Most people don't even know that the most common foot sweating and accompanying unpleasant odor is one of the main signs of the development of mycosis. Toenail fungus, the symptoms of which don't appear right away, can appear in everyone who doesn't take care of themselves at least a little bit. The disease is almost ubiquitous and most commonly occurs in public places. Sadly, mycosis is very insidious: it requires long-term treatment and is ineffective in 100% of cases because it is characterized by recurrence. In order to identify the fungus in time and begin treatment, you need to understand how toenail fungus manifests.
Spread of fungal diseases
The disease is caused by the development of parasitic fungi in the body. The best conditions for their emergence and subsequent spread are warm environments and high humidity. Many people believe that it is easy to catch the virus in water parks, baths, beauty salons.
But the statistics are quite different: You can get fungus from shared items (bathrooms, clothes, shoes, towels) even without leaving your home. However, this is the case if at least one family member is a carrier of the fungus. However, what in principle affects the spread of the fungus? There are key aspects of infection that can lead to fungal infections:
- profuse sweating;
- diabetes;
- overweight problem;
- if the nail is injured;
- Weak immunity.
To protect yourself from fungal infections in some way, you just need to use personal hygiene products, give your shower and tub a thorough treatment, wear only your shoes, wash your carpets as often as possible, etc. If you have noticed the first signs of toenail fungus, you should contact a dermatologist immediately!
Signs of fungi, disease-based pathogens
Signs of fungus on toenails should be spotted promptly. The effectiveness of comprehensive treatment of fungal infections depends on the extent to which the pathogen of the disease is correctly identified. This can be explained by the fact that there are many species of fungi, and each species responds to a specific group of drugs.
In most cases, the causative agent of the disease is:
- mold;
- Dermatophytes;
- yeast.
If the fungus begins to develop due to yeast, it is nearly impossible to detect the disease overnight. In this case, the signs of fungus on the legs are as follows:
- itchy skin around the feet and nail plates;
- Nails fall off.
Yeast infections occur in only 4-5% of cases. In many cases, the nail plate was affected by dermatophytes (94. 5%). There are 3 types of this pathogen, and each behaves very differently:
- 1 type. The nail plate, the skin of the feet and legs as a whole fail at the same time. The fungus can easily move to the nails and skin of the hands.
- Type 2. The disease affects only the nails of the thumb and little finger on the legs. You can also go to the crease between your fingers.
- Type 3. It is characterized by damage to the nail plates of the little finger and thumb, but the disease does not spread to the skin.
As for mold, the pathogen in this case is mold. Rarely observed. More common in AIDS patients.
other symptoms
Often, when the disease is just beginning to develop, there are no symptoms of fungus on the toenails. But with extreme care, one will notice that round spots start to appear on the nail plate, and the nail itself loses its luster and becomes rough. In development, mycosis affects the nail plate to a greater extent: its color initially changes, after which the nail falls off and breaks easily. The color of the nail plate is determined by the type of pathogenic fungus.
Toenail Fungus: Symptoms (Additional)
- blackened nail plate;
- The nails take on an unusual shape, their structure is completely altered;
- nails become very brittle;
- plastic incisions under the skin for the nail;
- What followed was constant fatigue.
The abnormal appearance of the nail plate is the "bell" of a visit to the dermatologist, where the nail fungus you have noticed will be confirmed or refuted. If you keep putting off seeing a doctor, the disease can quickly spread to other areas. If you don't think about it, the disease is not life-threatening. However, in addition to aesthetic concerns and discomfort, fungal infections are sometimes the cause of serious complications. Therefore, symptoms should not be ignored, and treatment should be started promptly once the disease is detected.
doctor who treats fungal disease
It's realistic to test for an infection yourself, but only a doctor can confirm your guesses. To make an accurate diagnosis, a dermatologist recommends certain tests. For their implementation, take a damaged nail plate or scrape the periungual tissue.
The timely detection of infection makes further treatment easier and eliminates the possibility of complications. If treatment is not started at the right time, this will ensure that the disease spreads to other organs and all the nails of the hands/feet.
Toenail Fungus: Treatment Procedures
Treatments designed to treat the fungus are prescribed by dermatologists - everything depends on how advanced the disease is, the type of fungus in the body and other factors. Typically, topical medications are prescribed if the fungus is just starting to develop. Turn to intensive treatment in more difficult cases.
By the way, this takes a lot of time. Therefore, whenever a fungal infection is suspected, you should see a doctor! Symptoms of nail fungus must be recognized in advance. And the sooner the disease is detected, the faster the treatment will be!