Not everyone knows what toenail fungus looks like and can initially identify this disease and start treatment. Itching, redness of the skin, peeling and cracking are signs of this condition. However, there are other diseases with similar symptoms, such as eczema or psoriasis. Even toenails can change their appearance not due to a fungal infection but due to psychological stress or a number of diseases of internal organs. So, the final diagnosis can be made only by the doctor after receiving the test results. The patient's task is to consult a doctor in a timely manner if warning signs appear.
The main symptoms of mycoses
Typical symptoms of foot mycosis are peeling and most often in the form of rings or plates of a certain shape. Sometimes it is so insignificant that such a situation can last for many months, if not years, and at the same time, does not even cause much discomfort. At the same time, some people try to fight such manifestations of mycosis on their own. They use folk remedies like iodine, vinegar and brilliant green and for a while, the disease really disappears. More precisely, it seems so, but in reality this treatment leads to the fact that the fungus simply freezes on its feet and then continues to multiply when a more favorable situation occurs.
Moreover, if at an early stage such a disease is not completely cured, but only the symptoms are relieved, then very soon it will spread to the nail and smooth skin. Not to mention, fungal disease can get other members of the family.
The degree of damage during foot mycosis depends on many factors. If there are prerequisites such as microtrauma, various pathologies of the endocrine system, diabetes mellitus, if a person undergoes certain treatment with glucocorticoids or cytostatics, all this contributes to the further development of the disease.
Someday the period of relative stability is over and the patient does not see the most attractive picture - it is not only peeling of the skin, but also blisters, cracks in the legs, suppuration. These are all classic symptoms that are found in the later stages of pathology development. At the same time, the initial stage of toenail fungus is seen. Although the type of microorganisms can be examined in more detail only under a microscope, their activity is much more noticeable - it is to change the shape and color of the nails, then thicken and destroy them.
Fungus on nails and its manifestations
The flexibility of the toenails is manifested in different ways. It all depends on the stage of the disease and what kind of fungus is the cause. Normally, the nail should be smooth, pink and even glossy. If the condition of the nails is far from ideal, then something is happening to the body.
Nails grow at a certain rate. When a person is under stress, this rate decreases and the nail becomes weaker and weaker. Then the body returns to normal and the nails return to their original position from the point of growth indicators, but this weak strip on the nail plate still remains. And if a person’s life is quite nervous, then there may be several such stripes. In addition, onychomycosis (and this is the scientific name for nail fungus) is not the only disease that causes a change in the color of the nail plate or its shape. Pathologies such as immune deficiency, hormonal imbalance and other disorders of the endocrine system cause exactly the same results. It is therefore necessary to conduct the analysis in individual cases.
How a fungus looks depends largely on which microorganisms caused the onychomycosis. And this can be provoked by several types. For example, if we are talking about dermatophytes, then the fungus looks like a nail fungus. This is a manifestation of the initial stage of toenail fungus. After that, yellow spots can appear along the edge of the plate and even in the middle of it. Then longitudinal stripes appear and the nail falls off.
Otherwise, problems caused by yeast arise. In such cases, the nail plate noticeably thins, acquires a grayish tint and after some time already goes out of normal condition. This is mainly due to the fact that metabolism is impaired in damaged cells. At the same time, the grooves found on the nail fold finally confirm the diagnosis - yeast fungus.
The form should be mentioned separately. Typically, this only affects the nail plate, causing it to become cloudy and discolored; It can be light yellow, greenish, brown and even black.
The peculiarity of these fungi is that they only cause superficial damage and do not penetrate deep inside.
Clearly, a diagnosis can only be made by an attending physician who will take into account all symptoms and perform tests. Self-healing without going to the doctor is full of very unpleasant consequences.
Stages and types of onychomycosis
Given the stages of onychomycosis, many have confused them with varieties of this disease, three of which are. These are normotrophic, hypertrophic and atrophic onychomycosis.
For example, in normotrophic onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, there may be streaks and spots, but its thickness and shine remain normal. Many people think that it is a nail fungus, the initial stage of which turns into a more serious pathology, but in fact the fungus responds well to treatment in such situations.
In hypotrophic onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, its brilliance is lost, the nail thickens and becomes deformed, and in some cases destroyed along the edges. Onycholytic species are often called atrophic. It is not the same toenail fungus whose initial stage is expressed by cracks and discoloration, here the treatment will be different since the affected part of the plate is atrophy.
Treatment of foot and nail fungus
The first thing to do with this disease is a visit to the doctor, who will help you choose a drug that meets the following requirements:
- High antifungal action, allowing you to fight various types of infectious agents;
- Sufficiently high concentration of the active substance both in the drug itself and in the surface layers of the skin after its use;
- Complex antifungal and antibacterial therapy;
- Contraindications and side effects, including allergic reactions;
- Easy to use.
Given these requirements, it is not surprising that the drug selection phase is so important. Typically, in the absence of complications, medications based on substances such as cyclopirox and naftifine are used. They are made in the form of ointments, less often in the form of tablets. In the more severe stage of mycosis, its treatment with terbinafine and fluconazole is recommended.
Tablets should be taken if ointments and creams have no effect. The dose of tablets should be checked with the attending physician. Usually these are all quite powerful remedies, so the course of treatment is about 7-10 days, however there are medications that can be taken even for 3-4 weeks.
The attending physician will prescribe such therapy, taking into account what other medications the patient will be taking. These medications can have side effects of vomiting or dizziness. This is rightly considered. General medicines are lighter than the originals, but their effect is small.
Operative interventions
Previously, in advanced cases, surgical removal of the affected tissue was performed. This was especially true of nails. Now they use drilling as in dental offices. Even in the most advanced cases, it will take about half an hour to cut almost all the nails. And if the problem is only in one affected nail, then it will only take 5 minutes.
No additional precautions are required after the procedure. This procedure does not cause painful sensations, you can live a normal lifestyle, do morning jogging. It is important only to ensure that the damaged areas of the skin are not damaged.
One treatment for nails with such a drug is not enough, you should repeat the same at least once, 3-4 weeks after the first treatment, when the nails will grow a little. In general, you should take into account the fact that this process is long, it can take a month, and if something went quite far, then a few months. For example, there are cases when during the first 3-4 months the patient completes the treatment of nails with such means once in 2-3 weeks, and then takes the medication for several months.
Are folk remedies effective?
Any doctor will say that traditional medicine prescriptions for such a disease are not effective and even harmful. First of all, neither vinegar, nor herbs, nor honey, despite antiseptics, have virtually no effect on the fungus. Yes, you can hear from friends that some of these recipes have gotten rid of itching or cracks. Well, then these signs did not belong to the fungus. The same psoriasis or eczema has similar symptoms and is perfectly treated with the above folk methods.
Secondly, these medications help to eliminate the signs of fungus, i. e. it masks it for a while and it is enough to infect all the members of the family.
However, the vinegar mentioned above will be effective for other purposes - it can be used to wash beds and shoes to prevent re-infection of the fungus. The only shoes that are not washed but discarded are home slippers as they are impossible to disinfect. You can also use vinegar to disinfect the bathroom.