Almost every third person has a nail fungus on my feet. The disease is called onychomycosis and causes delamination and crumbling of the nail plate. The onychomycosis can occur at any age require timely and proper treatment under expert guidance.
What is onychomycosis?
Onychomycosis - fungal infection of the nail plate. The disease can be caused by fungal dermatophytes or microspores. Fungi adversely affect the building of the Foundation of the nail keratin and slowly eating it, because of the distortion changes.
The following types of onychomycosis:
- Normal scars. Change the color of the nail, streaks and spots.
- The hypertrophic scars. Not only is there change of color, but also easy to deformation. Most often, the nail becomes deformed with the edges.
- Onicholocheskiy. The nail is destroyed, atrophy and rejected.
Fungal infection may cause deformity of the nail to the free edge, the sides and the back of the cushion. As the disease process affects the entire nail plate.
Reasons
Fungus in toe nail appears not only due to low immunity. About 70% of the people infected by a sick person, and this is often a family member. The smallest scales of the skin of the feet falling in items for the home, and in contact with the healthy tissue of the nail or the skin, to infect a healthy person.
The infection occurs most often through:
- Washcloths.
- Cake.
- Towels.
- Mats.
- Shoes.
- Manicure accessories.
When you visit the beach, saunas and baths without Slippers there is a high risk of infection with a fungus of the feet. The high humidity and temperature, infection occurs much more often.
Especially attentive it is necessary to be in public places where people walk barefoot. Fungi resistant to low and high temperatures and the sand of the beach which retain their viability for several months.
The minor wound and abrasion on the leg through contact with objects the infected can cause onychomycosis. It is not necessary to continue using the shoes for other people, even if the external manifestations of fungus they detected. Can be carriers of pathogenic organisms, and with a strong immunity, the disease does not manifest itself.
Signs
The initial phase of the fungus on the feet is manifested by dryness and flaking. At this time, people may not notice visual changes nail plates, but suffers from itching and burning in the tip of the fingers. Slowly increased sweating, in rare cases, there are blisters and corns. With the introduction of the fungus in the nail is starting to change its color, become brittle and cracked.
The nails under the microscope contains a mixture of and the vacuum. Feet become smelly, but General symptoms increasing.
In severe cases, the body temperature rises, and there is severe painthat does not move normally. It seems the fungus of the nails of the feet, and what changes this characteristic depends largely on the type and strength of the human immune system.
The fungi dermatophytes appear yellow longitudinal stripes, except for cause, flaking of the nail plate yellow. Mold – the cause of lesions in the surface of the nail plate, which can be yellow, brown, blue or green.
The description of the disease in the different types of fungi is different, but has common symptoms.
These include:
- The color change of the nail plates.
- Itching and burning in the skin of the toes.
- Stripes and spots under the nail.
- The collapse and destruction of the nails on the sides.
- Redness of the skin around the nails.
- Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the nail).
The disease begins with lesions of the nail of the little finger or big toe, after which there is infection of all the plates. There is a cornification of the nail, which thickens and sinks. Fungal infections usually affect adult men and the elderly, and children that are very rare.
The treatment is dedicated to dermatologist or mycologist. For accurate diagnosis it is not enough inspections visual, and requires laboratory studies. For this small part of the nail sent for microscopic examination. In the detection of fungi to establish their own way to see the seeding in nutrient broth.
Despite the fact that the majority of diseases of the nail plates in adults, it is fungus, there are many diseases with similar symptoms. The defeat of the nail fungus can cause similar symptoms but requires different treatment. It is the offender, or an acute inflammation purulent of the fingers, which require surgery.
As a treatment of nail fungus?
Do not expect that the fungus will pass on its own. The time that a person suffers from this disease, the more difficult it will be to follow the treatment.
The duration of treatment and selection of drugs depends on:
- Stage of the disease.
- The degree of damage to the nail.
- Clinical forms of the disease.
The initial stage of nail fungus and feet require the use of local drugs, which can be in the formof:
- Solutions.
- Ointments fungus.
- Creams.
- Varnishes.
Apply preparations for external use, preferably after keratolytic treatment of the nail plate.
Before each treatment, the application of medicine is necessary:
- To make soap-soda bath. In a small bath add a tablespoon of baking soda and the salt and 50 g of soap. Keep your feet in the solution for about 15 minutes.
- To treat the damaged nail. With a special nail file the top layer of the nail will be reduced, so that the drug is better absorbed.
- Apply the medication. The drug is applied to clean, dry nails and skin that surrounds them.
When you use solutions, ointments and creams, the drug is applied 2-3 times a day, the luck – 2 times a week. The course of treatment determined by the doctor depending on the damage existing.
If the nail plate is totally amazed and the local drug do not have a positive impact, it is recommended to combine them with the system antimykotika.
Systemic medications have a long list of contraindications and shall be appointed by the attending physician. Most of them are prohibited to take during pregnancy and lactation, in childhood and in chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys.
In severe cases, under the nail fungus can require the removal of the plate of the nail. The procedure can be done as surgically, and with the help of keratolytic which contain salicylic acid and urea.
The removal of the affected nail keratolytic patches differs for your convenience. After the steam foot patch gently applied to the affected nail plate and sealed with adhesive plaster. In a few days the plaster is removed, cut the affected areas of the plate, causing one of the drugs antifungals. The procedure can be performed several times.
During the treatment it is important to exclude the risk of repeated self-infection. This whole Shoe is treated with a special disinfectant solution. From socks that were used before the treatment, it is best to get rid of'. In the future each month, a second treatment of footwear and clothing. If you refuse this procedure, after a short period of time the fungus can appear.
The symptoms and fungus treatment is completely individualized and at the first sign of this disease you must consult a doctor. Only he will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and choose an effective drug. Otherwise, the fungus can spread to other nails and completely destroy them.