A case study on successful Ayurvedic treatment of Tinea Pedis

Diagnosis

Tinea Pedis over the palmar and plantar aspects of the body.

Patient Presentation

A 43-year-old female was presented with dry scaly skin on the bottom of the foot, with burning and stinging blisters which oozed out the liquid. The itchy, cracked skin and discoloration was due to the severe fungal infection termed Tinea Pedis which was not responding to the previously chosen mode of treatment.

S.No.	Name	Sukhmeet Kaur
1	Age/Sex	43yrs/ Female
2	Blood Group	B +ve
3	Height	5’4”
4	Weight	93 Kg

History

S.No.	Past History	Piles, Cervical
1	Surgical History	None
2	Family History	Father: Kidney Disease Mother: None
3	Allergies	Sinusitis since childhood
4	Obstetric History	None
5	Medications	Homeopathic and Allopathic
6	Hypertension	No
7	Diabetes	No
8	Smoking	No
9	Alcohol/Drug addiction	No
10	LMP	Menopause

History disclosed that the patient suffered for two months. During the treatment, she was under the medications of several dermatologists which showed no improvement in her condition. She was frustrated and opted for an Ayurvedic approach.

General Examination

S.No.	Pallor	Negative
1	Edema	None
2	Cyanosis	None
3	Tender	None
4	Pulse	90/min
5	BP	144/80 mm of Hg

Systemic Examination

S.No.	Respiration	Chest  clear Throat red
1	CVS	S1, S2
2	Bowel sounds	Positive
3	CNS	Well oriented
4	Abdomen	Soft

Ayurvedic Examination

S.No.	Pulse/Nadi	मंद
1	Jihwa	Coated and margined
2	Drik	Weak
3	Mala	Constipation
4	Shabda	सामान्य
5	Sparsha	सामान्य
6	Mootra	सामान्य
7	Akriti	स्थूल

Photographic Examination

 

Investigations

Hematology

S.No.	INVESTIGATION	RESULT	NORMAL RANGE
1	ABS. Eosinophil Count	380/cmm	40-440/cmm

Liver Function Test

S.No.	INVESTIGATION	RESULT	NORMAL RANGE
1	S.G.O.T	30.1u/L	5-40u/L
2	S.G.P.T	37.0u/L	5-40u/L

The reports were normal, but there was an imbalance of  Kapha Dosha and Pitta Dosha in the body.

Discussion

Our presenting case is that of a 43-year-old female with blisters between the toes and on the soles of the feet, which had an itching, burning, stinging sensation and oozed out the foul smelly liquid. Additionally, discolored, thick dry skin on the soles of the feet was present. This disease was poorly managed for two months. Presently, she switched her mode of treatment to Ayurveda and since then the symptoms are managed. 

In an overview, Tinea pedis (Athlete’s foot) is a form of fungal infection which occurs on the feet. Since it is a form of contagious disease, it occurs through an infected person, or by touching the infected surface. The fungus which causes the disease is dermatophyte and its growth is ideal in moist and warm weather conditions. People, who frequently wear closed footwear, sweat heavily, keep their feet wet for a longer duration, and walk barefoot in public places are more prone to this infection. 

According to Ayurveda, Tinea is diagnosed as ‘Dadru’. The basis of Ayurvedic medicine is balancing the Doshas which are Vata Dosha, Pitta Dosha, and Kapha Dosha. The Doshas are formed by the combination of the five elements present in nature, i.e., air, earth, space, water, and fire. The imbalance in Kapha Dosha and Vata Dosha is responsible for this condition. The accumulation of toxins results in the imbalance of these energies. 

The main aim of Ayurveda is to create equilibrium within these Doshas by using naturally aided treatment, along with slight modifications in diet and lifestyle. On top of that, it focuses to identify the root cause of the disease eradicating it with no side effects.

Treatment

The patient was not responding to the western treatment which was the previous mode of treatment. The current treatment included various natural herbs and changes in the diet and lifestyle, with the addition of Yoga and Meditation in the daily routine. She visited the clinic and her treatment was started with the Ayurvedic approach. With every follow-up, her condition started to improve. After 2 months visible changes were seen on her skin.

The following herbal medications were prescribed to the patient as per her condition and bodily needs.

1. Kaya Sodhan Aushadhi
2. Chitrakadi Gulika
3. Triphala Ras
4. Herbal Powder
5. Skin Lapam
6. Arogya Vardhini

The patient was also advised to apply coconut oil to the affected areas.

Furthermore, she was advised to avoid:

1. Wheat products
2. Milk and all dairy products.
3. Fried foods
4. Peanuts
5. Refined oil/Salt/Sugar

Final Outcome

 

A great response was shown on the commencement of the Ayurvedic treatment and the skin condition improved. Her situation significantly showed successful results. The visible changes were seen with the disappearance of blisters and thick /dry scrapings of skin. For a full recovery, the duration of the treatment was three months.