Even the avid mushroom picker will not be happy to find fungus on his feet. This is understandable: often, without causing discomfort, the disease disfigures the feet and nails, and going to the beach or simply wearing open shoes becomes a forbidden fruit.
And if itching and painful sensations appear, if it is difficult to walk, this is not a joke at all. In addition: when actively multiplying, fungi release toxic substances into the blood, which have a harmful effect on human health and can cause severe allergic reactions, including Quincke's edema.
Therefore, mycosis (this is the name of this disease) must be treated, and it is better to do this in the initial stage, before microscopic fungi turn your feet into "real estate".
Foot mycelium: how to recognize it?
The disease affects both the skin of the feet and the nails. Depending on the type of fungus that has attacked your feet, symptoms can vary:
- Redness appears on the skin of the foot, which then increases in area and begins to peel and peel. Usually the disease develops on one leg, but if left untreated, it spreads to the other.
- Small bubbles with a diameter of 2 to 8 millimeters appear on the arch of the foot, which gradually increase in size, merge together and eventually burst, which leads to erosion. The affected skin is itchy and the fungus can spread to the lower or upper leg. Sometimes a bacterial infection is added to the fungal infection, and then the contents of the bubbles become purulent, the patient complains of severe pain and general malaise.
- The fungi "settle" between the toes, which leads to the formation of painful cracks, which increase over time. The patient has difficulty stepping on his foot, feels severe pain. Erosions, ulcers and swelling can develop. In advanced cases, the body temperatureof the patient increases and the condition worsens.
- Fungi affect the nails, which leads to their deformation, thickening or thinning, brittleness, discoloration and ingrowth into the skin. If mycosis is not treated for a long time, then your nails may not return to their original appearance, depriving you of the opportunity to flaunt a pedicure for the rest of your life.
Often, several types of fungi can be found on the foot at once, which is why the symptoms of the disease are combined.
What to do with fungi? And what should we not do?
Usually, when a person feels itching or sees redness of the skin, he himself understands that he is infected with mycosis. But not everyone makes the right decision and consults a doctor. To this day, they try to treat the fungus with folk remedies, but it is very likely that this will not only be of little use, but even harm.
What will the doctor do? He will determine what kind of fungus has affected you and prescribe you medicines suitable for this case. Trying to deal with unhappiness at home according to your grandmother's recommendation, you can easily waste valuable time and bring your feet to a sad state.
Mycosis is also dangerous because it can accompany a person for many years, periodically subsiding and instilling false hope that the feet have gotten rid of the fungus. After some time, however, the disease will show its character again, the body will continue to be infected with fungal waste products, and the legs will take on an increasingly unpleasant appearance.
How can you get a yeast infection?
This disease is transmitted from person to person.
Most susceptible to mycosis:
- people with reduced immunity;
- those with damaged areas of the skin of the feet (after an unsuccessful pedicure, injuries or excessive efforts during hygiene procedures);
- wearing wet socks or shoes (especially in hot weather or when wearing winter shoes in a warm room);
- do not take foot and nail hygiene seriously.
All these factors provide a suitable environment for the development of fungi.
How does mycosis "attack" a person?
- Through soil or flooring that a person with fungus has passed through. Therefore, you should not walk barefoot in unfamiliar places and even at home. Sun-warmed beach sand or pebbles are practically safe, and sea water is an excellent means of preventing mycosis.
- Pools, saunas, showers in public places and hotels are very dangerous from the point of view of infection. Do not forget to take special shoes with you.
- Do not wear shoes that were previously owned by another owner: it does not matter if you want to buy them at a second-hand store or just try on a friend's shoes and judge how they fit.
- Do not use other people's hygiene items - towels, washcloths, etc. Carefully inspect the disposable hotel slippers to ensure that you get a brand new pair.
Fungal spores can remain viable for several years, and therefore you can never be sure that the surface you decide to walk on or someone else's shoes are safe.
Without fungus: we treat mycosis
Specialists at a professional clinic will conduct a series of tests that will identify the type of fungus that has affected your feet and develop a course of treatment.
You will be offered medical treatment with modern anti-fungal drugs, and you must follow the dosage and duration of taking the prescribed drugs. Do not interrupt the course if it seems to you that mycosis has been defeated - it has probably subsided only for a while.
As an additional medicine, the doctor will recommend an ointment or cream for external use. There are special nail polishes. If you follow all the recommendations, the fungus will disappear forever.
It is also necessary to take into account the contagiousness of mycosis. During treatment, you must protect your family and friends from infection. For this:
- Wash your feet with products recommended by your doctor. After the hygiene procedures, thoroughly clean the bathtub.
- Walk around the house with closed slippers.
- Wash your clothes separately, treat your shoes with antifungal agents and change your socks several times a day to prevent your feet from sweating.
- Every day ventilate the apartment and do wet cleaning.
- After the treatment is over, throw away the shoes, socks, towels and washcloths you used during the illness.
Prevention: and without mycosis!
Mycosis is an unpleasant disease that can be completely avoided. Just follow a few simple rules:
- washing the feet thoroughly and regularly, but without excessive effort (so as not to damage the skin and nails);
- shoes - only own;
- pedicure - only with own tools or in a salon that meets all norms and rules;
- wet or sweaty feet are your enemy, change into dry shoes immediately;
- socks - clean only;
- walking barefoot is excluded everywhere, except for the seashore;
- Monitor your health and compliance with daily routine - fungi are dangerous for a weakened body.
For those who take care of their feet, even the contact of fungal spores with the skin does not lead to any consequences: the "parasite" simply cannot develop in inappropriate conditions.
What to do if mycosis appears on your feet? Without wasting time, make an appointment with a dermatologist in a professional clinic and very soon you will regain your previous ease of walking.