geotricum candidum, as well as local isolates of Penicillium and Aspergillus brevipes species.
Another study also used the herbs of senna for successive extraction with the aid of various solvents. The extracts were then evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against different gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial and fungal organisms using the cup plate technique.
Other Health Benefits
Aside from the aforementioned health benefits of this plant, the following present more reasons for you to take advantage of the Indian senna:
Supports digestive health
Senna contains natural enzymes that aid in the restoration of gastric juice secretions within the stomach. This helps prevent indigestion. When used in the proper dosage, senna has the potential to lessen any irritation in the intestines by improving digestion in general. Senna may also have the anti-inflammatory compound resveratrol which helps in soothing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Works as an Antiparasitic
Senna may also work as a highly effective vermifuge, eradicating parasites and expelling worms from the intestinal tract. Its effectiveness is enhanced with the addition of other anthelmintic herbs which may be used to get rid of tapeworms such as ginger or fennel. All these herbs improve the regularity and lessen the chance of having bowel cramps, thanks to the strong actions of the senna herb.
May Help in Weight Loss
Senna when consumed as a tea may help in weight loss since it flushes out toxins and residual waste matter. This whole thing helps improve weight loss. Much of the weight loss here is water weight. This means that when the tea is consumed it must also be paired with dietary restrictions and regular exercise to achieve the full effect.
Helps in Skin Care
Senna tea could be used in the treatment of wounds, ringworms, and burns, thanks to the resin, tannin, and essential oils that are found in it. The antibacterial properties of the herb may also fight off acne and other skin conditions.
