Toenail fungus or onychomycosis refers to a fungal infection that affects the nails. It may affect one or more fingernails or toenails. Nail fungal infections mostly affect adults who are above 60 years old and those who suffer from medical conditions like nail psoriasis or trauma, diabetes, a weakened immune system, and athlete’s foot.
Causes
A toenail fungus is most often caused by dermatophytes, a certain group of fungi. It is less commonly caused by other microorganisms like yeasts and molds. Fungi do not require sunlight, and they usually thrive in a warm and moist environment. This is why people who like to swim much or who have sweaty feet may be more prone to getting infected with nail fungal infections. Fungi are so tiny that they can easily get through tiny cuts on the skin or through a space between the nail and nail bed.
Nail fungus is more prevalent in toenails than fingernails. This is because of the environment inside the shoes. The toes experience less blood flow compared to the fingers. This makes it hard for the immune system to prevent the infection.
Symptoms
Toenail fungal infections cause a nail to end up having the following: become white, yellow, or brown, become thick and distorted in shape, become separated from the nail bed, become brittle, weak, and crumbly, and become painful.
Most of the time, nail fungal infections do not become serious nail conditions when they are treated properly. But this infection can cause a major problem in some individuals such as those who suffer from diabetes and a weakened immune system.
Treatment
Once the doctor has diagnosed you with a nail fungal infection, this requires a nail fungus treatment. The doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal medication (such as terbinafine and itraconazole) based on the microorganism that caused the infection. When you are not capable of taking oral medication and the symptoms are mild to moderate, a topical nail fungal medication may be prescribed instead.
1All about the Indian Gum
The edible gum or Indian gum is a natural gum that is extracted from acacia trees. This is often obtained from the mountainous areas of the Middle East. It is also known to grow all over Africa and the Indian subcontinents. It is also called Acacia gum and Tragacanth gum. The Tragacanth gum is secreted naturally from the roots and stem of the acacia tree. This is collected and dried into flakes or crystals. The edible gum is odorless and tasteless, but it is water-soluble. It is also known to possess both cooling and warming properties.
In Ayurvedic medicine, this gum is called gond katira. It is famous for cooling you down during the hot summer months. It is also popular as an energy and immune system booster. This dissolvable gum is usually mixed with milkshakes or lemonades to fend off the heat and avoid heatstroke or sunstroke.
What makes the gond katira unique is that it is the only gum that does not stick to itself. It is also a popular ingredient in many cosmetic products mainly because it does not dry up when it gets exposed to the air.
Nutritional Value
The gond katira contains the following nutrients: carbohydrates, fiber, fats, hydrates, and sodium. Moreover, this gum is also rich in protein and folic acid, which can help in the prevention of many health conditions.
As an Antifungal / Antimicrobial
Edible gums are flakes or tears of dried sap or exudates of many types of trees and shrubs. Many of these gums are known for their ability to help alleviate infections such as sore throat, dysentery, diarrhea, wound, gum, and kidney infections. This is primarily because of the gum’s higher resistance to microbial attacks, apart from the gum’s biodegradability, non-mutagenic nature, non-toxic, and natural availability.
Other Health Benefits
It’s high time we know the many health benefits of the Indian gum:
Boosts the body’s energy level
If you easily become weak or tired with minimal physical exertion, then you better use gond katira. You may opt to take the gum with your milk and sugar in the morning. Doing so will make you refreshed throughout the day.
Helps with weight loss
The Indian gum is loaded with fiber and other properties that boost the body’s metabolism. With its high fiber content, you are assured of more satiety and a reduced frequency of hunger pangs. The body’s increased metabolic rate requires increased energy levels. This means a lesser amount of calories become converted to fat. This means that if you are on a weight management diet, the Indian gum can help a lot.
Prevents heat stroke
As mentioned earlier, the gond katira contains both heat-producing and cooling properties. All you have to do is soak Indian gum in milk and water and prepare a drink like the one you can find in the Middle East. This will be able to protect you from heat stroke when you are out in the sun. The gond drink is also great for children since this will help prevent nosebleeds during the summer.
Contains anti-aging properties
Gond contains phenomenal anti-aging properties, making it a great ingredient for many facial masks. You just need to soak some gond in water overnight. Have this strained out in the morning. Then add 1 egg white, and 1 tbsp milk, and then mix all of these ingredients until you produce a smooth paste before this is applied to the face. Rinse this after 20 minutes.
Works as an aphrodisiac for men
Drinking gond soaked in water and mixed with sugar is a great way to increase one’s libido and improve men’s sexual performance.
Helps with constipation
The Indian gum is a great laxative. It can help ease bowel movement. If you frequently suffer from constipation, you will benefit a lot from taking the Indian gum daily.
Provides heat to the body
Gond katira is also popular during the winter due to its potent heat-generating properties. These are a by-product of gond’s high-calorie value. You must stick with only a single serving of this Indian gum.
The gond is also a popular ingredient in the production of watercolors, glues, pastels, and others.
