One of the most annoying diseases that suddenly appears and causes a lot of problems is onychomycosis. Some treat it for years, others - only a few months. Why is that? This is because there is one important rule: if the symptoms of nail fungus are detected at an early stage, your treatment time will be noticeably reduced.
Unfortunately, not everyone can recognize it right after an infection. Spores of the fungus "inhabit" the territory of human skin gradually, which is why you should pay attention to the least suspicious changes on the skin and nails, so as not to miss the first signs of this disease.
Causes and signs of fungal foot infection
Few examine their feet carefully every day. Often, not everyone can recognize nail fungus, because different types of spores can live on the surface of the skin for a long time, and they do not show up at all. For example, fungi of the genus Candida are usually present on the feet of every person. We are talking about conditionally pathogenic flora, which under certain unfavorable conditions causes the development of the disease. What can serve as a stimulus for the appearance of fungi?
- Immunodeficiency conditions (oncological diseases, congenital pathologies, autoimmune diseases, AIDS, hepatitis and others).
- Diabetes. The so-called diabetic foot is very often affected by fungi and bacteria due to impaired blood flow, as well as the formation of ulcers and non-healing wounds.
- Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating of the skin. Because nail fungus feels great in a humid and warm environment, it is not difficult to recognize on the skin of a person suffering from excessive sweating.
- Endocrine disorders.
Onychomycosis is very easy to catch, for example, in a swimming pool, sauna or gym. Fungal spores can deposit on the skin where there are cracks, wounds and damage. It is important to diagnose the disease at the first manifestations, because the result of treatment directly depends on it. Usually onychomycosis can be divided into several stages, each of which has a number of signs.
- The initial stage: the skin on the feet itches and washes a little, the external manifestations of the fungus, as we are accustomed to seeing in the photo, usually do not occur. You may feel unusually dry skin, nothing more.
- The next stage is characterized by the appearance of red spots or whitish deposits on the skin of the feet and between the toes. It all depends on the type of fungus that has affected your feet. The sites are of different sizes and are generally well defined with scaly boundaries. The white coating resembles powder or flour.
- Next, bubbles of fluid begin to form on the feet, spread unevenly across the surface of the skin, and burst over time. An ulcer forms at the site of the bladder rupture that does not heal for a long time.
- Fungus on toenails can be identified in one of the last stages, because changes in the nail plate often begin after the appearance of itchy skin and ulcers. The nail thickens noticeably. You can see how much it peels and the free edge crumbles. The color of the nail plate also changes: to yellow-green, brown or even black. It separates from the nail bed, revealing it.
Detected onychomycosis: what to do?
In case you notice the above manifestations on the feet, you should immediately visit a dermatologist, mycologist - a specialist in the study of fungi or podiatrists (a doctor who deals with foot and nail problems). You will definitely be prescribed a nail fungus test to find out the type and degree of infection. Onychomycosis most often occurs when the foot is affected by fungi:
- Trichophytos,
- Dermatophytes,
- Spores of the genus Candida.
If the initial stage of nail fungus is characterized by only a few minor signs and is localized on only one of the feet, as you can see in the photo, then you are in luck.
Most likely, the doctor will prescribe a standard treatment regimen with antifungal drugs that effectively kill the fungus.
For therapy, the use of ointments, creams, sprays and special nail polishes is recommended.
Unfortunately, sometimes a person notices the appearance of fungus on the nail polish when the initial stage has long passed.
From the photo you can easily determine that the disease is ongoing: the marigold is deformed, peels off the nail layer and has changed color, deep and painful cracks have formed between the toes, fungi are affected on both feet. In such a situation, antibiotic therapy, treatment with immunostimulating and antiallergic drugs and taking vitamins will help. You can supplement the complex therapy with recipes of traditional medicine: baths with herbal decoctions, sea salt and soda, treatment with vinegar solution, applications with garlic, lard and other ingredients.
In the most extreme case, marigold affected by onychomycosis is removed surgically or cut in the office of a pedicure master (podologist) using a special milling machine.
Now you know how the fungus manifests on the feet, the causes of its occurrence and how to deal with it. We hope you found this information useful.