Foot mycosis (ICD code 10 B35. 3) is a fungal infection of the skin on the feet caused by parasitic dermatophytes. It occurs in about 20% of adults. Infection occurs with microtraumas, scratches, scratches, wounds. Wet feet, diabetes mellitus and weakened immunity promote the development of the disease.
Among people with endocrine disorders, immunodeficiency conditions, the prevalence reaches 50%. More often, the disease passes in a chronic form with alternating periods of remission and worsening. In 40-50% of cases, mycosis of the feet causes onychomycosis or fungal infection of the nails.
Where and why does the infection occur?
Foot mycosis is a contagious disease that is easily transmitted by direct contact with a fungus carrier or through household items. For example, through shoes, socks, towel, manicure supplies, rubber mats in the shower. In 70-95% of cases, the cause of foot mycosis is Trichophyton red (Tr. Rubrum).
Usually the infection occurs in public places with high humidity, where there are favorable conditions for the reproduction and spread of pathogens. Such places include swimming pools, public showers, saunas, water parks, locker rooms in the gym. If a person infected with the fungus walks barefoot on the floor or in the shower, they will leave infectious particles behind. And if then a healthy person steps barefoot on this place, then the pathogen will fall on his skin. In this case, the fungus does not always manifest immediately and causes the characteristic symptoms of the disease. With strong immunity, the absence of health problems, a person remains simply a carrier of the infection, but at the same time does not get sick.
Increased risks of fungus and development of foot mycosis:
- damage to skin integrity;
- violation of the blood supply to the extremities, where the supply of tissues with oxygen and nutrients deteriorates, regeneration processes slow down, local immunity weakens;
- diabetes mellitus, high blood glucose levels create favorable conditions for fungal growth, infection progression;
- excessive sweating;
- dry skin, leading to microcracks;
- age;
- blood diseases;
- long-term use of antibiotics, drugs that suppress immunity;
- vitamin deficiency;
- Wearing airtight shoes and creating a "greenhouse effect".
Symptoms and types of disease
Foot mycoses manifest in different ways, the type of pathogen and the severity of the lesion affect the symptoms. The first signs of the disease appear in the folds between the fingers, and from there they spread to the plantar, lateral, back and nails.
How the feet look with mycosis is shown in the photo.
When the nails become infected, thickening, loss of shine, turbidity of the plate are noticed. The nail takes on a yellow, gray hue, becomes brittle, crumbles.
Early clinical symptoms of athlete's foot include dryness, peeling skin, painless cracks in the folds between the toes. This form of the disease is called erasure. Peeling and cracking do not initially cause pain, itching, or discomfort. Only a doctor can notice the first unexpressed signs of a fungal infection. In addition to the deleted one, there are other clinical forms of mycosis of the feet, each of which has its own symptoms.
Squamous
In the squamous form of mycosis of the feet, peeling occurs in the folds between the toes and on the side. As a rule, there are no signs of inflammation. There may be redness, damage to the nails, itching, thickening of the stratum corneum, which gives the skin a glow. The papillary lines become more pronounced, and the surface of the skin becomes dry, covered with lamellar scales. In this case, the patient does not feel itching or other unpleasant sensations.
Hyperkeratotic
Looks like a rash on the arches. The surface of the rash elements is covered with layered scales of gray-white color. There is a separation of the epidermis, individual vesicles. By merging with each other, the rash creates indistinct large foci that spread across the sole, including the lateral, dorsal surfaces. In addition to exfoliation foci, there are areas of hyperkeratosis or thickening of the skin. They look like blisters with cracks on top. In the hyperkeratotic form of mycosis of the foot, the affected area is similar to the manifestations of psoriasis or eczema. The person is concerned about dryness, itching, and sometimes pain.
Intertriginous
The intertriginous form of athlete's foot is similar to the symptoms of diaper rash. Hence the name from lat. intertrigo - "diaper rash". The skin is more often affected at intervals between the third and fourth, fourth and fifth fingers. It becomes bright red, edematous. There are weeping wounds, deep, painful cracks. Unlike diaper rash, lesions in intertriginous mycosis are round, clear in outline, with a white outline separating along the edges of the epidermis. The person experiences itching, tingling, pain.
Dyshydrotic
Dyshydrotic forms of foot mycosis are characterized by multiple vesicles with a thick tip, located mainly on the arches. The rash spreads to large areas of the soles, as well as to the spaces between the toes and the skin of the toes. Join together to create big bubbles. Instead of bursting the bladder, wet erosion occurs. As the inflammation grows, the skin becomes red and swollen. In the phase of vesicle formation, the patient feels unbearable itching.
Diagnosis
If you suspect foot fungal infections, you must go to a dermatologist. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will examine the legs, ask what symptoms are bothering the person, how long ago and after which they appeared. Take a scraping from the affected area for microscopic analysis, culture research to identify a specific type of pathogen. In addition, your doctor may order blood tests.
How to treat athlete's foot?
Mycologist or dermatologist treats mycosis of the skin of the feet. Taking into account the clinical form of the disease, the severity of the lesion, visible changes, the doctor will choose the appropriate therapy.
Complications of fungal infection of the feet can lead to fungal infection of the hands. Mycosis of the feet sometimes leads to secondary bacterial infections, especially when there are weeping wounds on the skin.
External fungicidal agents (ointments, creams), tablets for oral administration are prescribed to fight fungi. Only topical therapy is effective for milder forms of foot mycosis. According to clinical guidelines, oral medications are prescribed in severe cases.
If necessary, the treatment is supplemented with anti-inflammatory, drying, antiseptic, antiallergic drugs, agents that promote the regeneration of damaged tissues. If there are signs of a bacterial infection, antibiotic therapy is prescribed.
In onychomycosis, hardware cleaning of areas infected with the fungus is performed. For the subsequent treatment of nails, local antifungal agents are prescribed: varnish, cream or ointment.
The duration of treatment is from two weeks to a month. If not only the skin is affected, but also the nails, the treatment is postponed. This is due to the fact that the nail grows slowly. To get rid of the infection, the nail plate needs to grow completely.
When a doctor's instructions are followed, mycosis can be successfully treated. But if he notices an improvement, the patient stops taking the drug, which leads to the return of the infection, its transition to a chronic form. It is necessary to go through the whole course, even if the symptoms of the disease have already disappeared.
Very important in the treatment of athlete's foot, foot care, personal hygiene, nutrition, choosing a comfortable shoe that does not injure the affected areas.
What to do for prevention?
To avoid mycoses of the feet and nails or reduce the risks of their development, the following recommendations will help:
- keep under control chronic diseases in which blood circulation in the lower extremitiesthe body's defenses are damaged or reduced;
- Wash your feet daily with soap and water and then towel dry them, especially the creases between your toes;
- Ventilate your shoes and change your socks every day;
- Wear closed rubber slippers when visiting public showers, saunas, swimming pools, bathrooms;
- in case of excessive sweating, use antiperspirants for feet, disinfectants for shoes, do not wear other people's shoes, socks, tights;
- don't use someone else's towel, cloth.
If you find even a small peeling of the skin on your feet or cracks between your toes, it is worth testing for fungus. Early diagnosis and timely treatment will help avoid complications, major damage, discomfort, pain when walking and infection with a bacterial infection.