Fungal diseases on the skin are not always easy to detect; many people do not even suspect that it is not necessary to go to a pool or sauna to “pick up” the pathogen. How to identify foot fungus, what it looks like, what are the routes of infection and how to avoid encountering it?
Of course, there are many fungi that cause skin manifestations. This group of diseases is called mycosis of the feet. They can be roughly divided into dermatomycosis (affect the skin) and onychomycosis (nails).
This is a relative of common mushrooms that parasitizes the skin of humans or animals. It is impossible to see it with the naked eye; the size of the fungus is up to 50 microns.
All fungi that affect the skin can be divided into several groups: they are characteristic only of humans (anthropophilic), they mainly “prefer” animals, but can also live on human skin (zooanthropophilic), Candida fungi are a special group, because these fungi are “ a good neighbor" and do not cause negative symptoms in a healthy person.
The official name for foot fungus is athlete's foot. The causative agent is a saprophytic fungus that normally exists on human skin; it becomes pathogenic when conditions change, for example, uncomfortable shoes, increased sweating, changes in sweat chemistry, changes in pH, abrasion and diaper rash on the skin. Of great importance is the general health of the carrier, his immunity, and the condition of his blood vessels.
The fungus can also affect the groin area (epidermotyphia inguinalis). With it, the fungus affects the groin area and adjacent areas. Fungus between the legs in the groin is most common in middle-aged men.
It is worth mentioning rubrophytia separately. It is called the most common fungal skin disease (70-95% of all cases of mycosis). It affects mainly the soles of the feet, but can be localized in any skin folds where conditions are ideal for it. These are the folds between the fingers, on the body, the area under the vellus hair.
Of course, nothing prevents several types of fungi from having the same host; skin lesions are often combined with nail lesions.
Nail fungus is a common name. Scientific – onychomycosis. This is also a group of diseases caused by dermatophyte fungi. There are several varieties of fungi, but the essence is the same - they all live in the upper layers of the skin, consisting of dead epithelial cells. Their food is keratins, they reproduce by division. There are several forms of the disease, with varying symptoms from mild to severe. The mildest form is normotrophic nail fungus: there are spots on the nails, but the structure and integrity of the nails is fine. Hypertrophic - nails thicken and collapse at the edges. The most severe form is onycholytic. With it, the nail plates atrophy and move away from the bed.
Without treatment, an acute form of the disease is possible, which is classified as acute mycosis. The skin of the legs and feet becomes covered with bright dark pink spots, swells, and blisters filled with pus appear profusely. After opening such a vesicle, erosion remains on the skin. Patches of hyperemic skin extend far beyond the folds and even cover even areas. The patient's temperature rises, the lymph nodes become inflamed, he suffers from headaches, weakness, lethargy, and difficulty moving.
Let's look at them using the example of rubrophytia. If it comes into contact with the skin, it can behave passively for quite a long time. The carrier feels absolutely healthy, but can already infect others. The fungus transforms into a more active, visually noticeable form when conditions change. For example, the carrier’s immunity has decreased (although the triggering of the disease can be caused by many phenomena, from endocrine diseases to failure to comply with hygiene rules after visiting the fitness room).
At the initial stage, the areas affected by the fungus become dry, the skin peels, characteristic scales appear in patches, and the affected area turns red (hyperemia). The most common places are the soles, areas between the toes and hands, and sometimes the toes and ankles. Itching, pain when touching the affected area and other unpleasant sensations appear only when the disease is severely advanced.
At the initial stage, the disease causes cosmetic discomfort; spots on the skin do not look aesthetically pleasing and clearly do not indicate flourishing health. Itchy areas make the victim want to scratch the affected area - this is how the fungus spreads to other parts of the body and household items.
The fungus “prefers” skin folds not because pathogens get there first, but because of the peculiarities of blood circulation - the local temperature is higher, the skin in these areas is thinner.
