If the nail plates are affected by a fungus, this of course does not make the toenails more beautiful.But one in five people will suffer from this disease at least once in their life.The nail changes color, becomes thicker and crumbles.The symptoms of a fungal infection may disappear and treatment is not prescribed in a timely manner.
If the immune system is weakened, nail fungus can spread to the skin of the feet.And in some cases, fungi can spread through the bloodstream and damage internal organs.Fungal infections are a common cause of allergies and the exacerbation of many diseases, such as bronchial asthma.A sick person is dangerous to others, especially children.
Treating a fungal nail infection is not an easy task.The patient needs endurance and accuracy.Even if the disease does not appear to be serious, it is important to recognize athlete's foot in a timely manner and to treat it without fail.
Causes of fungal nail infections
Fungi that cause nail diseases are normal inhabitants of the environment.However, under certain conditions, fungal mycelium can develop in human skin or nails.Onychomycosis, a nail fungus, is many times more common on the feet than on the hands.This is because feet are more likely to be injured and come into contact with contaminated surfaces more often.Nail fungus occurs equally on the toes and hands.
Fungal infection can occur in public areas where people walk barefoot.These are beaches, swimming pools, baths, saunas, gyms, showers.Skin flakes containing fungal spores come off the legs of a sick person.The spores are very resilient and can remain viable for years.Mushrooms especially love moist environments and wooden surfaces.
When they come into contact with the skin of a healthy person, the spores are activated and begin to multiply.The feet are usually affected first.Later, the infection can spread to the toenails and hands.A sick person, in turn, becomes a source of infection for household members, especially children.
In a family, the disease is more likely to occur in one parent and the child than in both spouses.The reasons for this lie in genetic predisposition.
Signs and types of diseases
Toenail disease is not difficult to recognize;The symptoms are obvious.Depending on what the affected nail looks like, three forms of the disease are distinguished: normotrophic, hypertrophic and atrophic.
| Shape of the lesion | Signs of illness |
|---|---|
| Normotrophic. | The nail retains its color and strength.The symptoms of the disease are limited to the appearance of spots on the surface of the nail. |
| Hypertrophic. | The nail becomes thicker, opaque and loose.Over time it changes shape and looks like a “bird’s claw”.This phenomenon is called gryphosis. |
| Atrophic. | Destruction of toenails.The nail becomes dull, crumbles and the nail bed is exposed.Over time, the nail plate can collapse completely. |
At the point where the infection penetrates the nail, distal-lateral, proximal, total and superficial onychomycosis are distinguished.Distal-lateral onychomycosis is the most common.This is an option if the infection invades from the free end of the nail and affects the free edge of the nail and the nail folds to the right and left of the nail bed.In the proximal variant, the growth part of the nail opposite the free edge is affected.In the superficial variant, the fungus attacks the entire surface of the nail plate from the outside.It looks like a fine white powder scattered across the nail surface.The total variant is the result of any form when the fungus has spread and the entire nail is completely affected.
The first signs of illness appear on the foot, as this is where the infection occurs.The skin on the feet peels, the spaces between the toes become red and itching may occur.The first signs of nail damage: the appearance of spots on the nail plate.The spots can be white, yellowish or blue-black, which is typical of mold.The fungus then penetrates deeper and the affected nail looks dull, becomes thicker or crumbles.Adjacent nail plates are affected.
To accurately determine the causes of the disease, microscopy of nail abrasions is performed.Some laboratories have the ability to inoculate this material onto a nutrient medium to grow and study the culture of the fungus.
How is the treatment carried out?
Treatment for a fungal infection should be started as soon as the first signs of the disease become apparent.At the same time, treatment can be started only after confirmation that the cause of the disease is a fungus.You shouldn't just do such an expensive and harmful treatment for the body!
Treatment of a fungal infection includes a number of measures:
- removal of the affected nail;
- taking antifungal medications;
- Treatment of the nail bed with local remedies;
- additional treatment methods: laser irradiation, physiotherapy, vascular agents.
Nail removal is performed when the nail plate is thickened and medications cannot penetrate the subungual layer.You can remove the affected nail using a special plaster.The patient can carry out this removal independently.A special compound is applied to the nail plate, fixed with a plaster and removed after two days.The nail plate can be removed by scraping it off layer by layer.
However, it has been proven that treatment is more effective if the nail is removed surgically.The surgeon removes the nail under local anesthesia.The nail plate can usually be removed with a clamp.By removing the nail, you can significantly increase the effectiveness of the therapy.
Treatment with antifungal drugs lasts 3-6 months.For the local treatment of the subungual area, there are various preparations available in pharmacies in the form of varnishes, sprays and lotions.It is preferable to choose a medication with the same active ingredient that the patient takes orally.Physiotherapy and vascular medication complement the treatment.All these measures make it possible to improve the blood supply to the foot and increase the delivery of drugs to the site of the fungal infection.
Even if all symptoms have disappeared, follow-up tests must be carried out 2 and 4 months after completion of treatment to determine whether there is a relapse.
The reasons for ineffective treatment can be different.The fungus may be insensitive to the drug used for therapy.It happens that a person does not fully follow medical recommendations.Reinfection is possible.
Onychomycosis of the feet in children
The risk of infection for a child is primarily associated with fungal infections in adults in the family.Children often become infected in swimming pools.In children, the immune system is not developed, so the risk of infection for a child is higher than for an adult.At the same time, regeneration processes occur faster in children.Therefore, the nails grow back faster than the fungus spreads on them, and the child may not get the disease.
In children, the symptoms of the disease do not differ from those in adults, and the principles of treatment are the same.The first symptoms of the disease appear on the skin of the feet, as in adults: itching, peeling and wetness in the spaces between the toes.And only then does the infection spread to the toenails.
The treatment of children is gentle.In a child, only local treatment is possible, without the use of tablets, which are not safe for small children.
To prevent other family members from becoming infected through a sick child, special measures must be taken.Shoes and toys should be treated with antiseptics, and bed linen should be ironed with a hot iron.
Mushrooms in a nursing woman are dangerous for the baby.However, treatment in this case is only possible locally, since antifungal drugs penetrate into the milk during breastfeeding.This is harmful for the child.A woman can complete the entire treatment when she weans her baby.
Prevention of athlete's foot infections
The reasons for reinfection with the fungus are often due to a lack of disease prevention.Prevention of onychomycosis includes the following measures.
- Wear comfortable shoes made from natural materials, especially in the hot season.
- Daily change of socks, stockings, tights.They should be washed daily and ironed if possible.
- Be sure to wear slippers in the swimming pool and sauna and do not go barefoot.
- Never wear someone else's shoes - this is especially important for a child.
- All pedicure tools and foot towels must be individual.
If there is a patient with onychomycosis in the family, targeted prevention of infection of other family members should be carried out.To do this, the patient must use local antifungal agents: varnishes, creams, sprays.They help prevent the spread of spores as a cause of infection.
The patient's shoes and insoles need to be treated.All footwear must be wiped down inside and out with a disinfectant solution.This can be 25% formaldehyde or a 40% solution of ordinary acetic acid.There is a special spray for the antifungal treatment of shoes.After wiping the shoes, a tampon is inserted and the shoes are wrapped in a plastic bag for a day.Then you need to wipe and air any footwear with ammonia.
The patient should choose socks and tights made from natural materials.Every time you wash them, you need to boil them with soap and soda for 20 minutes.A soap-soda solution is prepared as follows: 50 grams of detergent is diluted in 10 liters of water and 200 grams of soda are added.
Prevention can prevent illness in family members and re-infection of the patient himself.