Fungus is an infectious disease that most commonly affects the nails or skin of the legs. You are easily infected and the danger is almost everywhere. Since the fungus is essentially an infection, it lives mostly in public places. To rule out the possibility of infection, it is important to know how the pathology is transmitted to humans.
How the infection happens
The disease always originates in a humid environment. The main reason will be the constant sweating of the legs.Statistics show that a large number of parasites have been observed in public places, such as saunas, baths, swimming pools, etc.Drying shoes or feet is unlikely to destroy the infectious pathogen.
Ask how contagious the fungus is, and it can be said that the disease is easily spread from person to person. It is almost impossible to insure against such diseases. Many pathogens exist in public places where people walk barefoot. This means that if a healthy person steps barefoot on a surface the infected person was standing on before, the disease will start to develop immediately in the presence of an irritant.
The fungus is highly resistant to various damaging factors, so it can stay on surfaces for a long time. On beaches, the fungus is less common because salt water destroys pathogens, but the risk of infection remains. Remember to always wear only your indoor slippers, socks and shoes.
First Signs of Nail Fungus and Its Symptoms
Foot mycosis is always in its developmental stage, so if you pay attention to your physical condition, you can see the first signs of toenail fungus even in the early stages.Different stages of fungi have different characteristics. If the first stage of the disease can still be skipped due to inattention to oneself, the latter obviously makes one feel. Consider symptoms that appear in the early stages:
- Small dots appear on healthy nails that are not the same color as the rest of the plate;
- Over time, the spots start to grow and become white spots and streaks;
- Later, the spots become larger, and the nail plate loses its luster;
- The plate is yellow and sometimes turns blue or green.
How to identify pathology at home
If your nail is discolored and loose, it doesn't necessarily mean a fungus has infected it.How does toenail fungus start? To identify fungal infections at home, iodine and potassium permanganate are used.
- potassium permanganate.The process is very simple and doesn't require much free time. Pour warm water into a bowl and add potassium permanganate to make the solution weaker. Lower your legs into your pelvis and wait 10 minutes, at which point the healthy nail plate will turn brown and the fungus-infected nail plate will remain intact.
- iodine.Unfortunately, this tool does not identify fungal pathogens on the legs. But iodine will be shown to rule out other types of fungi, including pityriasis versicolor. If there is redness, peeling, etc. around the nail, treat it with iodine. Healthy tissue doesn't get much darker, but affected tissue gets a fairly dark shade.
treat
Treatment of foot fungus begins with diagnosis. First, a dermatologist performs a visual inspection, followed by a laboratory test.Do not forget that it is impossible to stop treatment after the first improvement, because the fungus is very resistant, so the disease can develop again.
topical treatment
Creams, ointments, lotions, sprays, medicinal varnishes are used as topical preparations. This medication works well to relieve symptoms and destroy superficial lesions. Because of its absolute safety, the means are actively used in childhood, during pregnancy. Topical therapy is particularly effective in the early stages of pathology.
drug
Taking medication increases the effectiveness of topical fungal treatments. The tablet penetrates the blood and kills the fungus from the body.But this approach has a number of obvious drawbacks.First, the drugs have many contraindications, and second, they have side effects. It is not possible to take these drugs in all situations. Funding, however, is the only solution that will help resolve advanced cases. To enhance the therapeutic effect, local remedies, medicines and traditional medicines are used together.
Laser Treatment
Laser therapy is becoming more and more popular.The technology has recently been implemented and its effectiveness has been proven.Laser therapy has the following benefits:
- The treatment is safe and the beam only treats the affected tissue. After the event, only healthy tissue remains.
- The procedure is painless and well tolerated by patients.
- Significant improvement after the first treatment.
- About 4 procedures are sufficient for a positive result.
The use of lasers saves patients from taking harmful drugs and lengthy treatment procedures.
Operation
In some cases, the affected nail needs to be removed completely.Surgery is performed to completely stop the further spread of the infection. This procedure can improve the effectiveness of using local funds. Nail removal is possible with a special formula. For experts, it is important to be careful. Avoid getting this substance on your skin, which could cause chemical burns.
Keratolytic patches may help remove nail plates. A tool like this can soften the nails nicely for easy removal. Plasters are more popular because of their dense texture. Therefore, the doctor will reduce the likelihood that the substance will enter the skin. The patch softens the nails in 2 days, other products last 4 days.
Neglected Forms of Treatment
With the development of toenail fungus, you should not despair, it is enough to follow these rules:
- Identify and eliminate the cause of the infection.
- Constantly sanitize shoes and even replace all shoes. Buy an antifungal shoe spray.
- Update socks.
- Pass all necessary tests and follow the treatment regimen prescribed by your dermatologist.
- Follow all dietary restrictions.
Treatment at this stage should be carried out in a complex manner. In addition to local remedies, they connect effective medicines that act on the fungus from within and use traditional medicines. For the latter, you need to be careful and take into account existing allergic reactions to one or the other ingredient.
various forms of fungal diseases
Foot fungi are divided into several types, depending on the pathogen. Notable among these types are:
- Erythromycosis.Symptoms of this type are peeling skin, dryness, excessive sweating, cracked and broken nails.
- Epidermophytosis.Fungi damage nails by destroying the keratin in them. This fungus is difficult to cure, it is resistant to low temperatures, preservatives, drying and other manipulations. For a long time, the fungus is able to reproduce. Signs of this form are reddening of the skin, severe itching, peeling, and loss of the base of the nail.
- Candidiasis.The disease is caused by several fungi. The nail plates of the 3rd and 4th fingers are affected. The initial phase is characterized by mild inflammation. Afterwards, edematous connections, changes in shape and thickness cause the stratum corneum to begin to tear away. After such a process, the fungus enters the bed itself and spreads over the entire area of the nail. In this case, the development of onychomycosis begins.
prevent disease
Doctors and scientists say there are about 1. 5 million species of mushrooms in the world. Only half of them have been studied, and treatment options for them are rather complex.The ideal solution is only laser therapy, which will have a beneficial effect on any type of fungus.
To prevent contracting this unpleasant disease, it is important to follow the rules of prevention. Measures to prevent pathology are quite difficult but do not require financial costs. There are two main ways to protect yourself from toe fungus:
- Personal hygiene and precautions in public places;
- Prevention with the help of special medicines.
If you enjoy going to common places like a bath, sauna, or swimming pool, be sure to wash your feet thoroughly when you get home.Also, dry your feet as the fungus is very hardy and especially likes damp conditions. Buy socks made only from cotton fabrics. The material absorbs moisture well and releases it when the feet start to sweat. When feet in closed shoes sweat profusely, ventilate them regularly if possible.
If you go to the store to buy shoes, bring your own footprints or socks from home, and don't try shoes barefoot or use public footprints. Get regular foot care, such as pedicures and other treatments. Do not use shared hygiene products. You must bring your own towel. Well, if someone in your household has a foot fungus infection, do everything possible to avoid contact with it, assign personal household items to the patient.