The manifestation of mycosis on the legs is common. In most cases, toenail or toenail mycosis does not have life-threatening consequences, but it causes a lot of inconvenience.
Onychomycosis occurs in 25% of the world's population.
Often times, Trichophyton colonies cause fungus on the legs, the fungus on the legs may not be visible at first, but symptoms soon become noticeable. Often the foot is affected by several pathogens, including mold and yeast.
As a result of the activity of fungi in the body, toxins accumulate, affecting metabolism and reducing immunity.
Under favorable conditions, the fungus affects not only the toenails, the toenails are insufficient, and it spreads to the feet, in the presence of wounds it can get into the bloodstream and affect various organs.
The fungus can begin with infection in grazes and cuts, cracks in the skin of the legs. Feet sweat, neglect hygiene, wear tight shoes - for example, how toenail fungus begins in most cases. But if you take preventive measures and treat onychomycosis of the nails in a timely manner, you will not be able to remember the unpleasant disease.
Where can you pick up the mushroom?
The appearance of the fungus is not only associated with decreased immunity. Of course, a lot depends on the body's defenses, but there are other reasons for the fungus to appear that need to be taken into account.
First of all, mycosis can get on the nails from a sick person. In about 30% of patients, toenail mycosis is due to an infection in a relative. In everyday life, a sick person's skin flakes fall on carpets, towels, slippers and other household items.
When a person's bare skin comes in contact with surfaces, discomfort, itching, and other signs of a fungal infection appear.
The reasons for the appearance of toenail fungus can be determined in the bathroom, sauna and pool. High humidity sometimes increases the risk of infection and almost anyone visiting the public facilities listed above can find out what a toenail fungus is.
The spores of the fungus are resistant to extreme temperatures and remain viable for a long time. As a preventive measure, each person should know where the fungus came from and take steps not to get infected.
Usually, the fungus enters the body through wounds and cracks in the skin. If there are no sores, the fungal infection can manifest as flaking of the feet and itching. If these and the signs below begin to bother you, you need to see a doctor who will explain how to get rid of the fungus quickly and cheaply.
Fungal symptoms
The first signs of fungus on the toenails are the dull color of the plate, possibly a feeling of dry feet and peeled skin. Later on, symptoms of fungus appear on the toenails, such as: B. Thickening of the plate, fragility and discoloration.
The attending doctor will prescribe a diagnosis - scrape off the skin and nails and send them to the laboratory. There experts know how to determine nail fungus and its sensitivity to drugs. Based on the results, the doctor will explain to you how to eliminate discomfort and start treatment for toenail onychomycosis.
Those who have been sick once already know roughly how to diagnose the fungus on the toenails, and in the event of a relapse, they immediately go to the doctor. If you do not start treatment on time, the toenail mold can go from an acute to a chronic form, relapse in the warm season, exacerbate chronic diseases, etc.
Often the fungus of the thumbnail is accompanied by mycosis of the skin, then the appearance of weeping ulcers, blisters with pus is likely. If a quick nail treatment is unsuccessful, the spores will become embedded deeper in the nail plate.
It is full of yellow spots, the nail crumbles, the affected areas give off an unpleasant odor. Often times, in order to reach the focus of the disease, you need to remove the nail. In this case, after removing the plate, the fungus can be removed (laser, chemical or mechanical). An adequate treatment regimen for the fungus will involve a number of means, including hygienic procedures and diet.
The specialist will assess the symptoms and prescribe treatment individually, since not all drugs are universal and not everything can be taken by everyone. At the initial stage, creams are usually prescribed that remove the symptoms and the fungus itself from the nail.
If multiple nails are affected, the disease has spread to the skin, the doctor will initiate serious drug treatment for nail fungus and control all stages. Adding a bacterial infection can complicate the situation. In this case, it is necessary not only to decide how to remove the fungus under the nails, but also to provide effective treatment for eczema, psoriasis, etc.
Types of nail fungus
The vesicular type starts with the plantar part of the foot. As the disease progresses, swelling appears, a scattering of bubbles with fluid. Later, a fungus can develop on the nail of a sore toe, and if the toenail fungus is not detected in time, the disease will rise and spread to other parts of the body. The vesicular type is characterized by the addition of bacterial infection.
The membrane type begins between the 4th and 5th toes in the folds of the skin. Until the toenail fungus manifests itself, it has a strong effect on the skin - scales, cracks, ulcers appear.
The moccasin-like type starts at the sole, the heel. Symptoms of this type of nail fungus appear after the disease has damaged the skin. Cracks, skin peeling and painful sensations appear.
In all three variants of the disease, over time, a fungus can appear under the toenail causing its thickening, brittleness, and often its loss. The doctor knows how to detect nail fungus early, so do not diagnose yourself. The main thing is to find a good specialist who will tell you how to get rid of toenail fungus faster.
How is fungus treated?
In order to get rid of the fungus on the toenails and not "fly the whistle", you need to use the drugs prescribed by the doctor in a certain dosage and for exactly as long as the doctor prescribes. Otherwise, the recently removed fungus will come back with renewed vigor.
Nowadays, complex treatment, including the method of pulse therapy, is popular. This implies an active fight against toenail fungus with voluminous doses of antifungal drugs.
