Fungal Infection Treatment in Ooty

Hill-Climate Fungal Infections and Their Treatment

Ooty’s fungal problems look different from the plains. Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus are the commonest, from feet that stay damp all day in the estates and on wet streets; tinea of the body hides under woollens worn for weeks; and in the boarding schools, scalp ringworm in children spreads through shared combs and pillows and is easily mistaken for dandruff. Pityriasis versicolor, the pale flaky patches of the plains, is seen in those who travel down for work.

A scraping examined with potassium hydroxide under the microscope confirms the fungus at the first visit and tells scalp ringworm from dandruff, body tinea from eczema, and versicolor from early vitiligo, which is a common worry in the hills. Nails are examined and clipped for testing when they are thick or discoloured.

Treatment matches the site. Body and groin tinea need four to eight weeks of prescription oral and topical antifungals; scalp fungus in children always needs an oral course, because creams cannot reach the hair root; nail infections need months. Steroid-combination creams, which Dr. Maria Pavithra and the Ooty team see on almost every mistreated rash, are stopped at once.

Prevention in the hills is about drying: a second pair of socks for the afternoon, shoes dried overnight, woollens aired and washed, combs not shared in dormitories. Families and dorm-mates with a rash are treated together, or the infection simply circulates.

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