Fungal diseases of the toenails are quite common in humans. In addition to the cosmetic side effects, these infections can cause significant damage to the body, so onychomycosis must be treated. But you need to know as much as possible about this disease, especially since today scientists have identified a large number of pathogens.
Types of pathogens
In onychomycosis, the parasites start in the structure of the nail tissues and in the skin around them. According to the generally accepted classification, spore microorganisms that can occur in humans are divided into three groups:
- yeast fungus on the nails, mainly Candida albicans;
- dermatophyte fungi (genus Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton);
- mold species (genus Aspergillus, Alternaria and Fusarium).
Acute or chronic onychomycosis causes each of them individually. It is also not uncommon for two of these species to be infected at the same time. Accurate detection of the pathogen is extremely important in the diagnosis, as each of the groups of fungal diseases can be treated with different drugs that are not universal.
Reasons for the appearance
The reasons for the development of infection can be related both to the entry of the pathogen from the external environment and to the general condition of the patient's body. Their knowledge will help you understand how to treat nail fungus.
External sources of fungal spread include:
- Swimming pools, changing rooms, showers, baths - these public places where one walks barefoot. Therefore, when visiting such establishments, you should wear safety slippers.
- The use of poorly disinfected tools in beauty salons during pedicures, which in general can be dangerous for the body.
- No less threatening are foreign files, scissors and other products used for personal hygiene.
- In the summer, closed shoes can be a danger in which the feet will sweat a lot.
- In order not to treat onychomycosis of the nails, you should bathe or bathe regularly, as sweat and dirt act as a favorable environment for microbes.
- Some types of onychomycosis are transmitted by pets, but such pathogens are common mainly in hot countries.
Other health problems also contribute to the development of the described disease:
- Weakened immune system.
- The presence of small wounds and cracks on the skin, dry tissues.
- A large number of storms.
- Impaired blood circulation to the nail tissues.
- Contact with fungal pathogens of human skin. This method of infection is called autoinfection.
Thus, there are many sources of infection with fungal diseases. These microorganisms are very common around the world, so a disease such as nail fungus occurs in many people. So knowing how to treat onychomycosis will never be superfluous.
Symptoms and diagnosis
The appearance of fungus on the feet does not mean the inevitable development of the disease. Onychomycosis develops only in a person with a weakened immune system. But there are many possibilities for how toenail fungus manifests itself. In this case, pay attention to the following symptoms of nail fungus:
- thickening or reducing the thickness of the stratum corneum;
- high fragility of the nail plate, its stratification;
- the presence of pores and calluses;
- unnatural color: white, yellowish or greenish shades;
- roughness of the nail plate surface;
- loss of natural luster;
- inflammation of the skin of the toes, itching in the feet;
- cracked leg.
By these signs you can find out how the toenail fungus starts.
The treatment of advanced toenail fungus is extremely difficult and time consuming. Therefore, the appearance of symptoms of onychomycosis can not be ignored. If they are found, you should seek medical attention immediately.
The main purpose of diagnosing nail fungus is to accurately determine the cause of the infection. Many species of parasitic organisms are extremely difficult to detect, especially since the external signs of the disease are easily confused with metabolic disorders.
Onychomycosis is usually diagnosed in several stages, for which the following methods are used to recognize toenail fungus:
- examination of clinical data;
- analysis of a piece of tissue under a microscope;
- cultural diagnostics;
- DNA testing.
During the examination of the patient at the first meeting, the doctor can diagnose the presence of damage to the nail plate, but without accurate tests it is not possible to understand what caused the disease. Laboratory tests are the only way to identify nail fungus.
By examining the scraping under a microscope, the doctor can tell you exactly what the toenail fungus looks like. The difficulty lies in identifying the specific type of pathogen. Therefore, at this stage the diagnosis does not stop.
The exact fungal culture is determined by its cultivation in the laboratory. To do this, a nail fungus analysis based on a special Sabouraud nutrient medium is used. Usually after three to five days of such a study, specialists are able to determine the specific type of pathogen. Also, using this method, you can check the sensitivity of parasites to drugs and outline the most effective course of treatment.
Parasite DNA testing is the current and most promising option for identifying toenail fungus, reducing the time required to obtain results to one or two days. However, such an analysis for nail fungus can effectively detect only the types of yeast.
Who is at risk
As already mentioned, certain categories of people are prone to onychomycosis to varying degrees. The following are the main factors that increase the likelihood of developing an infection:
- Reaching retirement age. Due to reduced blood circulation and deterioration of metabolism, this disease is much more common in the elderly than in other categories of the population. Delayed diagnosis also plays an important role in this, as retirees, after discovering the symptoms of nail fungus and believing it to be a common sign of aging, do not always seek qualified help.
- Mechanical damage to nail tissues. Any injury disrupts the supply of nutrients to the tissues. As a result, the outbreak of infection will begin at the site of a fracture or crack, which then spreads throughout the nail, which may even simply fly out of it.
- High blood sugar levels cause damage to the blood vessels in the foot. Therefore, the manifestation of onychomycosis is so common in diabetics, which is also extremely difficult to get rid of.
