Among people are various diseases that are not life threatening, but deliver serious discomfort. Onychomycosis is representative of fungal pathologies. It affects the nail plate, completely destroying them. Humid and warm environment ideal for its propagation. The symptoms of fungal toenails are often hidden, and as a result, the disease is detected already in the running form.
Principal mycoses
Nails are affected by various types of mycosis. The most common dermatophytes. Red Trichophyton affect the skin of the hands and feet. Its main symptoms — spots of yellow or white color of nail plates. Gradually the area of infection increases, changing the color of the entire nail, and he begins to move away from the bed. In severe cases this leads to fungus, which infects the skin.
Trichophyton Mentagrophytes interdigital begins with area, then moves above. It appears yellow or white spot, which transformirovalsya in subungual hyperkeratosis. The disease usually affects only the thumbs or fingers. His most pathogen actively multiplies in the warm season.
Much less common Trichophyton purple. It is more common in the far East and in Central Asia. Affects the scalp more commonly known as ringworm. If untreated, the nails dark bumps.
Fungus under the toenails is caused due to the yeast infection fungi. The pathogens Candida parapsilosis and candida white. The disease usually appears on the background of pre-existing onychomycosis.
The main signs of yeast-like fungi:
- white patches on the nails, which eventually becomes grey;
- inflammation of the cuticle;
- purulent discharge.
All these symptoms bring pain. Often yeast-like fungi become a professional disease that develops in individuals, having permanent contact with water. In the absence of timely treatment of the nail plate thinning and moving away from the bed.
More rarely, mold. The first is similar to the symptoms of Candida and usually occur after injuries of the thumb, and the second paints her fingers black dots.
Classification of fungal infections
Signs of nail fungus are varied. They depend on the form of the disease and its severity. Some doctors mycoses share on the localization and depth of penetration:
- When the distal form is broken, the surface free edge, the color of the plate changes to brown or yellow. Over time the area affected area grows, and the structure of the nail changed to rough, uneven.
- The lateral form is manifested in a similar manner, only excited the sides of the nail.
- When the proximal form of infection begins with the cuticle. From skin roller spreading white spot, which is becoming more. The surface becomes cloudy and loses its luster, in severe cases, begins to crumble.
Some doctors prefer to classify the disease based on the degree of thickening of the nail. Under normal trophic form, it still does not change the size, but the visible foci of the disease. In hypertrophic is overgrowth of skin, which leads to thickening of the nail and discomfort when walking. Atrophic form leads to a complete rejection of the nail plate.
The complexity of treatment of fungal toenails is that in most cases the disease is detected at an advanced stage, when atrophy occurs. The first signs of spots or stripes on the nail plates. They do not cause any discomfort, which people do not pay attention to the problem in a timely manner.
Characteristic symptoms
To determine how the fungus toenails, is quite simple: on the plate appear colored spots, it may be deformed, to stratify and to move away from the bed. If the disease side bolsters are red and peel. Some forms are accompanied by rash in the interdigital region.
Another characteristic symptom is burning and itching. Leather on the side bolsters thickens and starts to peel off, after which irritation occurs. Scratching only intensifies it is a very unpleasant feeling.
The first sign of nail fungus on the feet is not only change the color of the plate, but the loss of her Shine. It becomes cloudy, with the progression of the disease becomes gray. When trying to cut actively crumbles and breaks, with time to do it is becoming increasingly difficult. Often the process is accompanied by an unpleasant odor. In severe cases the whole nail plate becomes so that it is impossible to cut.
Pain are rare. They can appear due to the fact that the plate thickens and begins to RUB against the shoes — and brings discomfort. In some cases, the pressure on the affected area provokes ingrowth of the nail in the side bolsters.
For the distribution of spores in the soft tissue disrupted nerve endings. They can provoke paroxysmal pain, which occurs even in moments of rest. In severe forms of the fungus affected area between the toes. Rash in the form of small bubbles covering the skin, and when they burst, their ulcers develop which bring serious discomfort when walking.
Treatments
To confirm the diagnosis, be sure to conduct laboratory diagnosis. Only it gives the ability to accurately determine the causative agent and allows you to choose an effective treatment. Complex therapy includes products for outdoor and indoor use. Ointment applied to clean and dry the area.
The choice depends on the causative agent. The duration of the course is chosen individually, but usually lasts two months. Medical treatment must continue even after symptoms are gone.
Be sure to use preparations for oral administration. They are designed to destroy spores of the fungus. During the treatment the patient is required to regularly see a doctor and be tested. This will determine the effectiveness of treatment.
In rare cases surgical removal of the affected nail. This method does not eliminate contamination, so the new plate will also be affected by fungal infection. Pedicure — a more gentle technique that painlessly remove the stratum corneum. Cleaning is carried out once in two weeks to completely remove the affected layers.