It's no secret that modern people are at risk of being infected with onychomycosis every day. Fungus of toenails and nails is very insidious and can be caught anywhere. But many have no idea how to recognize it and how to withdraw it. Infection occurs by getting a fragment of the skin or nail plate from the patient. Since you will notice the first signs of toenail fungus only after a long time, identifying the source itself is not an easy task. In this situation, self-medication is not recommended, it is better to discuss the symptoms and treatment with a dermatologist immediately, otherwise irreversible processes may begin.
The fungus under the nails and on the fingers is one of the most common infectious diseases, the development of which is provoked by epidermophytes (microorganisms). It can be recognized by the presence of obsessive itching sensations, as well as deformation of the toenail. It acquires a yellowish tint and characteristic spots with scales on the surface.
Some people are scared just by the thought of this ailment. At the first manifestations, they dig up a mass of literature and, in a panic, run to the hospital for explanations. After all, they are worried about:
- How to get rid of toenail fungus?
- Why is toenail fungus dangerous?
- Will it be necessary to remove my toenail in case of fungus?
- What to do if toenail mold appears?
In this article we will try to answer the questions posed. Treatment of nail onychomycosis is long-term and requires a competent, responsible approach.
Frivolity and irregular use of pharmaceutical preparations will lead to a lack of proper results. Therefore, the drug treatment of the fungus should be carried out strictly according to the course prescribed by the specialist.
The treatment regimen for detected nail fungus on your feet must include topical treatment of the affected areas and taking medications orally (by swallowing).
The main ways and causes of infection
Close communication with a carrier of mycosis or contact with his shoes is a direct road to infection and subsequent treatment of toenail fungus, which is always accompanied by questions: how to defeat toenail fungus and what are the most effective remedies for toenail fungus. Also, a similar nuisance can happen in crowded places, which are extremely convenient for successful life and the spread of parasites, here the fungus appears very quickly. These include various sports complexes, swimming pools, saunas. But most often, the colonization of the fungus on the feet occurs in lovers of tight, closed models of shoes, as well as in people suffering from excessive sweating. Doctors say that mostly types of fungi prefer humid conditions with a neutral and slightly alkaline environment.
In some cases, toenail fungus appears after the next visit to the beauty salon in which you performed the pedicure procedure. This can happen due to the negligent attitude of the salon masters to their duties, from which they do not follow the elementary rules for processing the tool used.
The onset of fungus under the nails in childhood is an infrequent phenomenon; adult men and women are more susceptible to it. This fact is explained by a decrease in the body's defenses and a deviation of the pH of the skin from the norm due to an increase in age. The reasons why nail fungus appears on the feet can be different. But most often, mycosis of toenails manifests itself against the background of the following deviations:
- Problems in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Thyroid disorders;
- Endocrinological diseases;
- Adrenal dysfunction.
People with an addiction to tobacco products and alcoholic beverages also risk becoming owners of a nail fungus. How to identify toenail fungus? It's very simple. Signs of toenail fungus are a change in color towards brown, white, yellowish or other shades. Its color will be influenced by a specific pathogen, it can be a yeast, mold or dermatophyte.
The nail plate will become brittle and begin to crumble, then it becomes keratinized. After a while, you yourself will see how toenail fungus manifests itself. Growths will appear, as they become neglected, they will increase in size and interfere with the therapy. Unfortunately, at the first stage, many do not even know about the presence of the disease, the symptoms of fungus on the toenails are not expressed. But subsequently, it rapidly destroys the nail plate, and the neglected mycosis of the nails on your feet already requires a complex treatment.
Preventive measures for infection with onychomycosis
You should be aware that any fungi are extracellular parasites, which are distinguished by their special vitality. Their spores can withstand extremely low and high temperatures (-60 ° C - + 100 ° C), many of them are not afraid of using chemicals when carrying out disinfection measures at home. As mentioned above, foot infections (the most common toenail fungus) can occur anywhere, but the easiest way to get it on the limbs is from family members with onychomycosis who have toenail fungus. Dermatophyte transmission occurs through sharing household items, but there are many other ways to get the fungus as well.
Prevention of toenail fungus involves a number of simple conditions:
- Use only your own shoes;
- If the shoes get wet, they must be dried and only then put on again;
- Remove porous textured floor mats from the bathroom;
- Change socks regularly to clean ones;
- After bathing, wipe your feet dry, while paying special attention to the area between the toes;
- Use therapeutic and prophylactic antifungal drugs for the treatment of toenails after water procedures;
- Use personal hygiene products (scissors, files);
- Avoid conditions of increased sweating and dryness, which leads to untimely treatment of various injuries to the feet (cracks, abrasions, calluses);
- Increase the body's defenses.
As for public places, in order not to pick up the fungus on the toenail, try to wear flip-flops on the beaches, and closed shoes in the pools.
