Almost every third person has nail fungus on his feet. The disease is called onychomycosis and causes the delamination and crumbling of the nail plate. Of onychomycosis can occur at any age require timely and proper treatment under expert guidance.
What is onychomycosis?
Onychomycosis - a fungal infection of the nail plate. The disease can be caused by the fungi dermatophytes or microspores. Fungi that negatively affect the building of the Base of the nail keratin and gradually the eating, the cause of the deformation changes.
The following types of onychomycosis:
- Normal scars. Change the color of the nail, streaks and spots.
- Hypertrophic. There is not only a change of color, but also easy to deformation. Most often, the nail becomes deformed with the edges.
- Onicholocheskiy. The nail is destroyed, the atrophy and rejected.
Fungal infections can cause deformity of the nail to the free edge of the sides and at the back of the cushion. As the disease process affects the entire nail plate.
Reasons
Fungus of the toe nail occurs not only due to low immunity. About 70% of people infected with a sick person, and this is often relative. The smallest scales of the skin of the feet fall on household items, and in contact with the healthy tissue of the nail or the skin, to infect a healthy person.
Infection occurs most commonly through:
- Washcloths.
- Sponge.
- Towels.
- Mattresses.
- Shoes.
- Manicure accessories.
When you visit the beach, saunas and baths without Slippers there is a high risk of infection with a fungus of the feet. High humidity and temperatures, infection occurs much more frequently.
Especially careful it is necessary to be in public places where people walk barefoot. Fungi resistant to low and high temperatures and sand on the beach, they retain their viability for several months.
The slightest wound or abrasion on the leg through contact with infected objects can cause onychomycosis. It is not necessary to continue wearing the shoes for other people, even if the external manifestations of fungus they detected. They can be carriers of pathogenic organisms, and with strong immunity, the disease does not manifest.
Signs
The initial stage of fungus of the feet is manifested by dryness and peeling. At this time, people may not notice the visual changes of the nail plates, but he suffers from itching and burning in the fingers. Gradually increase the sweating, in rare cases, there are blisters and corns. With the introduction of the fungus, and the nail is beginning to change their color, they become brittle and cracked.
Pass it under the microscope contains a mixture of and void. The feet become smelly, but General symptoms increases.
In severe cases, body temperature rises and there is severe painwhich does not move normally. Looks like fungus of the nails, and what changes characteristic largely depends on the type and strength of the human immune system.
The fungi dermatophytes appear yellow longitudinal stripes, yeast - cause flaking of the nail plate yellowing. Mold – the cause of superficial lesions of the nail plate, which can be yellow, brown, blue or green.
Description of the disease in different species of fungi are different, but there are common symptoms.
They include:
- The color change of the nail plates.
- Itching and burning of the skin of the fingers.
- Lines and points under the nails.
- The crumbling and destruction of the nails on the sides.
- Redness of the skin around the nails.
- Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the toenail).
The disease begins with lesions of the nail of the little finger or big toe, after which there is infection of all the plates. There is a cornification of the nail, it thickens and crumbles. Fungal infections usually affect adult men and elderly people and children, they are very rare.
The treatment is engaged in the dermatologist or mycologist. For an accurate diagnosis is not enough visual inspections, and required laboratory studies. For this small part of the nail sent for microscopic examination. After the detection of the fungus establish their position with the help of the nutrients in the porridge.
Despite the fact that most diseases of the nail plates in the adult, it is fungus, there are many pathologies with similar symptoms. The defeat of the nail fungus can cause similar symptoms but requires different treatment. It is a felon, or an acute purulent inflammation of the fingers, requiring surgery.
How to treat nail fungus?
Do not expect that the fungus will pass on their own. How much longer a person suffers from this disease, the more difficult it will be to further treatment.
The duration of treatment and choice of medication depends on:
- Stage of the disease.
- The extent of the damage to your nails.
- Clinical forms of the disease.
The initial stage of nail fungus and foot will require the use of local remedies, which may be in the form:
- Solutions.
- Ointments fungus.
- Creams.
- Bows.
To apply preparations for external use, preferably after keratolytic treatment of the nail plate.
Before each treatment, the application of medicine is necessary:
- To make soap-soda bath. In a small bathroom add a tablespoon of baking soda and salt and 50 g of soap. Keep your feet in the solution for about 15 minutes.
- To treat damaged nails. With a special nail file the top layer of the nail eroding, so the drug is better absorbed.
- Apply the medication. The product is applied to clean, dry nails and the skin around them.
When you use solutions, ointments and creams, the drug is applied 2-3 times a day, happy – 2 times a week. The course of treatment determined by the doctor depending on the existing damage.
If the nail plate is completely shocked and the local remedies did not have a positive impact, it is recommended to combine them with a system antimykotika.
Systemic medications have a long list of contraindications and should be appointed by the attending physician. Most of them are prohibited to be taken during pregnancy and lactation, in childhood and in chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys.
In severe cases, the under-nail fungus can require removal of the nail plate. The procedure can be done as surgically, and with the help of the keratolytic which contain salicylic acid and urea.
Removal of the affected nail keratolytic patches vary from your convenience. After steaming foot patch gently applied to the affected nail plate and sealed with adhesive plaster. In a few days the plaster is removed, reducing the affected areas of the plate, causing one of the antifungal medications. The procedure can be carried out several times.
During the treatment it is important to exclude the risk of repeated self-infection. This entire Shoe is treated with a special disinfectant solution. From the stockings which were worn before the treatment, it is better to get rid of. In the future, each month, a second treatment of footwear and clothing. If you refuse this procedure, after a short time the fungus may appear.
Symptoms and fungus treatment is completely individual and at the first sign of this disease you must consult a doctor. Only he will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and choose an effective remedy. Otherwise, the fungus will spread to other nails and completely destroy them.