Toenail fungus, the symptoms of which will be discussed below, most often occurs due to neglect of the rules of personal hygiene. The symptoms of nail fungus in most patients appear suddenly, because the infection occurs almost imperceptibly and instantly. Since measures to treat this ailment take a long time, it is better for a person who has noticed signs of disease on the toenails to seek medical help immediately.
Factors contributing to the development of the disease
The lesion can be caused by yeast, mold or skin fungi. In the first case, it is impossible to diagnose the disease immediately. Symptoms of the disease appear 5-6 months after infection. Peeling of the nail occurs, slight irritation of the skin around it. Sometimes the patient suffers from severe itching.
In case the disease developed due to skin fungus, three scenarios are possible:
- The feet, nails and skin of the feet are infected. Fungi can spread not only on the skin of the lower extremities, but also on the nails on the hands.
- The second type of mycelium affects only the nail of the thumb or little finger. Sometimes there is a transition of such fungi to the folds between the fingers. Then the skin is affected either on 1-2 folds, or on all at once.
- Another type of disease - the fungus is limited to "occupying" the nail plate on the little finger or thumb of the lower extremity, but does not spread further.
- The last type of infection is mold. This type of mycelium usually occurs in people with severe immune disorders, such as HIV.
Infection occurs in all cases for the following reasons:
- The protective properties of the patient's body fell below a critical level.
- The nail is mechanically damaged.
- The man was wearing shoes that were too tight. Blood circulation in the legs was disturbed, which led to the development of infection.
- Some people have anatomical pathology of the feet, which contributes to the development of fungi.
- This disease most often affects patients who have been diagnosed with obesity. The disease leads to excessive sweating. This creates favorable conditions for the development of mycelium.
- Fungi develop in patients with diabetes.
To prevent the disease, you need to use only clothes, shoes, personal hygiene items. It is recommended to decontaminate and clean carpets and shoes in time.
General signs of disease
The first signs of nail fungus in most people begin to appear as small whitish spots or streaks on the nails. Most people do not pay attention to that, because nothing hurts them, there is no discomfort. If you do not start treatment for mycosis on time, then you can start the disease. There will be germination of mycelium on all nail plates, fertilization of the skin around the affected nails will begin. In severe cases, the disease spreads to deep tissue structures. This threatens the development of gangrene and amputation of the foot or even the entire leg.
In the second stage of the disease with mycosis, the natural shine of the nail plate disappears. Nails change color. They are yellow with brown or white stripes. The upper and lateral surfaces of the nail are often deformed. Such changes are clearly visible to the eye.
In the last stage of the disease, the nail plates become very brittle, the inflammatory process begins on the cuticle. A person can completely lose a nail. But mushrooms don't stop there. They continue to spread to all the nail plates, and then they spread to the skin of the feet, that is, they catch the feet.
The patient himself can recognize the disease in the second and third phase, because the nails become yellow or brown (sometimes black). The nail rises from the bearing, becomes brittle, breaks quickly.
Symptoms of the disease in the initial stage
If a person has developed toenail fungus, the symptoms of the disease are practically absent at first. But then, 2-3 months after the penetration of the fungus on the skin and its fixation on the nails, you can notice the manifestation of such signs of the disease:
- Slight redness first develops on the surface of the skin near the affected plate.
- Then the person feels a burning sensation in this area.
- Severe itching occurs, inflammation begins.
- After that, places with increased humidity develop in these areas.
- Thickening of the nail and its keratinization occur.
As soon as a person notices these signs of nail fungus, he should be examined and then treatment started.
Depending on the type of fungal infection in the later stages of mycosis development, the plate of the diseased nail is painted with different colors. In the first stage of disease development, the affected area may turn white or green. The dots on it will be along the surface or will look like round dots. At the same time, the thickness of the plate in most patients does not change, and in many cases the nail retains its natural shine. The itching is very strong in all cases, it is impossible to solve it immediately. If the patient notices signs of mycosis in time, then you can get rid of the burning and itching by using medications such as miconazole, clotrimazole and similar medications. But you should not treat yourself, it is better to do it under the supervision of a doctor. With any mistake or non-compliance with the doctor's recommendations, the mycelium will instantly spread to healthy areas, making treatment more difficult.
Subsequent development of the disease
Toenail fungus, if left untreated, can take away the natural color of the nails and the color of the surface of the affected area will be yellow. Nail delamination occurs. I can start to break down. In addition, the patient develops unbearable itching on the skin around the affected area. The cracking of the nail plate substance begins. Burning is intensifying. Some patients may develop dysbacteriosis, feel bad, complain of weakness throughout the body. Maybe the development of drowsiness.
First, the mycelium completely changes the color of the surface of the plates, then their thinning begins. Then the diseased nail is discarded and the infection penetrates the skin structures. The itching gets worse.
In the last stage of the disease, the surface of the diseased nail plates becomes similar to scales. Depending on the type of fungus that has affected the person, the thickening of the nails begins, their delamination. They break quickly. Symptoms of the disease include the following:
- The edges of the plates become very brittle. Sometimes it causes pain in the patient.
- The shape of the plates is very distorted and a scaly surface can develop.
- The color of the affected area changes from yellow to black.
- The insertion of parts of the plates into the skin begins.
- A whitish or yellowish coating appears under the nail. It's because of their peeling off the bed.
- The itching is very strong, almost unbearable. The burning of the skin around the affected areas intensifies again.
If these symptoms occur and treatment is started on time, it will continue for a long time. You can catch the disease in 4-5 seconds, and the disease is very difficult to cure. This usually takes 3 to 6 months. It is not recommended to leave the course of treatment due to possible complications that can lead to surgery. So, you need to listen carefully to yourself. If the initial symptoms are detected and treatment is started immediately, there is a chance that the therapy will end faster, while preserving the nails.