When someone living with you in the same apartment began to treat the emerging nail fungus on their feet, in order to avoid the spread of infection, be sure to clean the bathroom after it. To combat spores, you can use, for example, chloramine in equal proportions with the detergent. After application, the mixture is left for 30 minutes, then removed.
There are many reasons for the appearance of the fungus and you need to get rid of it by any means. Treatment of mycosis of toenails also provides for a special treatment of the patient's linen, including socks. They can be boiled for about twenty minutes in a 2% solution of soda and soap, then ironed. It is recommended to regularly treat pedicure scissors with alcohol.
The main symptoms of onychomycosis on the legs
How to recognize toenail fungus? In this situation, at the initial stage of infection, a person is faced with excessive dryness and characteristic peeling of the feet, which can be accompanied by severe itching and discoloration of the skin to reddish. In practice, the symptoms of nail fungus differ in a wide variety, typical for each specific case.
The development of the disease can begin by unobtrusive peeling in the folds between the fingers. If there is a lot of sweating, diaper rash appears. Sometimes very itchy small blisters are added to the above. The color and shape of the toenails change. Parasitic spores tend to penetrate deeper, forming a yellowish spot with stripes on the nail. You can also recognize toenail fungus by brittle and cracked nail plates, a void forms under them.
It is very important to treat nail onychomycosis, since with a particularly severe course of the disease, the body temperature can rise, and any movement is also difficult.
If you have a toenail fungus that is itchy, cracked and dry, start treatment immediately.
Seek help from a dermatologist, he knows what a fungus is, and how to accurately determine nail fungus, and will also tell you the best comprehensive treatment. Sometimes at the very beginning it is enough to use various antifungal sprays, powders or gels for the feet, however, when you observe the fungus under the toenail, this is already serious.
Not everyone knows that concomitant diseases of mycoses are eczema and psoriasis, which are even more difficult to remove. Therefore, if you still doubt whether it is worth and whether it is possible to cure toenail fungus, remember these two terrible ailments, the consequences of which are more dire.
Treatment of onychomycosis
Today, experts will tell you how to quickly cure toenail fungus and how to properly treat it at home. For this, there are various modern drugs. They must be consumed in accordance with the dosage and regularly. Recently, the pulse therapy method has proved to be excellent for the treatment of toenail fungus. Therapy of the disease takes place in a short time with the use of antifungal agents in shock doses, while side effects are minimized. It is characterized by rather long breaks between courses. Pulse therapy is used for critical conditions, when you no longer know how and how to get rid of nail fungus.
Also, a dermatologist will give advice on how to treat onychomycosis using various films, varnish coatings or special ointments, the basis of which is fungicidal agents. He will prescribe competent treatment, even if the nail fungus has already moved from the big toe to others. But, unfortunately, drugs do not always solve the problem, and the question of how to deal with toenail fungus remains relevant. In fact, in order to get the desired effect and make the nail treatment fast, it is necessary to initially identify the type of pathogen and the extent of its spread. The test results obtained are guaranteed to tell you how to treat toenail fungus. And only after that you should start buying expensive drugs.
Sometimes it happens that you have to remove the nail surgically. Do not worry, the removed nail plate will grow back after a while. And this procedure is absolutely painless.
Antifungal agents
To destroy the fungal pathogen, you need to use special tablets and topical agents, gels and varnishes, medicines to remove the affected nail plate. The most suitable medicine will be recommended by a specialist.
Folk recipes
For lovers of traditional medicine, there are also a large number of effective methods and recipes proven over the years. If you are still thinking about how to treat toenail fungus, try some of them.
Treatment with celandine
Celandine is a common herb with a rich set of medicinal properties. In addition to useful substances, it also contains poisonous ones. They are necessary for the treatment of parasitic infections, as they quickly eliminate harmful microorganisms. You can use medicinal herbs in different ways:
- Fresh Juice. Having plucked celandine, it is necessary to immediately treat the affected skin and nail plates with juice. Let it dry for about five minutes and repeat the procedure. This must be done at least three times.
- Butter. Treatment with celandine oil is carried out by applying it to the infected areas 1-2 times a day until a state of complete remission. Do not be surprised if the nail surface becomes reddish in color - this is absolutely normal.
- Treatment fee. We need: oregano juice, celandine juice and calendula tincture (2: 5: 2). All this is mixed with a small amount of boiled water and applied to the nail plates 3-4 times a day.
Now you know how to recognize nail fungus, as well as how an insidious infection begins. We really hope that our article will be useful to you and help you quickly cope with this disease. Remember that the faster we treat the identified ailment, the more effective the expected result. In addition, the correct approach to the treatment process will save you a lot of precious time and "not fly into a pretty penny. "
Be healthy!