Mycosis is a contagious skin disease caused by a fungus. Antifungal cream treatment is usually applied, which gives good results, but not in the long run. The tips below can help you prevent fungus between your fingers that recurs after treatment.
Who can get ringworm and how can it be prevented?
Mycosis is a fungal infection that affects the feet. This condition is very common - every fourth person has interdigital fungus on their feet. If this disease is started, its treatment can be very cumbersome. Fungal pathogens (fungi) are often found in small amounts on human skin, where they usually do no harm. However, under favorable conditions, they can penetrate the epidermis, multiply and cause infection. Favorable conditions for fungi are warm, moist and airless areas of the skin, such as between the fingers.
Almost anyone can get ringworm. But it is more common in people who sweat more or in those who wear thick shoes and socks, which also causes excessive foot sweating. Mycosis can spread from person to person. For example, this can happen under a public shower used by athletes or swimmers. Small flakes of fungus-infected skin can fall off during showering. Once a small portion of the infection begins to develop, it spreads along the skin. About where else you can pick up the mushroom is written here.
What are the symptoms of foot fungus?
The skin between the little fingers will usually be the first to be affected. The first signs of the fungus, when the infection has just formed on the skin, are minor. The manifestation will become noticeable when the rash starts to spread and the skin starts to itch and become scaly. Cracks and inflammation may appear on it. Large cracks (cracks) in the skin between the fingers can increase and can be very painful. Tiny scales of infected skin can peel off. If your interdigital mycosis is not treated, the rash can gradually spread along the entire leg. In some cases it extends to the sole. The infection often causes peeling of the entire sole and sides of the feet. Sometimes mycosis causes large rashes on the foot. In this case we are dealing with a foot fungus.
Is ringworm between the fingers serious?
As a rule, no. Most people successfully treat itchy feet before the infection spreads. Sometimes the infection spreads to the skin of other parts of the body. These are usually moist and airless areas, like the groin. Usually, the fungus, including fungus on the feet between the toes, does not spread deeper, but only on the surface of the skin. However, other microbes (bacteria) can enter the cracks left over from neglected or untreated mycosis. It can sometimes cause more serious foot or leg infections.
It happens that the infection spreads to the nail - it can be cured. But in this case, to get rid of the fungus, it will take a few weeks of taking antifungal pills to clear the nail infection.
Therefore, the treatment of interdigital fungus on the feet is best done in a timely manner, as soon as the first symptoms begin to appear.
Treatment of mycosis
Treatment of fungus between the fingers usually involves the application of various antifungal creams and sprays. You can buy local antifungals at the nearest pharmacy or get a prescription. To treat fungus between the toes, it is necessary to apply an antifungal agent directly to the affected area, ie the skin of the feet. There are different types and brands of medications. They are usually sold in the form of creams, but can also be sprays, liquids and powders. The preparations are very good for cleansing the skin from fungal infections. However, there is no evidence that one drug is better than another.
It is necessary to use medications as much as recommended. It depends on the different treatments, so read the instructions carefully before treating the fungus between your toes. It often happens that the inflammation seems to go away fairly quickly, but you may need to be treated 1 to 2 weeks after the rash has removed. This is necessary in order to completely remove the fungus on the skin - which will prevent recurrence.
If you first encountered this disease and do not know how to cure fungus on the feet and do not make a mistake in choosing a drug for treatment, it is better to consult a doctor.
For skin, especially inflamed, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream in combination with a mild steroid ointment. They are usually used for a maximum of seven days. You may need to continue using only one antifungal cream for a while after that. Anabolic steroids reduce inflammation in a short period of time and can relieve itching and redness. However, the steroid does not completely remove the fungus between the fingers, so the steroid cream should not be used for treatment.
Antifungal antifungal tablets between the toes are sometimes prescribed to adults if the infection is severe and cannot be removed with creams. The tablets are also needed if the infection is found in many places on the skin, except on the feet.
However, treating interdigital fungus using the above procedures is not the same for everyone.
Antifungal tablets are not always recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or for people with liver disease. Some people may be prescribed another drug that interacts with antifungal tablets. Children are not usually given antifungal medications.
Although the skin fungus between the fingers can spread from person to person, you don’t have to stay away from work, school, or sports if you have the fungus. However, in public places, such as a swimming pool or sauna, try to keep your feet covered until the rash disappears. Also, try not to scratch the damaged skin as this can spread the infection to other areas.
The following tips can prevent mycosis from recurring:
- You should wash your feet daily and dry the skin between your toes thoroughly after washing. This is perhaps the most important thing. Wear socks if your feet are not completely dry. Moist skin between the toes is an ideal breeding ground for fungus.
- Do not use other people's towels in public locker rooms! Towels should be washed as often as possible.
- Change socks daily. Fungi can grow in the scales of the skin in unwashed socks. Cotton socks and leather shoes are in many ways better than nylon socks and shoes made of artificial materials that increase sweating.
- Try to change different shoes every 2-3 days, this will allow each pair to dry completely after wearing.
- Wear flip flops or plastic sandals in public locker rooms and showers. This prevents the feet from touching the floor, which can have flakes of skin from other people.
- When you are at home, walk barefoot for as long as possible - without shoes and socks so that air can reach your feet. However, this may not be practical for some people.
- If the mycosis persists, you can prevent recurrence by regularly applying one of the antifungal sprays or creams as a preventative measure. It can be used daily for preventive measures.