Not everyone knows what nail fungus is like and can initially diagnose this disease and start treatment. Itching, redness of the skin, peeling and breakage are all signs of this condition. However, there are other diseases with similar symptoms, such as eczema or psoriasis. And even nails can change their appearance not due to a fungal infection, but due to psychological stress or certain diseases of the internal organs. Thus, the final diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after receiving the test results. And the patient's duty is to consult a doctor in time if warning signs appear.
The main symptoms of the fungus
The characteristic symptoms of foot fungus are peeling, and usually of a certain shape in the form of rings or plaques. Sometimes it is so insignificant that such a situation can last for many months, if not years, and at the same time not even cause discomfort. At the same time, some people are trying to fight off such fungal infections on their own. They use folk remedies such as iodine, vinegar and bright green and for a while, the disease really disappears. More specifically, it seems so, but in reality this treatment leads to the fact that the fungus on the feet simply freezes and then continues to multiply when a more favorable condition occurs.
In addition, if at an early stage such a disease is not completely cured, but only the symptoms are removed, then very soon it will spread to the nail and smooth skin. Not to mention, other family members may be infected with the fungal disease.
The degree of damage to the foot fungus depends on many factors. If there are prerequisites such as microtrauma, various pathologies of the endocrine system, diabetes mellitus, if a person undergoes some treatment with glucocorticoids or cytostatics, then all these contribute to the further development of the disease.
At some point the period of relative stability ends and the patient does not see the most attractive image - this is not only peeling of the skin, but also bubbles, cracks in the foot, cleansing. These are all classic symptoms that exist in the later stages of the development of the pathology. At the same time, the initial stage of nail fungus is visible. Although the type of microorganisms can only be examined in more detail with a microscope, their activity is much more noticeable - this is a change in the shape and color of the nails, followed by their thickness and destruction.
Nail fungus and its manifestations
Nail flexibility is manifested in different ways. It all depends on the stage of the disease and the type of fungus is the cause. Normally, nails should be smooth, pink and even shiny. If the condition of the nails is far from the described ideal, then something is happening in the body.
Nails grow at a certain rate. When a person is under pressure, this rate decreases and the nail becomes thinner and weaker. The body then returns to normal and the nails return to their original position from the point of growth markers, but this weak strip on the nail plate remains. And if a person's life is quite nervous, then there can be many such stripes. In addition, onychomycosis (and this is the scientific name for nail fungus) is not the only disease that leads to a change in the color of the nail plate or its shape. Pathologies such as immune deficiencies, hormonal imbalances and other disorders of the endocrine system lead to exactly the same results. This is why it is necessary to carry out a case-by-case analysis.
The appearance of the fungus depends largely on the microorganisms that caused the onychomycosis. And it can be caused by different types. For example, if we are talking about dermatophytes, then the fungus looks like nail blur. This is a manifestation of the initial stage of nail fungus. After that, yellow spots may appear along the edge of the plate and even in the middle. Then longitudinal stripes appear and the nail begins to collapse.
Otherwise, problems caused by yeast occur. In such cases, the nail plate becomes noticeably thinner, acquires a grayish tinge and after some time moves away from its normal position. This is largely due to the fact that metabolism deteriorates in injured cells. At the same time, the grooves that appear on the crease of the nails finally confirm the diagnosis - yeast fungus.
The mold must be mentioned separately. It usually only affects the nail plate, causing turbidity and discoloration; it can be light yellow, greenish, brown or even black.
The peculiarity of these fungi is that they cause only superficial damage and do not penetrate deep inside.
It is clear that the diagnosis can only be made by the treating physician, who will examine all the symptoms and perform tests. Self-medication without going to the doctor is fraught with very unpleasant consequences.
Stages and types of onychomycosis
Given the stages of onychomycosis, many confuse them with the varieties of this disease, of which there are three. This is normotrophic, hypertrophic and atrophic onychomycosis.
For example, with normotrophic onychomycosis, the color of the nails changes, streaks and spots may appear, but its thickness and shine remain normal. Many people think that this is a nail fungus, the initial stage of which is going to develop into a more serious pathology, but in fact the fungus in such conditions responds well to treatment.
With retrograde onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, its shine is lost, the nail itself thickens and deformation occurs, in some cases even destruction along the edges. The onycholytic type is often called atrophic. This is not the same nail fungus, the initial stage of which is expressed in cracks and discoloration, here the treatment will be different, as the affected part of the plaque atrophies.
Treatment of foot and nail fungus
The first thing you need to do with this disease is to see a doctor who will help you choose a drug that meets the following requirements:
- high antifungal activity, which allows you to fight different types of infectious agents.
- a fairly high concentration of the active substance both in the preparation itself and in the surface layers of the skin after its application;
- complex antifungal and antibacterial therapy.
- no contraindications and side effects, including allergic reactions.
- ease of use.
Given these requirements, it is not surprising that the drug selection stage is so important. As a rule, in the absence of complications, drugs based on substances such as ciclopirox and naftifine are used. They are produced in the form of ointments, less often in the form of tablets. In a more severe stage of the fungus, it is recommended that you treat it with drugs based on terbinafine and fluconazole.
The tablets should be taken if ointments and creams for external use do not work. The dosage of the tablets should be checked with the treating physician. As a rule, all these are quite strong treatments, so the course of treatment is about 7-10 days, although there are medications that can be taken even for 3-4 weeks.
The treating physician prescribes such treatment, taking into account what other medications the patient will be taking. These medications can have the side effect of vomiting or dizziness. This is considered valid. Generic drugs are milder than the original, but the effect is small.
Business interventions
Previously, in advanced cases, surgical removal of the affected tissue was performed. This is especially true for nails. Now they use a drill like the one used in dental clinics. Even in the most advanced cases, cutting almost all the nails will take about half an hour. And if the problem is only in one affected nail, then it will only take about 5 minutes.
You do not need to take any extra precautions after the procedure. This procedure does not cause painful sensations, you can follow a normal lifestyle, jog in the morning. It is only important to ensure that the affected areas of the skin are not injured.
A nail treatment with such a preparation is not enough, the same should be repeated at least once more, 3-4 weeks after the first treatment, when the nails grow a little. In general, you need to coordinate the fact that this process is long, it can take a month and if things have gotten enough, then several months. For example, there are cases where for the first 3-4 months a patient performs nail treatment with such a tool every 2-3 weeks and then takes medication for several months.
Are folk remedies effective?
Any doctor will say that traditional medicine prescriptions for such a disease are not effective and even harmful. First, neither vinegar, nor herbs, nor honey, despite their antiseptic agents, actually affect the fungus. Yes, you can hear from friends that some of these recipes have helped to get rid of itching or cracking. Well, then these signs just weren't attributed to the fungus. The same psoriasis or eczema has similar symptoms and is perfectly treated with the above folk methods.
Second, these drugs help to eliminate the signs of the fungus, that is, they cover it for a while and that is enough to infect everyone in the family.
However, the vinegar mentioned above will be effective for other purposes - it can be used to wash bedding and shoes to prevent the fungus from recurring. The only shoes that are not washed but thrown away are slippers at home, because they can not be disinfected. Vinegar can also be used to disinfect the bathtub.