- For exactly the same reason, diseases of the circulatory system, such as Raynaud's syndrome or varicose veins, can cause infection.
- Because spores can most often multiply on both nail and body surfaces, people affected by fungal skin infections are at risk for onychomycosis. Once defeated, the disease can recur.
The danger of ignoring the symptoms
Many people do not seek medical help if they find signs of a fungal infection and only after some time try to cure an advanced fungus. This is due to the relatively mild course of the disease and the ability to hide cosmetic defects with socks or closed shoes.
However, you should not ignore the first symptoms and treatment of the disease, otherwise there may be serious complications.
If you are wondering why toenail fungus is dangerous, then you need to start with the fact that onychomycosis is contagious. The infected person will pose a threat to others.
Certain restrictions are imposed on patients with fungal infections. A person with an old fungus, for example, will never receive a medical certificate for admission to the pool.
As a parasitic disease, toenail fungus will weaken a patient's immunity, increasing the likelihood of other health problems. Attempts to treat nail fungus at home can become more serious problems.
Old onychomycosis leads to serious consequences that you should be afraid of:
- parasites can enter the circulatory system;
- lack of treatment for toenail fungus severely weakens the immune system;
- spores increase allergic reactions, exacerbate chronic diseases;
- due to deteriorating general health, people are more prone to depression, insomnia, etc.
That is why the first signs of toenail fungus should be the reason to contact the clinic.
Treatment
The treatment of toenail fungus is based on two principles. First, drugs mechanically destroy spores. Second, drugs slow down the reactions of parasites, blocking their activity and reproduction. By the way, you need to think carefully before deciding on the treatment of nail fungus during pregnancy.
Medicines, folk remedies, laser treatment of nail fungus and medical pedicure are used in medicine.
Pharmacy preparations
Pharmaceutical products have a strong impact. Many of them are specially selected for specific pathogens, which further increases the effectiveness of the treatment of nail fungus in children and adults. Of all the ways to quickly cure toenail fungus, medications are the best.
To enhance the effect can help diet for nail fungus. Prescribed by the attending physician.
Folk remedies
Often, independent control of parasites does not lead to success, as the fungus tends to restore the structure of spores. Therefore, it is best to seek medical help when the first signs of the disease are detected. Only a doctor can confidently suggest how to quickly get rid of nail fungus.
There are many folk options for how to cure toenail fungus. For example, essential oils, which serve as a natural antiseptic, help. The main way to treat onychomycosis of the nails at home is to apply a drop of the substance on the affected area, which is then sealed with plaster.
Vinegar also fights well against toenail fungus, lemon juice, mouthwashes. It is not uncommon to treat toenail fungus at home with iodine or garlic. Which of these remedies is better to use will be recommended by your doctor.
An effective method at home to get rid of nail fungus is a mixture based on vodka. To do this, you need to mix 200 ml of alcohol, a teaspoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of potassium permanganate. 50 ml of boiled water is added to the composition, after which it should be refrigerated for 3-5 days. With the resulting medicine you should wipe the affected areas twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime until the infection is completely destroyed. Such help has a restorative effect, although the recovery of damaged tissues will take some time.
All these ingredients are included in the main list of what nail fungus is afraid of. A dermatologist or mycologist will tell you how to get rid of the fungus the fastest.
Laser treatment
More recently, laser technology has been added to the main ways to remove toenail fungus. The principle of laser treatment of nail fungus is the thermal effect of the beam on parasites. It creates a temperature of about 50 degrees, by the way, this is the answer to the question: at what temperature the fungus dies. At the same time, the treatment of fungal diseases with short-term radiation has no effect on the human body.
Complex laser treatment usually consists of four sessions, with an interval of one week. Competent specialists of medical centers providing this type of service know how to properly treat advanced toenail fungus with radiation. After laser therapy, about 85% of patients are completely cured. This is one of the most effective ways to deal with nail fungus.
Medical pedicure
You can apply a medical pedicure for nail fungus in the early stages of the disease, this is the main disadvantage of this method, in addition, the treatment of onychomycosis with varnishes is quite long. Therapeutic pedicure for nail fungus involves the use of special formulations that are applied to the affected area. This service is provided by many beauty salons. However, you can treat nail fungus at home with the help of medical varnish.
By the way, a specialist can know how to restore the nail after the fungus.
Prevention
There are many ways to prevent fungal nail diseases:
- The most important thing is daily hygiene.
- In public places, swimming pools, saunas, changing rooms, you must wear slippers.
- Do not wear closed shoes in hot weather.
- To avoid becoming infected with the fungus, do not use other people's personal care products: nail files, scissors, towels, etc.
It is very important to ensure that the child clearly follows these rules.
There are different types of fungal infections of the toenails. Treatment of onychomycosis requires a serious diagnosis, long-term therapy and may require a certain amount of money. Therefore, it is preferable to follow preventive measures and prevent parasite infestation. It will also not be superfluous to know how to defeat the fungus.