The fungus between the legs in the groin looks a little different - at first it is small, as if scorched, pink spots of different shapes, depending on the sensitivity of the skin they can be brighter or paler. If left untreated, the hyperemic areas grow, become brighter, and the surface of the skin becomes covered with blisters filled with fluid. The boundaries of healthy and affected skin are separated by areas covered with a reddish rash. The skin at the site of the lesions peels off greatly, cracks, and healthy skin nearby becomes drier. The patient is bothered by itching, which is barely noticeable at first, but becomes more and more obtrusive over time.
The fungus acts not only superficially. The results of his life activity – toxic substances – accumulate in the patient’s blood. And there are some negative consequences for the patient. They can be called the opposite effect: reduced immunity activates the fungus, in turn, the active fungus with its activity further suppresses the immune system. Many people who often suffer from colds and bronchial asthma do not even suspect that their poor health is a consequence of the life of an unpleasant “passenger”.
How to identify fungus on your feet? Unlike many other diseases, mycoses are diagnosed completely painlessly and without any particular difficulties. It is enough to show the presumably affected areas to a dermatologist. To be sure of the type of pathogen (and, accordingly, the correct selection of the drug), he will write out a referral for scraping.
After this, treatment is prescribed. How to remove fungus on the feet and especially on the nails? Ointments and creams, even with the loudest promises, act superficially and are only suitable for mild forms of diseases.
In severe cases, complex therapy is prescribed aimed at relieving inflammation and removing affected, keratinized nail surfaces. If the spots become abundantly wet or there are extensive areas of erosion, the patient is prescribed foot baths with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and boric acid (2%). The skin is soaked, the damaged epidermis is gently removed, then the skin is dried by carefully applying (without wiping) a towel, or allowed to air dry.
Now apply the cream. These are antibiotics and corticosteroids. As soon as the patient’s condition has improved, the baths are completed and the creams are replaced with ointments with the same ingredients. Please note the difference between cream and ointment - at the initial stage, only creams are applied against fungus on the legs.
So which is better, cream or ointment? The difference between these means is at the core. The ointment contains fats and allows the active substances to better penetrate the skin. However, the ointment is not recommended for use on wet areas; this only aggravates the skin condition. If you have moderately weeping skin rashes, a cream is better - a product based on oils and water. It is quickly absorbed and allows the skin to breathe, without blocking airflow like ointment. The affected areas have the opportunity to “dry out”.
If inflammation is not pronounced, there is no erosion, there are no weeping areas, the stage with baths can be omitted. Some patients may need to use keratolytics (agents that remove dead skin layers), such as salicylic petroleum jelly.
Medicines for fungi are sold without a prescription, their names are well-known: Clotrimazole (universal, against all types of fungi), Exoderil (suitable for the treatment of onychomycosis), Nizoral and Lamisil (for yeast mycoses), etc.
The difficulty of their use is that it is necessary to undergo a fairly long course of treatment. There is no “once and done” cream for fungus. The first results can be noticeable within a week, but, as a rule, the duration of therapy is at least 1 month. In addition, without laboratory diagnosis of the pathogen, it is impossible to select the right drug.
All drugs have side effects. In most cases, much stronger agents will be required. You cannot do without the recommendations and guidance of a doctor who will draw up an individual treatment schedule. This is especially important if the nails are affected.
How do fungi get on the skin?
Attention : under suitable conditions, fungi that live on human skin can not only survive for a long time in suitable conditions, but also multiply. They feel especially comfortable in damp, warm conditions without access to sunlight and live on unpainted wooden surfaces.
A number of rules should be followed and the risk of encountering the disease will be significantly reduced:
At high risk are citizens who:
Mechanical damage to the skin and nails themselves cannot provoke the growth of fungus, but with constant minor trauma and increased stress on the feet or hands (for example, in some professions), it is necessary to treat the limbs with an antiseptic, massage and carry out other measures to compensate damage.
Why is it not recommended to self-medicate? The disease really does not look too dangerous, so many patients prefer to turn to folk remedies for foot fungus. However, it should be understood that it is easy to get rid of local symptoms, but not completely from an invisible fungus. If the causative agent of a disease “likes” to multiply on the skin or nails of a particular person, it should be understood that there are general, systemic reasons for this.
