It is no secret that modern people are at risk of contracting onychomycosis every day. The fungus on toenails and nails is very insidious and can be caught anywhere. But many have no idea how to recognize it and how to withdraw it. Infection occurs by removing a fragment of the patient's skin or nail plate. Since you won't notice the first signs of toenail fungus for a long time, identifying the source itself is not an easy task. In this situation, self-medication is not recommended, it is better to immediately discuss the symptoms and treatment with a dermatologist, otherwise irreversible processes may begin.
The fungus under the nails and on the fingers is one of the most common infectious diseases, the development of which is caused by epidermophytes (microorganisms). It can be recognized by the presence of obsessive sensations of itching, as well as deformation of the toenail. It takes on a yellowish hue and characteristic spots with scales on the surface.
Some people feel scared at the thought of this disease. At the first manifestations, they dig up a lot of literature and run to the hospital in a panic for explanations. After all, they worry about:
- How do you get rid of toenail fungus?
- Why is toenail fungus dangerous?
- Do I have to remove my toenail if I have a fungus?
- What to do if toenail mold occurs
In this article we will try to answer the questions asked. The treatment of nail onychomycosis is long-term and requires competent, responsible handling.
Frivolity and irregular use of pharmaceutical preparations lead to a lack of proper results. Therefore, drug treatment of the fungus should be carried out strictly according to the course prescribed by the specialist.
The treatment regimen for detected nail fungus on your feet must include topical treatment of the affected areas and oral medication (by swallowing).
The main routes and causes of infection
Close communication with a fungal carrier or contact with their shoes is a direct route to infection and subsequent treatment for toenail fungus, which is always accompanied by questions: how to fight toenail fungus and what are the most effective remedies for toenail fungus. Similar nuisance can also appear in crowded places, which are extremely convenient for a successful life and the spread of parasites, here the fungus appears very quickly. These include various sports facilities, swimming pools, saunas. Most often, however, the colonization of the fungus on the feet occurs in lovers of narrow, closed shoe models, as well as in people who suffer from excessive sweating. Doctors say that most types of mushrooms prefer humid conditions with a neutral and slightly alkaline environment.
In some cases, toenail fungus occurs after the next visit to the beauty salon where you performed the pedicure. This can happen due to the negligent attitude of the salon masters to their duties, from which they do not follow the elementary rules for processing the tool used.
The appearance of fungi under the nails in childhood is a rare phenomenon; adult men and women are more prone to it. This fact is explained by a decrease in the body's defenses and a deviation in the pH of the skin from the norm due to increasing age. The reasons why nail fungus appears on the feet can be different. But most often, mycosis of the toenails manifests itself against the background of the following deviations:
- Problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Thyroid disease;
- Endocrinological diseases;
- Adrenal dysfunction.
People who are addicted to tobacco products and alcoholic beverages also risk becoming owners of nail fungus. How do you recognize toenail fungus? It's very easy. Signs of toenail fungus are a change in color towards brown, white, yellowish or other nuances. Its color is influenced by a certain pathogen, it can be a yeast, a mold or a dermatophyte.
The nail plate becomes brittle and begins to crumble, then it becomes horny. After a while, you will see for yourself how toenail fungus manifests itself. Growths occur because they are neglected, increase in size, and interfere with therapy. Unfortunately, at the first stage, many do not even know about the presence of the disease, the symptoms of fungus on the toenails are not expressed. However, as a result, it quickly destroys the nail plate, and the neglected mycosis of the nails on your feet already requires complex treatment.
Preventive measures for infection with onychomycosis
You should be aware that all mushrooms are extracellular parasites, which are characterized by their special vitality. Their spores can withstand extremely low and high temperatures (-60 ° C - + 100 ° C), many of them are not afraid of the use of chemicals when carrying out disinfection measures at home. As mentioned above, foot infections (the most common toenail fungus) can appear anywhere, but the easiest way to get them on the limbs is from family members with onychomycosis who have toenail fungus. Dermatophyte transmission occurs through sharing household items, but there are many other ways you can get the fungus.
Toenail fungus prevention includes a number of simple conditions:
- Use only your own shoes;
- If the shoes get wet, they must be dried and only then put back on;
- Remove porous textured floor mats from the bathroom;
- Change socks regularly to clean them;
- After bathing, wipe your feet dry, paying special attention to the area between the toes;
- Use therapeutic and prophylactic antifungal drugs to treat toenails after water treatments.
- Use personal hygiene products (scissors, files);
- Avoid increased sweating and dryness, which leads to premature treatment of various foot injuries (cracks, abrasions, calluses);
- Increase the body's defenses.
In public places, wear flip-flops on the beaches and closed-toe shoes in the pools to avoid getting the fungus on your toenails.