Long breaks are taken between the therapy cycles. To remove the fungus under the toenail, treatment should include the use of varnishes, films and ointments. They are based on fungicidal preparations, which unfortunately do not always work.
To successfully treat toenail fungus, you need to determine the nature of the pathogen, skin type and the severity of the disease. This is the only way to eradicate the nail fungus. Fungal nail spores shouldn't get a single chance.
The doctor will explain how to treat onychomycosis for dry skin and how to properly prepare for the procedures. For example, a greasy cream is perfect for dry skin, ointments are selected to treat the soles, suspensions are applied between the fingers, and varnish is applied to the nails. You don't have to think about how to remove the fungus yourself. The doctor will take care of it.
When diagnosing mycosis of the toenails, the nail is often removed. This is necessary because the nail will prevent the drug from attacking the fungus underneath. The doctor at the reception will explain how to properly treat a toenail using local medicines and pills.
External drugs alone can only be used at the onset of the disease and when the use of systemic drugs is prohibited. How do you know if systemic drugs are not suitable? The doctor will tell you about it. In particular, pills are not prescribed for pregnant women, children, people with kidney and liver diseases. For them, special instructions are drawn up on how to get rid of toenail fungus. Therapy is likely to be long-term.
External preparations are used twice a day. After 2 weeks, the ointment is replaced with another preparation so that the fungus does not develop resistance. In order for a new nail to grow back healthily, the treatment period for toenail fungus takes about a year. If the disease affects only the foot or the interdigital spaces, there is enough ointment for a month.
Systemic drugs are prescribed for severe nail damage. Such treatment of mycosis of the toenails is very effective, but medical supervision is required due to the toxicity of the drugs.
Systemic drugs act on the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Before starting therapy, toenail removal with a fungus can be prescribed in a suitable manner. The doctor will tell you how to remove the fungus on your toenails with the slightest injury and get back to work faster.
Get rid of the fungus using folk remedies
Until the moment how to deal with toenail fungus through folk remedies, it is necessary to consult your doctor about the safety and appropriateness of using it in a particular case.
The fact is that the recipes generally describe how to remove the fungus on the nails, but do not take into account the individual characteristics of the organism, the age of the patient, accompanying ailments and contraindications.
Only a doctor can tell the patient how to treat toenail fungus using pharmacy drugs and improvised means, medicinal herbs. The following are popular guidelines for those looking for toenail fungus treatment.
Washing powder will help, according to the reviews, due to the content of alkalis that are harmful to the fungus. To treat toenail fungus in this way, you need to take 100g of powder, dissolve in a bowl of hot water and steam your nails for 15 minutes. Reviews say that it is possible to cure the mild stage of the disease in 10 days.
Another prescription recommends hydrogen peroxide treatment when diagnosing toenail fungus on the big toe. First you need to steam your feet in a soda bath (1 liter of heated water = 1 spoonful of baking soda). Once the toenails are steamed, you can soak a cotton swab in peroxide and apply it to the affected areas.
To prevent the peroxide from evaporating, you can wrap the compress over it with cling film. The process takes about an hour. You have to repeat it twice a day. The course of therapy lasts, taking into account the depth of the nail plate lesion.
Garlic is a plant that is rich in phytoncides. It can be dipped in salt and rubbed over the affected area. Also useful is gruel, which is applied in the form of a compress. It is important that there are no wounds or cracks on the skin, otherwise the garlic will cause pain and the wound will not heal.
Ammonia is used as a compress, but not pure, but diluted with water. As soon as the symptoms of the fungus appear, 1 tbsp. Ammonia is stirred in a glass of water. Next, a clean bandage is dipped in a solution and applied to the affected areas in the form of a compress overnight.
Many times in the reviews it is mentioned about the fungus on the nails, which was defeated by the use of ordinary soda. Soda creates an unfavorable environment for the fungus. The powder is diluted to a pulp with water, applied to the affected nails for 20 minutes, rinsed and dried. This is not only an effective therapy, but also an effective prevention of toenail fungus when visiting swimming pools and saunas.
Boric acid is used after the feet have been steamed in a soda bath. After the water, you need to dry your feet and nails well, sprinkle with boric acid powder, put on socks and leave overnight. The process is repeated throughout the week.
Prevention of onychomycosis
The attending physician explains how to quickly cure toenail fungus and what to do in order not to get infected with this nasty disease. First, you need to be careful not to go barefoot in public places (saunas, gym, swimming pool) - anywhere you have to wear rubber slippers.
However, if an incident has happened and you do not want to know from your own experience the risk of toenail fungus, you will need to use a prophylactic varnish on your return home or take a shower with an antifungal shampoo.
Second, the risk of infection increases significantly when the skin on the legs is damaged. Before skin restoration, you must cancel the trip to the pool, exercise, etc. If there was contact with an infected surface and the skin itches afterwards, you must immediately treat these areas with ointment from the fungus.
Third, it is important to choose shoes for the season, dry them, and keep them clean so as not to worry about whether toenail fungus can be cured. Your shoes must not be worn by other people.
You shouldn't take someone's shoes, and when trying on shoes in a store, you must put on your socks or stockings to avoid coming in contact with the bare skin of the shoes. After buying a shoe, you need to disinfect it - put a cotton swab dipped in tea tree oil and put it in an airtight bag for a day.