Despite the high prevalence of mycosis on the feet, unfortunately, not all people know what it looks like. Foot fungus is an infectious disease of the skin of the legs that occurs in the epidermis as a result of exposure and proliferation of a pathogenic fungus.
Depending on the area affected, foot fungus is divided into epidermycosis and onychomycosis . The age category of infected patients includes both children and adults. Therefore, in order to avoid the development of a chronic form of the fungus, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment when the first signs appear.
According to medical statistics, foot fungus is the most common among all fungal skin lesions. The insidiousness of this disease lies in the fact that it is not difficult to become infected with it, but it is quite difficult to completely cure this disease. This is due to the fact that during the development of the disease, internal infection of the body occurs, which provokes a relapse of the disease.
The most common first signs of this pathological process on the legs are:
Due to the fact that the treatment of foot fungus is a rather complex and protracted process, it is very important to identify the development of the disease in the early stages and begin active multiphase therapy. the signs of fungus on the feet as early as possible .
It is worth noting that in medical practice, interdigital fungal infection is one of the most common subtypes of fungal infections of the feet. The main location of this pathogenic fungus is the space between the toes. In most cases, skin lesions occur between the little and ring fingers.
If you do not intensify therapy aimed at neutralizing the interdigital infection, then in parallel a bacterial infection will begin to develop, as a result of whose vital activity an intense unpleasant foot odor is formed.
One of the most rare forms of fungal infection of the feet is vesicular infection. Among the main signs of this pathology it is worth highlighting:
In the absence of timely and correct treatment, against the background of a general weakening of the immune system, the development of generalization and spread of fungal infection to other parts of the body occurs, which aggravates the clinical picture of the disease.
Damage to the nail plates by pathogenic fungi in most cases occurs as a result of gradual infection of the skin of the feet. Usually, nail plate fungus is the second stage of the development of mycosis, but in some rare cases it occurs as a separate type of infection with nail fungus.
Common signs of fungal infection of the nail plates include the following factors:
Signs of nail fungus are determined depending on the form of the disease. In medical practice, the following forms of onychomycosis are distinguished:
The signs of fungus on the feet are quite individual and may differ in each individual case. Some patients experience pronounced discomfort, while others practically do not notice the development of infection in the body.
Therefore, it is very important to play it safe if you experience the slightest signs that look like a fungal infection and get tested for the presence of fungus on your feet.
Fungal diseases of the toenails are quite common. It can occur in both women and men. Therefore, it is necessary to know the signs of fungus on the toenails in order to detect the pathology in time and eliminate it.
A fungal infection on the nails of the toes and hands - in medicine, onychomycosis is a disease that affects the nail plate. If the pathology is not noticed in time, it will be quite difficult to cure it. Pathogenic fungi can affect not only human nails and skin, but in an advanced stage cause harm to internal organs.
You can become infected with a fungal infection in public places where the moisture level is quite high (in a swimming pool, sauna or bathhouse, in the shower). It is in such an environment that pathogenic organisms intensively develop. The fungus can enter the human body through corns, microtraumas of the feet, cracked heels, and minor wounds that occur as a result of wearing tight shoes.
Diseases such as:
Sweaty feet are also a significant factor that influences the growth of bacteria.
Important! If a person has good immunity, infection with the fungus may not occur. In case of weakened defenses of the body, bacteria develop rapidly and affect both the skin and the nail plates of the hands and feet.
To prevent the spread of infection, you need to know the first signs of toenail fungus. Initially, a burning sensation and itching sensation appear. A little later, the skin between the fingers begins to change - dryness and flaking appear, minor damage to the integument in the form of cracks and ulcers. These are the very first symptoms, by paying attention to which you can detect the development of a dangerous pathology in time.
Note! Signs of a fungal infection include the appearance of an unpleasant odor from the feet. You should also be wary of the atypical shine of the skin, which is associated with swelling. They, in turn, are a symptom of an advanced stage of infectious pathology.