If someone who lives in the same apartment with you starts treating the resulting nail fungus on their feet to prevent the infection from spreading, be sure to clean the bathroom afterward. To combat spores, for example, you can use chloramine in equal proportions with the detergent. After application, the mixture is left for 30 minutes and then removed.
There are many reasons for the fungus to appear and you definitely need to get rid of it. Treatment of mycosis of the toenails also involves special treatment of the patient's laundry including socks. They can be boiled in a 2% soda-soap solution for about twenty minutes and then ironed. It is recommended that pedicure scissors be regularly treated with alcohol.
The main symptoms of onychomycosis on the legs
How do you recognize toenail fungus? In this situation, at the initial stage of infection, a person faces excessive dryness and characteristic peeling of the feet, which can be accompanied by severe itching and reddish discoloration of the skin. In practice, the symptoms of nail fungus differ in a great variety, which is typical for each individual case.
The development of the disease can begin from an inconspicuous peeling in the folds of the fingers. With profuse sweating, diaper rash occurs. Sometimes very itchy little blisters appear. The color and shape of the toenails change. Parasitic spores tend to penetrate deeper while forming a yellowish streak with streaks on the nail. You can also recognize toenail fungus by brittle and cracked nail plates, and a cavity forms underneath.
It is very important to treat nail onychomycosis, because if the disease is particularly severe, the body temperature can rise and any movement becomes difficult.
If you have itchy, cracked, and dry toenail fungus, start treatment right away.
Seek help from a dermatologist, he will know what a fungus is and how to accurately diagnose nail fungus, and will also tell you the best comprehensive treatment. Sometimes using different antifungal sprays, powders or gels on the feet is enough at the very beginning, but by the time you observe the fungus under the toenail it is already serious.
Not everyone knows that the comorbidities of mycoses are eczema and psoriasis, which are even more difficult to remove. So, if you still have doubts about whether it is worth it and whether it is possible to cure toenail fungus, think about these two terrible diseases, the consequences of which are worse.
Treatment of onychomycosis
Today, experts will tell you how to quickly cure toenail fungus and properly treat it at home. There are various modern drugs for this. They must be taken regularly and appropriately according to the dosage. Recently, the pulse therapy method for the treatment of toenail fungus has proven to be excellent. The therapy of the disease takes place in a short time through the use of antimycotics in shock doses, while side effects are minimized. It is characterized by fairly long breaks between courses. Pulse therapy is used for critical conditions when you no longer know how and how to get rid of nail fungus.
A dermatologist will also give advice on the treatment of onychomycosis with various films, varnish coatings or special ointments, the basis of which are fungicidal agents. He will prescribe competent treatment, even if the nail fungus has already passed from the big toe to others. But, unfortunately, drugs don't always solve the problem, and the question of how to deal with toenail fungus remains relevant. Indeed, in order to achieve the desired effect and make the nail treatment quick, it is necessary to first identify the type of pathogen and the extent to which it has spread. The test results obtained are guaranteed to tell you how to treat toenail fungus. And only after that should you start buying expensive drugs.
Sometimes it happens that you need to surgically remove the nail. Don't worry, the removed nail plate will grow back after a while. And this procedure is absolutely painless.
Antifungal drugs
To destroy the fungal pathogen, you need to use special tablets and topical agents, gels and varnishes, as well as drugs to remove the affected nail plate. The most suitable drug will be recommended by a specialist.
Folk recipes
There are also many effective methods and recipes that have proven themselves over the years for lovers of traditional medicine. If you're still thinking about how to treat toenail fungus, give some of these a try.
Treatment with celandine
Celandine is a widely used herb with a rich array of medicinal properties. In addition to useful substances, it also contains poisonous ones. They are necessary for the treatment of parasitic infections because they quickly eliminate harmful microorganisms. You can use medicinal herbs in different ways:
- Fresh juice. After plucking celandine, the affected skin and nail plates must be treated with juice immediately. Let it dry for about five minutes and then repeat the process. This must be done at least three times.
- Butter. Treatment with celandine oil is carried out by applying it to the infected areas 1-2 times a day until complete remission is achieved. Do not be surprised if the nail surface turns reddish - this is absolutely normal.
- Treatment fee. We need: oregano juice, celandine juice and marigold tincture (2: 5: 2). All of this is mixed with a little boiled water and applied to the nail plates 3-4 times a day.
Now you know how to recognize nail fungus and how an insidious infection begins. We sincerely hope that our article will be useful to you and help you cope with this disease quickly. Remember that the faster we treat the identified disease, the more effective the expected result. In addition, the right approach to the treatment process will save you a lot of valuable time and "won't fly into a pretty penny".
Health!