It is no secret that modern people are at risk of becoming infected with onychomycosis every day. Toenail and nail fungus is very insidious and can be caught anywhere. But many have no idea how to recognize it and how to get it out. Infection occurs by obtaining a fragment of skin or nail plate from the patient. As you will only notice the first signs of nail fungus after a long time, identifying the source itself is not an easy task. In this situation, self-medication is not recommended, it is best to discuss the symptoms and treatment with a dermatologist immediately, otherwise irreversible processes may start.
Fungus under nails and fingers is one of the most common infectious diseases, whose development is caused by epidermophytes (microorganisms). It can be recognized by the presence of obsessive itching sensations, as well as deformation of the nail. It acquires a yellowish hue and characteristic stains with scales on the surface.
Some people get scared just thinking about this disease. In the first manifestations, they dig up a lot of literature and, in panic, rush to the hospital to get an explanation. After all, they are concerned with:
In this article, we will try to answer the questions posed. The treatment of nail onychomycosis is long-term and requires a competent and responsible approach.
Frivolity and irregular use of pharmaceutical preparations will lead to a lack of adequate results. Therefore, drug treatment of the fungus must be carried out strictly according to the course prescribed by the specialist.
The treatment regimen for nail fungus detected on the feet should include topical treatment of the affected areas and the use of oral medications (swallowing).
The main forms and causes of infection
Close communication with a ringworm or contact with their shoes is a direct pathway to infection and subsequent nail fungus treatment, which is always accompanied by questions: how to defeat nail fungus and what are the most effective remedies for him. Also, a similar nuisance can happen in crowded places, which are extremely convenient for successful living and parasite propagation, here the fungus appears very quickly. These include various sports complexes, swimming pools, saunas. But most of the time colonization of the fungus on the feet occurs in lovers of tight and closed models of shoes, as well as in people who suffer from excessive sweating. Doctors say that most types of fungi prefer moist conditions with a neutral and slightly alkaline environment.
In some cases, toenail fungus appears after the next visit to the salon where you had your pedicure procedure. This can occur due to the negligent attitude of the salon masters in relation to their attributions, from which they do not follow the elementary rules for processing the instrument used.
The appearance of fungus under the nails in childhood is a rare phenomenon, adult men and women are more susceptible to it. This fact is explained by the decrease in the body's defenses and the deviation of the skin's pH from normal due to increasing age. The reasons why nail fungus appears on the feet may be different. But most of the time, toenail ringworm manifests itself in the context of the following deviations:
- Problems in the working of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Thyroid disorders;
- Endocrinological diseases;
- Adrenal dysfunction.
People addicted to tobacco and alcoholic beverages are also at risk of becoming the owner of a nail fungus. How to identify nail fungus? It's very simple. The signs of nail fungus are a change in color to brown, white, yellowish or other shades. Its color will be influenced by a specific pathogen, it could be a yeast, mold or dermatophyte.
The nail blade will become brittle and will start to disintegrate, then it will become keratinized. After a while, you'll see for yourself how the nail fungus manifests itself. Growths will appear, as they are neglected, will increase in size and interfere with therapy. Unfortunately, in the first stage, many are not even aware of the presence of the disease, the toenail fungus symptoms are not expressed. But later on, it quickly destroys the nail plate, and neglected toenail ringworm already requires complex treatment.
Preventive measures for infection with onychomycosis
You should be aware that all fungi are extracellular parasites, distinguished by their special vitality. Their spores can withstand extremely low and high temperatures (-60°C - +100°C), many of them are not afraid to use 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 infect the limbs is in family members with onychomycosis who have nail fungus. Dermatophyte transmission occurs through the sharing of household items, but there are many other ways to obtain the fungus as well.
The prevention of nail fungus involves a number of simple conditions:
- Only wear your own shoes;
- If shoes get wet, they should be dried and only then put on;
- Remove porous textured bathroom rugs;
- Change your socks regularly to clean them;
- After bathing, dry your feet, paying special attention to the area between your toes;
- Use therapeutic and prophylactic antifungals for the treatment of toenails after procedures with water;
- Use personal care products (scissors, files);
- Avoid conditions of increased sweating and dryness, which leads to early treatment of various foot injuries (cracks, abrasions, calluses);
- Boost your body's defenses.