Bacteria can affect not only the feet, but also the hands. Fingernail fungus has symptoms similar to an infection that develops on the skin and toenails.
Initial symptoms of the development of fungus on the fingers:
In a more advanced stage, the nail is destroyed and the infection spreads to other areas of the skin of the fingers. The vital activity of the fungus negatively affects human internal organs. Over time, bacteria accumulate and poison the body. This condition is characterized by the following symptoms:
Important! If such signs occur, immediately consult a doctor. Otherwise, acute intoxication of the body with waste products of a fungal infection may occur.
The main causative agent of fungal infection is the bacterium dermatophyte. This is a fungus that is transmitted directly through contact with an infected person or through the use of common household items.
Factors that provoke the development of fungal infection:
The dominant cause of fungal infection on the toenails is excessive sweating in the feet. This condition creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microbes.
Interesting! The fungus spreads quite quickly. It almost immediately affects the space between the fingers, then moves to the nail plate, causing inflammation of the skin.
There is a wide variety of types of fungus, so before starting treatment, doctors try to find out exactly what type of infection they are dealing with. Diagnosis of pathology allows you to prescribe more accurate and effective therapy.
If a dangerous fungal disease occurs, first of all, you need to know how to treat such a pathology. To properly prescribe therapy, doctors need to recognize a fungal infection.
Treatment of fungus is based on stopping the development of a substance such as ergosterol (responsible for the correct structure of the fungus). Typically, therapy is aimed at external and internal effects on the infection.
These are drugs from five main groups that effectively inhibit the development of fungal infections. They are used in combination for advanced stages of the disease. Such drugs are prescribed only by a doctor after a thorough examination of the affected areas. Self-medication in this case is excluded, since drug therapy is quite serious, and ignoring the recommendations of a specialist can have a detrimental effect on the general condition of a person and cause serious consequences.
Important! In the early stages of infection, ciclopirox, amorolfine or bifonazole help well. Similar preparations are used in the form of varnishes.
It is necessary to understand that topical drugs can be useful and effective only in the early stages of the disease. In more advanced cases, therapy based on internal medications is used.
Together with the main therapy, traditional medicine can be used. There are several useful recipes that are good auxiliary methods in the fight against fungal infection.
Dilute 50 ml of 9% vinegar in 400 ml of water. Dip your feet into the prepared solution and wash well with the healing liquid. It is recommended to first prepare your nails and feet by steaming and removing rough skin.
It is important to do this procedure at least once a day (1–1.5 weeks).
You need to take 200 g of celandine stems and chop well, then squeeze out the juice. It is recommended to rub the prepared liquid onto the affected areas of the skin and nails several times a day. There is no need to rinse off the juice. Continue treatment until changes for the better appear.
Do not forget that traditional medicine is an auxiliary and preventive remedy in the fight against nail fungus. It cannot replace the main treatment. The positive effect will only be in combination with the main therapy.
Signs of fungus on toenails are quite varied and cannot be ignored. Therefore, if you identify any symptoms of the disease, you should immediately be alarmed and consult a doctor. Timely treatment will avoid complications such as the spread of infection to internal organs.
A common problem with which patients turn to dermatologists is onychomycosis. This disease is caused by pathogenic microorganisms - fungi. Concomitant factors play a significant role in the development of this disease. Let's figure out how toenail fungus manifests itself and how this disease should be treated.
Fungus on the nails can occur in isolation, but most often, this disease occurs simultaneously with a fungal disease of the skin of the feet. In the first stages of development, the disease does not cause serious discomfort, so many people do not consider it dangerous and are in no hurry to receive treatment. However, onychomycosis is not a cosmetic defect; if the disease is not treated, it can cause complications.
Nails are dense horny formations located at the tips of the fingers. Structure:
Advice! On average, the growth rate of the nail plate is from 0.5 to 2 mm. At the same time, the nail plates on the hands grow much faster.
