Not everyone knows what the toenail fungus looks like, and can initially recognize the disease and start treatment. Itching, redness of the skin, peeling and cracking are all signs of this condition. However, there are other diseases with similar symptoms, such as eczema or psoriasis. Even toenails can change their appearance, not because of fungal infections, but because of psychological stress or many diseases of the internal organs. Therefore, the doctor can make the final diagnosis only after receiving the test results. If a warning sign appears, the patient’s task is to consult a doctor in time.
The main symptoms of mycosis
The typical symptom of mycosis of the feet is peeling, and it is usually in a ring or plate shape. Sometimes this situation is so trivial that it may last for months (or even years) without even causing much discomfort. At the same time, some people try to combat this manifestation of fungal disease by themselves. They used folk remedies such as iodine, vinegar and bright green, and for a while, the disease did disappear. More precisely, it seems so, but in reality, this treatment leads to the fact that the fungus on the legs just freezes and then continues to multiply when more favorable conditions arise.
Moreover, if the disease cannot be completely cured in the early stage, but only the symptoms are eliminated, it will soon spread to the nails and smooth skin. Not to mention that other family members can get fungal diseases.
The extent of foot mycosis depends on many factors. If there are prerequisites such as microtrauma, various pathologies of the endocrine system, diabetes, etc. , then if a person receives some kind of treatment with glucocorticoids or cytostatics, all of these contribute to the further development of the disease.
One day, the period of relative stability is over, and the patient can't see the most attractive photos-this is not only peeling on the skin, but also bubbles, cracks on the feet, and suppuration. All of these are classic symptoms in the later stages of pathological development. At the same time, the initial stages of toenail fungus can be seen. Although the types of microorganisms can only be examined in more detail under a microscope, their activity is more obvious-this is the change in the shape and color of the nail, followed by the thickening and destruction of the nail.
Fungus on nails and their manifestations
The flexibility of the toenails manifests in different ways. It all depends on the stage of the disease and what kind of fungus the cause is. Normally, nails should be smooth, pink or even shiny. If the condition of the nails is far from the ideal situation described, something has happened to the body.
The nails grow at a certain rate. When a person is under pressure, the ratio decreases and the nails become thinner and weaker. Then, the body returns to normal, and the nails return to their original state from the perspective of growth indicators, but the weak strips on the nail plate remain. Moreover, if a person's life is stressful, there may be many such stripes. In addition, onychomycosis (which is the scientific name for nail fungus) is not the only disease that causes changes in the color or shape of the nail plate. Pathologies such as weakened immune function, hormonal imbalance and other endocrine system diseases lead to exactly the same results. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze on a case-by-case basis.
The appearance of the fungus largely depends on the microorganism that causes onychomycosis. It can be caused by several types. For example, if we are talking about dermatophytes, then the fungus looks like the turbidity of nails. This is the initial stage of toenail fungus. After that, yellow spots may appear along the edges of the board or even in the middle of the board. Then longitudinal stripes appeared and the nails began to collapse.
Otherwise, problems caused by yeast will occur. In this case, the nail plate becomes noticeably thinner, acquires a light gray tint, and deviates from its normal position after a period of time. This is mainly due to the fact that the metabolism of damaged cells deteriorates. At the same time, the grooves that appeared in the nail folds finally confirmed the diagnosis-yeast.
The mold should be mentioned separately. Usually, it only affects the nail plate, making it cloudy and discolored; it can be pale yellow, green, brown or even black.
The uniqueness of these fungi is that they only cause surface damage, not deep inside.
Obviously, the diagnosis can only be made by the attending doctor, who will consider all symptoms and conduct tests. Self-treatment without going to the doctor can have very unpleasant consequences.
Stages and types of onychomycosis
Considering the stage of onychomycosis, many people confuse it with the type of the disease, of which there are three. This is normal nutritional, hypertrophic and atrophic onychomycosis.
For example, for normal trophic onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, streaks and spots may appear on it, but the thickness and gloss of the nail remain normal. Many people think this is a nail fungus, which will develop into a more serious pathology in the early stage, but in fact, in this case, this fungus responds well to treatment.
Hypertrophic onychomycosis can cause the nail color to change, lose its luster, the nail itself becomes thicker and deformed, and in some cases it can even break along the edges. Osteolytic protein species are often referred to as atrophic species. This is not the same toenail fungus. Its initial manifestation is cracking and discoloration. The treatment here will be different because of the affected area of lamina atrophy.
Treatment of foot and nail fungus
The first thing related to this disease is to see a doctor, who will help you choose a medicine that meets the following requirements:
- High anti-fungal activity, allowing you to fight against different types of infections;
- The formulation itself and the active substance concentration in the skin surface layer after application are both high enough;
- Complex antifungal and antibacterial treatments;
- There are no contraindications and side effects, including allergic reactions;
- Easy to use.
Given these needs, it is not surprising that the drug selection stage is so important. Generally, in the absence of complications, drugs based on substances such as ciclopirox and naftifine are used. They are produced in the form of ointments, and rarely in the form of tablets. In the more severe stages of mycosis, it is recommended to use drugs based on terbinafine and fluconazole for treatment.
If topical ointments and creams are not effective, tablets should be taken. The dosage of the tablets should be checked with the attending doctor. Usually, all of these are very powerful remedies, so although some drugs can even be taken for 3-4 weeks, the course of treatment is about 7-10 days.
The attending physician prescribes this type of therapy after considering other medications the patient will take. These drugs may have side effects such as vomiting or dizziness. This is considered effective. The generic medicine is milder than the original medicine, but the effect is small.
Action intervention
Previously, in advanced cases, surgical removal of the affected tissue was required. This is especially true for nails. Now, they use drills like they do in a dental clinic. Even in the most advanced cases, cutting off almost all nails will take about half an hour. Moreover, if the problem is only on one affected nail, it only takes about 5 minutes.
There is no need to take any other preventive measures after the operation. This program will not cause any painful feeling, you can live a normal lifestyle and do early running. It is only important to ensure that the affected area of the skin is not injured.
It is not enough to treat the nails once with such preparations, all of which need to be repeated at least once 3-4 weeks after the first treatment, when the nails grow a little longer. Generally, you need to consider the fact that the process is very long, it may take a month, and if things go far enough, it may take several months. For example, in some cases, for the first 3-4 months, patients use this tool for nail treatment every 2-3 weeks, and then take the medication for several months.
Are folk remedies effective?
Any doctor will say that the traditional medicine formula for this disease is ineffective or even harmful. First of all, there is no vinegar, herbs, or honey. Although there are preservatives, it does not actually affect the fungus. Yes, you can hear some of these recipes from friends to help eliminate itching or cracks. Well, then these signs are not attributable to fungus at all. The same psoriasis or eczema has similar symptoms and can be perfectly treated with the above folk remedies.
Secondly, these drugs help to eliminate the symptoms of the fungus, that is, they will cover up for a period of time, which is enough to make everyone in the family get infected.
However, the above-mentioned vinegar can be used for other purposes-it can be used to wash bedding and shoes to prevent fungal reinfection. The only shoes that are not washed but thrown away are house slippers because they cannot be disinfected. Vinegar can also be used to disinfect bathtubs.