As for public places, to avoid catching the fungus on the nails, try to wear flip-flops on the beaches and closed shoes in the swimming pools.
When someone who lives with you in the same apartment starts treating emerging toe nail fungus, to prevent the spread of infection, make sure you clean the bathroom after that. To fight spores, you can use, for example, chloramine in equal proportions with the detergent. After application, the mixture is left for 30 minutes and then removed.
There are many reasons for the appearance of the fungus and it is necessary to eliminate it by any means. The treatment of ringworm of the toenails also provides for a special treatment of the patient's clothing, including socks. They can be boiled for about twenty minutes in a 2% soda and soap solution and then ironed. It is recommended to regularly treat pedicure scissors with alcohol.
The main symptoms of onychomycosis in the legs
How to recognize nail fungus? In this situation, in the initial stage of the infection, the individual is faced with excessive dryness and characteristic scaling of the feet, which may be accompanied by intense itching and reddish discoloration of the skin. In practice, the symptoms of nail fungus differ in a wide variety, typical for each specific case.
The development of the disease can begin with slight desquamation in the folds between the fingers. If there is a lot of sweating, diaper rash will appear. Sometimes small itchy blisters are added to the above. The color and shape of the toenails change. The parasitic spores tend to penetrate deeper, while forming a yellowish streaked spot on the nail. You can also recognize nail fungus by brittle and cracked nail plates, a void forms under them.
It is very important to treat nail onychomycosis, as with a particularly severe course of the disease, the body temperature can rise and any movement is also difficult.
If you have an itchy, cracked, and dry nail fungus, start treatment immediately.
Seek help from a dermatologist, they know what a fungus is and how to accurately determine nail fungus, and will also tell you the best comprehensive treatment. Sometimes, at first, it's enough to use several antifungal foot sprays, powders or gels, but when you see the fungus under the nail, it's serious.
Not everyone knows that the concomitant diseases of ringworms are eczema and psoriasis, which are even more difficult to remove. So if you still have doubts about whether it's worth it and whether it's possible to cure nail fungus, remember these two terrible diseases, whose consequences are more dire.
onychomycosis treatment
Today, experts will teach you how to quickly cure nail fungus and how to properly treat it at home. For this, there are several modern medicines. They should be consumed according to dosage and regularly. Recently, the pulse therapy method has proven to be excellent for treating toenail fungus. The treatment of the disease occurs in a short period of time with the use of antifungal agents in shock doses, while side effects are minimized. It is characterized by rather long intervals between courses. Pulse therapy is used for critical conditions when you no longer know how and how to get rid of nail fungus.
In addition, a dermatologist will advise on how to treat onychomycosis using various films, varnish coatings or special ointments based on the fungicidal agents. He will prescribe competent treatment, even if the nail fungus has already passed from the big toe to the others. But, unfortunately, medications do not always solve the problem, and the question of how to deal with nail fungus remains relevant. In fact, to obtain the desired effect and speed up the treatment of nails, it is necessary to initially identify the type of pathogen and the extent of its spread. The test results obtained are a guarantee of how to treat nail fungus. And only after that should you start buying expensive medicines.
Sometimes it happens that you have to remove the nail surgically. Don't 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 that have been proven over the years. If you're still thinking about how to treat nail fungus, try some of them.
celandine treatment
Celandine is a common herb with a rich array of medicinal properties. In addition to useful substances, it also contains toxic substances. They are necessary for the treatment of parasitic infections, as they quickly eliminate harmful microorganisms. You can use medicinal herbs in different ways:
Now you know how to recognize nail fungus and also how an insidious infection starts. We really hope that our article will be helpful to you and help you to deal quickly with this disease. Remember that the faster we treat the identified disease, the more effective the expected result will be. Furthermore, the correct approach to the treatment process will save you a lot of precious time and "it won't cost you much".
Be healthy!