First, let's figure out what nail fungus is. There are several dozen types of onychomycosis pathogen. Therefore, for successful treatment of the disease, it is very important to conduct a full diagnosis in order to identify the type of fungus and determine which antifungal drugs are most effective against it.
Here is a description of the pathogens that most often cause nail fungus.
This is a group of imperfect fungi that affect nails, hair, and skin. Let's figure out what causes the manifestation of toenail fungus: the reasons are a decrease in immunity. That is, if fungal spores land on the tissues of a person with a normally functioning immune system, then the disease most likely will not develop.
During the growth process, dermatophytes form a common rhizome - the mycelium of the mycelium. Threaded structures extend from it, which penetrate the nail plate, destroying it.
Yeasts from the genus Candida often infect mucous membranes, but the same pathogen can cause onychomycosis. Candida fungi can be found on human skin without causing any harm.
The main cause of toenail fungus is decreased immunity. If the disease is caused by yeast fungi, then not only the plate, but also the nail ridges are affected. This type of mycelium does not form.
Advice! Yeast most often causes onychomycosis on the hands, and only in 40% of cases does yeast appear on the toes.
There are about four dozen molds that can affect nails. However, this pathogen is relatively rarely the cause of onychomycosis.
Advice! Toenail mold requires completely different treatment than onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes. Therefore, effective treatment is possible only after laboratory tests.
Onychomycosis is an infectious disease. The pathogen enters the body from the external environment. Let's figure out what causes nail fungus; the causes of this disease are different. The source of infection can be:
Thus, you can get infected anywhere. But, of course, not every contact with a pathogen ends with the development of fungus on the toenails. The following provoking factors can lead to the development of onychomycosis:
Let's figure out what the symptoms of nail fungus are. It must be said that it is difficult to recognize toenail fungus only by external signs. Similar symptoms may occur with other diseases of the nail plates. It is possible to know for sure that the fungus has affected the nails only after testing.
How to understand that you need to go to a dermatologist? There are signs of fungus on the nails, which should indicate to the patient the need to visit a specialist. The first signs of toenail fungus are subtle and few patients pay attention to them.
How does nail fungus start? The initial stage of toenail fungus does not cause physical discomfort; changes affect the appearance of the nail plate.
Nail fungus at the initial stage is manifested by the appearance of spots or stripes of an unnatural color. If toenail fungus is not treated at the initial stage, the disease will begin to progress.
How does advanced onychomycosis manifest? The most characteristic symptom is a change in the thickness of the nail plate, although this symptom does not always appear. There are three options for the development of the disease:
In addition, with toenail fungus, the symptoms depend on the form of the disease. In the superficial form, the following changes are noted:
In the distal form, the following symptoms are noted:
With the proximal form of development of the disease, the following forms are noted:
Some patients, most often girls, are very worried because the diseased nail takes on an unattractive appearance. Therefore, patients are interested in how to disguise fungus on their nails.
Doctors categorically do not recommend trying to hide onychomycosis using decorative varnish or artificial overlays. Onychomycosis does not go away on its own, so the disease will only progress. And the consequences will be the most unpleasant, up to the complete destruction of the nail plate.
Before starting therapy, it is necessary to establish the type of pathogen. It is impossible to determine this by the appearance of the lesion. Specific tests are required. As a rule, it is prescribed:
You immediately need to be prepared for the fact that you will not be able to get rid of the disease in 1 day or even in a week. If the disease has been hidden for a long time, and it has reached an advanced stage, then treatment against nail fungus will have to be carried out for at least a year.
If the patient wants the fungal disease to go away, then it will be necessary to carry out not only long-term, but also regular treatment. Many patients who complain that they are tormented by a fungus simply do not complete the course of treatment. Seeing that the nail begins to look healthy, patients stop using the recommended medications. And this leads to the development of relapse.
Advice! You should stop the course of treatment only after laboratory tests confirm the complete absence of infection. Moreover, tests need to be carried out twice with an interval of two weeks. And the absence of fungus must be confirmed by both tests.
