Foot fungus photo stage of treatment and description

The fungus of the toenails is a common pathology that is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms: squeezing or stratification of the nails, a change in its shadow, pain, itching and other negative sensations.What are the causes of the disease, what types and stages are these?How to diagnose and eliminate nail damage?Is it possible to warn the pathological process?

fungus

What is onychomycosis, for what reasons it occurs

The fungus of the toenails or onychomycosis is a disease caused by dermatophytes, mildew, yeast and other mushroom varieties.It is a secondary infection that occurs after lesions of the skin of the feet.

The main factors affecting the development of pathology:

  • Age and gender of a person;
  • climatic conditions;
  • concomitant diseases;
  • Profession.

The disease may occur for the following reasons:

  • Humidity contributes to the rapid spread of fungi, especially if one neglects the drying of the shoes;
  • Visit to the bathroom, swimming pool, ordinary soul without personal shoes, walking with bare feet;
  • discrepancy with the elementary rules of hygiene;
  • entering a favorable environment of dried fungi particles that are on the skin;
  • pathologies of the endocrine system, metabolic disorders;
  • Deformation of the legs and circulation in it;
  • Wearing uncomfortable and inappropriate shoes.

Fungus varieties and their characteristics

There are 3 main types of onychomycosis:

  1. Normorophic.This type is characterized by a change in the shade of the nails, the appearance of stripes and spots from white to yellowish color.The shine and power of the nails are preserved.
  2. Hypertrophic.The shade of the nails changes - they become dumb, more babies and partially destroy.Very often, patients with such a disease are painful to walk.
  3. Onycholithic.The nails are intensely colored gray and gradually rejected by the surrounding tissues.

The effect of the fungus on the skin

Varieties of onychomycosis at the site of the lesion:

  • distal (the nail is affected by the free edge);
  • lateral - damage to the side;
  • Proximal - the back roller is affected;
  • Overall - the whole new plate suffers from the disease.

The stages of onychomycosis accompanying symptoms

Foot fungus does not beat the phalanx immediately and completely, the disease gradually goes through several stages:

  1. early (initially);
  2. started (late).

At the very beginning of a fungal disease, after a violation of the integrity of the skin of the feet, itchy sensations appear between the toes, cracks and bubbles appear.Gradually, the infection affects different parts of the nail.In most situations at an early stage, the pathology cannot be diagnosed independently due to the lack of pronounced symptoms.Small stripes and other nail cuts are practically not visible to the naked eye.Laboratory diagnostics are shown.

The advanced stage is an extensive damage to the nail and the entire part of the phalanx.In the absence of timely treatment, there is complete loss of nails, impaired skin integrity and the transition of harmful microorganisms that caused the infectious process of the hands.

The main symptoms of the late stage of the pathology: tearing and squeezing the nails, disruption of its shape and thickness.The last stage of the disease is the complete destruction of the nail or its pronounced deformity, as well as the development of complications under the influence of a fungus, which requires long and complex therapy.

Leg fungus

Diagnostic methods

To diagnose onychomycosis, you should contact a dermatologist.The doctor will prescribe laboratory tests (mycological, microbiological and histological), evaluate the results of the tests, symptoms and conduct a study and personal examination of the patient.

Therapeutic tactics depend on the severity of the disease, its causes, concomitant symptoms and the type of pathogen.The diagnosis is confirmed or denied when using a luminescent wood lamp.The differential diagnosis is made to distinguish between fungi from other diseases (psoriasis, eczema, red flat lichen, etc.).

Treatment characteristics

Any fluctuations in the appearance of the nails (resistant and slowly progressive) in shape, color, thickness, structural characteristics are the reason for immediate contact with the dermatologist.The earlier the patient starts topical treatment, the less the likelihood of using oral use, which works in full for all body systems.

Folk remedies have proven effective in the early stages of onychomycosis and their use is welcomed by doctors.However, all procedures, medication treatment, folk therapy should be agreed with the attending physician according to the results of laboratory and hardware tests, history study and evaluation of concomitant symptoms.

The result of neglect

External use

If the disease has just begun to actively develop and have not reached the late stages with severe symptoms, we can limit ourselves to the administration of local antifungal drugs.It is enough to apply a cream, gel or solution of pathological zone several times a day, morning and evening.

Before topical medication, it is necessary to first prepare your nails.First, it is necessary to immerse the legs in a solution of soap-lainer (in half a filled pelvis with warm water, 1 tbsp and 50 g of laundry soap should be dissolved).Thanks to such a 15-minute bathroom, the nail layers are significantly softened, which must be removed with scissors or manicure scissors and fired.

When processing, you should not use the same manicure devices for simultaneous care for patients and healthy nails.

