Not everyone knows what toenail fungus looks like and they can initially recognize 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. And even toenails can change their appearance not because of a fungal infection, but because of psychological stress or a number of diseases of the internal organs. Thus, the final diagnosis can be made by a physician only after receiving the test results. And the patient's task is to consult a doctor in time if warning signs appear.
The main symptoms of mycosis
The characteristic symptoms of mycosis of the feet are peeling, and most often of a certain shape in the form of rings or plates. 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 great 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 color, and for a while the disease really disappears. More precisely, it seems so, but in fact this treatment leads to the fact that the fungus on the feet simply freezes, 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 removed, then it will spread very quickly to the nail and smooth skin. Not to mention, other family members can get fungal disease.
The degree of lesion in mycosis of the foot depends on many factors. If there are preconditions such as microtrauma, various pathologies of the endocrine system, diabetes mellitus, if a person undergoes certain treatment with glucocorticoids or cytostatics, then all this contributes to the further development of the disease.
One day, the period of relative stability ends, and the patient does not see the most attractive picture - this is not only peeling on the skin, but also blisters, weeping cracks on the foot, suppuration. These are all classic symptoms that are present in the later stages of pathology development. At the same time, the initial phase of the fungus on the toenails is visible. Although the type of microorganisms can be examined in more detail only under a microscope, their activity is much more noticeable - it is a change in the shape and color of the nails, then their thickening and destruction.
Nail fungus and their manifestations
The flexibility of toenails is manifested in different ways. It all depends on the stage of the disease and what the cause of the fungus is. Usually, the nail should be smooth, pink and even shiny. If the condition of the nail is far from the ideal described, then something is happening to the body.
Nails grow at a certain rate. When a person is under stress, that rate decreases and the nail becomes thinner and weaker. Then the body returns to normal and the nails return to their original state from the point of growth indicator, but this weak band on the nail plate still remains. And if a person's life is quite nervous, then there can be several such stripes. In addition, onychomycosis (and this is the scientific name for nail fungus) is not the only disease that leads to a change in the color of the nail plate or its shape. Pathologies such as immune failure, hormonal imbalance and other disorders of the endocrine system lead to exactly the same results. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a case-by-case analysis.
What the fungus looks like largely depends on which microorganisms caused the onychomycosis. And it can be caused by several types. For example, if we are talking about dermatophytes, then the fungus looks just like a blurred nail. This is a manifestation of the initial phase of the fungus on the toenails. After that, yellow spots may appear along the edge of the board and even in the middle of it. Then longitudinal stripes appear and the nail begins to collapse.
Otherwise, problems caused by yeast appear. In such cases, the nail plate becomes noticeably thinner, takes on a grayish hue and after a while already deviates from its normal position. This is mainly due to the fact that the metabolism in the damaged cells worsens. At the same time, the grooves on the nail fold finally confirm the diagnosis - yeast fungus.
Mold should be mentioned separately. It usually affects only 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 cause only surface damage and do not penetrate deep inside.
It is clear that the diagnosis can only be made by a doctor who will consider all the symptoms and perform tests. Self-treatment without going to the doctor is fraught with very unpleasant consequences.
Stages and types of onychomycosis
Considering the stages of onychomycosis, many confuse them with the types of this disease, of which there are three. This is normotrophic, hypertrophic and atrophic onychomycosis.
For example, in normotrophic onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, streaks and spots may appear on it, but its thickness and shine remain normal. Many people think that this is a fungus on the nails whose initial stage will develop into a more serious pathology, but in fact the fungus in such situations responds well to treatment.
With hypotrophic onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes, its shine is lost, the nail itself thickens and its deformation occurs, in some cases even destruction along the edges. Onycholytic species are often called atrophic. This is not the same nail fungus on the nails, whose initial phase is expressed in cracks and discoloration, here the treatment will be different, because the affected part of the plate atrophies.
Treatment of mycosis of the feet and nails
The first thing to do with this disease is to visit a doctor to help you choose a drug that meets the following requirements:
- high antifungal activity, which allows you to fight against various types of infectious agents;
- a sufficiently high concentration of the active substance both in the preparation itself and in the surface layers of the skin after its application;
- complex antifungal and antibacterial therapy;
- no contraindications and side effects, including allergic reactions;
- ease of use.
Given these requirements, it is not surprising that the drug selection phase is so important. As a rule, in the absence of complications, drugs based on substances such as cyclopirox and naftifine are used. They are produced in the form of ointments, less often in the form of tablets. In the more severe phase of mycosis, treatment with terbinafine and fluconazole-based drugs is recommended.
Tablets should be taken if ointments and creams for external use have not given effect. The dosage of the tablets should be checked by a doctor. As a rule, all of these are quite powerful drugs, so the course of treatment is about 7-10 days, although there are drugs that can be taken for 3-4 weeks.
The physician prescribing such therapy taking into account what other medications the patient will be taking. These medications can have the side effect of vomiting or dizziness. This is considered valid. Generic drugs are milder than the original, but the effect is small.
Surgical interventions
Previously, in advanced cases, surgical removal of the affected tissue was practiced. This was especially true of nails. They now use a drill like the one used in dental surgeries. Even in the most advanced cases, cutting off almost all the nails will take about half an hour. And if the problem is only in one affected nail, it will only take you about 5 minutes.
No additional precautions are required after the procedure. This procedure does not cause any painful sensations, you can lead a normal lifestyle, do a morning run. It is only important to ensure that the affected areas of the skin are not injured.
One nail treatment with such a preparation is not enough, it will still need to be repeated at least once more, 3-4 weeks after the first treatment, when the nails grow a little. In general, you have to adjust to the fact that this process is long, it can take a month, and if things have gone far enough, then a few months. For example, there are cases when the first 3-4 months the patient undergoes nail treatment with such a tool every 2-3 weeks, and then takes medication for several months.
Are folk remedies effective?
Any doctor will say that the prescriptions of traditional medicine for such a disease are not effective or even harmful. First, neither vinegar, nor herbs, nor even honey, despite antiseptic agents, practically do not affect the fungus. Yes, you can hear from friends that some of these recipes have helped to get rid of itching or cracks. Well, then these signs are simply not attributed to fungi. The same psoriasis or eczema have similar symptoms and are perfectly treated by the above folk methods.
Secondly, these drugs help to remove the signs of the fungus, that is, they mask them for a while, and that is enough to infect everyone in the family.
However, the above vinegar will be effective for other purposes as well - it can be used to wash bedding and shoes to prevent re-application of the fungus. The only shoes that are not washed, but thrown away are slippers, because they cannot be disinfected. Vinegar can also be used to disinfect bathtubs.