Treatment is prescribed individually and necessarily comprehensive. Most often, the following scheme is used:
So, toenail fungus is a serious disease that requires long-term and regular treatment. It is advisable to start treatment at the earliest stages, then coping with the disease will be much easier. Therefore, you need to know the signs of onychomycosis and contact a dermatologist at the first signs of the disease.
Many may suffer from a disease such as foot fungus and not even realize the true cause of what is happening. Signs of fungus on the feet can vary, but most often it affects the skin in the area of the feet, fingers and interdigital spaces, as well as the nail. The fungus on the feet and its symptoms cause the most trouble to representatives of the stronger sex, but this does not mean that women are completely protected from infection. The high incidence among men is explained simply - they wear, even in the summer, closed shoes, which interfere with normal ventilation and cause increased sweating of the feet, all of these are signs that contribute to the disease. Due to the increased humidity, as well as the lack of oxygen, the fungus receives simply ideal signs for its development and growth. The development of the disease can be provoked by vitamin deficiency, impaired metabolism, as well as immunodeficiency conditions.
In order to successfully fight the enemy, you need to know what fungus on the toes looks like and what its symptoms are. First of all, there is redness, itching, and peeling of the skin; based on these signs, you can suspect something is wrong and promptly contact a specialist to treat the fungus. The most common and favorite place for the development of the disease is the interdigital spaces; here the fungus receives truly heavenly conditions. Advanced cases are characterized by signs such as skin cracks and ulcerations. This condition leads to the appearance of liquid on the surface of the skin of the legs, which is an excellent environment for microorganisms. In this case, the symptoms of fungus on the toes are characterized by deep lesions.
In addition to the skin, the disease can also affect the nail plates, their normal color is lost, they become stronger and thicker. If no measures are taken in a timely manner, the disease can affect other parts of the human body in addition to the legs. The clinical signs of the disease depend on what type of pathogen led to the disease. Some people may not have any symptoms of fungus on the skin of their feet. People don’t even realize that they have a fungus on their toes, the symptoms of which, with certain types of pathogen, can turn a person’s life into a real hell.
You should think about the signs of fungus on the skin of your feet if cracks appear, or if the skin begins to peel for no reason.
Its integrity is compromised, often signs of fungus are blisters, especially against the background of itching. The appearance of the above signs is typical in the area between the toes, especially between small toes.
Signs of fungus on the feet begin in the spaces between the toes, most often between the little toe and the fourth toe; the skin in this area begins to seem very soft, becomes wet and pale. Along with this, symptoms such as burning and a weak specific odor, itching, and redness may develop. In most cases, patients who are subsequently diagnosed with toe fungus, the symptoms of which can only manifest as cracks and peeling, a person can attribute this to banal sweating or irritation. In the absence of specific treatment, a concomitant infection occurs, which provokes the development of foul odor from the feet. The course of the disease lasts until the skin thickens and becomes thick, which is where the above-mentioned signs associated with cracking and peeling occur. If it spreads to the nail plates of the foot, it can end in rejection and falling off of the nail, but as a rule this is preceded by a burning sensation, pain and discomfort.
Fungal diseases can also affect the palms, but before this the pathogen has already firmly established itself on both feet.
Recognizing fungus on the toes is not difficult, especially if the process affects the nail. It all starts on the free edge or from the corner, and if the process is neglected, the big toe may lose sensitivity. The fungus most often affects the nail on it, spots appear, and there may be yellow or gray stripes that tend to increase. Yellow cracks may appear on the nail plate, as well as on the toes, the fungus leads to jagged edges, brittleness, and sometimes the nail may fall off on its own.
In rare cases, it is possible to identify toe fungus, the symptoms of which are characterized by a sign such as a vesicular infection. Everything is characterized by an unexpected beginning, when areas filled with liquid content appear under the skin. Signs of the fungus appear on the dorsum of the foot, although it can also develop in the spaces between the toes, on the heel or sole.