In the most fungal disabilities, you can use special antifungal varnishes.The duration of therapy is about a year.

Oral

If the disease has undergone the initial stage and develops daily, the oral use of medicines in a tablet form is indicated.Such medicines help to overcome the disease even in the most advanced stages.By penetrating the blood, the active components of the drugs are completely affected by all body systems, which prevents the fungi from penetrating healthy organs.

Damage to nail plates

Phyoelization

The effective method of physiotherapy treatment is laser therapy.However, in order to achieve a constant effect of laser therapy, this procedure is shown in combination with medication - the laser is not able to independently kill the fungus without a pharmacy.Laser therapy helps prevent recurrence of the disease due to the penetration of rays into the deepest layers of the skin, reaching distant foci of the lesion.

With advanced forms of onychomycosis, electrochemical methods of physiotherapy effects are effective.These are procedures such as electrophoresis and iontophoresis.Physiotherapy helps to penetrate medicines into the affected areas of the skin and the destruction of yeast and other varieties of fungi.

Surgical nail removal

Many experts recommend surgical nail removal damaged by a fungus if the disease is in an advanced stage, while other methods indicate their ineffectiveness.The surgery is performed on an outpatient basis or hospital with preliminary anesthesia.

Possible complications after surgery:

  • pain;
  • penetration of infection into the wound;
  • Later growth of irregularly shaped nails.

Performing surgery is contraindicated in persons:

  • with slow healing wounds;
  • Having the lame;
  • With bad fillings with blood, confirmed by diagnostic studies.

The lesion of the sponge

Recommendations after surgery:

  • Do not charge your fingers for several days;
  • Do not wet the dressing for one week;
  • Avoid tight shoes;
  • Heal the wound regularly with antiseptic, make dressings;
  • Periodically visit a dermatologist to evaluate the quality of treatment and prevent recurrence of the disease.Remedies

Even experts welcome the treatment with folk remedies.The basic condition is a preliminary consultation with the attending physician to calculate doses and obtain recommendations.

Effective folk remedies for nail fungus:

  • Vinegar.The harmful microorganisms that cause a pathological process die in an acidic environment.It is enough to make vinegar baths every day (water at room temperature with vinegar in a proportion of 8: 1) for 15 minutes.Before the procedure, you must suffocate your legs.
  • Propolis.The tool is effective only for systematic use.You need to take a 25%tincture of bee glue, moisten a cotton pad in it, attach to the pathological site and fix the gauze dressing at night.
  • Iodine.This is the simplest and most effective method of treating nail fungus.To well -washed and dried nails, iodine should be applied with a cotton swab affecting only the damaged nail area.Therapy should last for about a month.
  • Soda.In 2 liters of warm water, 1 pp. L. l should be dissolved.Soda.In such a bathroom, you should keep your feet for about 15 minutes.
  • Essential oils.The biggest efficiency was shown from tea tree oil.The substance should be rubbed into the damaged nail plate 2 times a day for at least 3 weeks.
  • Herbs based products.The most effective are the following herbs: Celan, Thyme, Birrow, gold mustache.

The last stage of the sponge

Treatment errors and their consequences

3 Frequent mistakes made by many patients during the treatment of onychomycosis:

  1. incorrectly prescribed medicines;
  2. an outdated approach to treatment;
  3. Failure to comply with preventive measures to prevent infection.

The fungus of the toenails with insufficient treatment or its absence can cause eczema, lymphostasis, attachment of bacterial infection with the development of inflammation, complete loss of nails, inflammatory process in the lower limbs and other pathologies.If the fungal infection spreads throughout the nails, it is urgent to start treatment to avoid complications.If the patient has severe immunity and has no pronounced symptoms of onychomycosis, the body is able to cope with the infection without external help.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent onychomycosis, it is necessary to adhere to the following rules:

  • Wash your feet daily with warm water with soap or other skin washing;
  • Use a pumice or special brush to remove keratinized and dead skin layers;
  • Wipe your feet well after washing, paying special attention to the intervals between your fingers;
  • Start a separate leg cloth, wash it regularly at high temperatures;
  • Use talc and other cosmetics for intensive sweating of the feet;
  • Do not neglect the rules of personal hygiene, especially after exercise and in the hot season;
  • Choose comfortable shoes made of natural materials in size that do not rub and compress the phalanges of the toes;
  • After wearing, giving shoes for moisture drying;
  • Do not put on socks and shoes on wet legs;
  • Always change the shoes in the rain or snow, falling into a warm dry room.

The fight against nail fungus should begin, armed with knowledge of it.Thanks to this selection, you can independently solve the pathogen, location and severity of onychomycosis and start taking some action on time.