Before you begin to treat the fungus, you need to undergo tests that can provide important information about the general condition of the body, as well as determine the type of pathogen. In some cases, the affected nails must be surgically removed before treating the fungus. It is important to know that fungus simply cannot be on one toe; if it starts, it eventually spreads throughout the entire foot, thus the entire foot is involved in the process. There may also be spots on the skin of the foot, like those from fingers on wallpaper, appearing from time to time, or they can be permanent.
In order to find out what the fungus is called, especially when a crust forms on the finger and cracks, it is not enough to just know the clinic or the signs of the disease.
The final conclusion will be given only by microscopy of the crust or cut nail. The fungus can lead to blackening of the finger, and sometimes its symptoms develop very rapidly, so do not hesitate in diagnosis and treatment, but immediately consult a doctor.
It is worth contacting a specialist as soon as an incipient fungus on the toe or its individual signs are noticed. A dermatologist treats the fungus, and only he can help, as well as choose the optimal combination of drugs for a disease that will never go away on its own. Treatment of fungus includes two stages, which complement each other and consist of local and general effects.
When treating signs of fungus locally, the effect occurs directly on the areas where the symptoms of the disease occurred on the toes. And the general thing is to strengthen the immune system, which will prevent signs of the fungus from appearing again and defeating what is already there.
If less than half of the plate is affected by the fungus and signs of the disease affect a small area of skin around it, it is possible to apply local treatment, which involves the use of ointments that are widely available in pharmacies. Only a doctor can choose the optimal drug, but it must be applied in the morning and evening to treat fungus. If there is no positive effect from treatment and symptoms persist for two weeks, it is better to change the ointment. On what? The doctor will tell you. The severity of foot fungus can vary and treatment may take at least a year.
On the plantar surface of the foot, as well as between the toes, the method of treating fungus is the same as on the nails, but the time frame takes about a month.
Along with local treatment of fungal symptoms, general treatment is also used, which is performed in a slightly different version. The doctor selects options that affect toe fungus, the symptoms of which determine the drugs prescribed. If everything is chosen correctly, recovery occurs in all cases, and the signs of the disease disappear without a trace. But there are also side effects of certain medications, which the specialist knows about and takes into account during treatment.
It is especially worth considering treatment if a person has problems or signs of disease of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system; some drugs can reduce libido or be toxic to the body. There are also medications that cannot be taken together with others. And if the patient is taking certain medications, it is worth notifying the dermatologist about this in advance.
If there are signs of fungus on the feet, it is worth fighting it and getting rid of it at an early stage, otherwise treatment may cost a lot of money. After treatment, it is best to treat shoes with a 25% formaldehyde solution, which kills not only the fungus itself, but also its spores; you can also use a 30% vinegar solution. After the solution is completely absorbed, it is best to leave the shoes in a draft and dry thoroughly. If possible, to prevent signs of illness, you can simply replace your shoes with new ones, and thereby congratulate yourself on a successful victory.
Fungus is a disease after which there is no stable and long-term immunity, and its symptoms can bring trouble again. In this regard, you should not skimp on good shoes; they should be as loose as possible and consist only of natural materials, and then signs of the disease will never settle on your feet. In the evening, it is best to treat your favorite shoes or boots with a special spray; it not only deodorizes, but also destroys spores, as a sign of infection. To ensure that signs of fungus on your feet never bother you, you should never wear someone else’s shoes, and also let them wear your own, especially house slippers. If someone in the family suffers from a fungus, of which there may be no signs, the risk of infection becomes higher. In a store or market, you do not need to wear shoes on bare feet; this may cause irritation on the phalanges of the toes; signs of fungus will not be long in coming, and the cause of this may be a previous visitor.
Visiting the bathhouse should only be done in flip-flops, which you can bring with you, in which case signs of illness will never affect the visitor. If for one reason or another there are no flip-flops, you should wash your feet and then wipe them dry. For preventive purposes, so that fungus on the toes, the signs of which can appear almost immediately, does not cause trouble, the gap between the toes can be treated with a slice of lemon or antifungal ointment. Proper nutrition and the absence of vitamin deficiency and normal functioning of the immune system will be the key to a strong body and prevent the development of signs of the disease.