Mycosis is an infectious skin disease caused by fungi. Treatment with antifungal creams is usually used, which gives good results, but does not last long. The tips below will help prevent toe fungus, which can recur even after treatment.
Who can be infected?
Almost anyone can get athlete's foot. But it is more common in individuals who sweat more, or in those who wear tight shoes and socks, which also cause excessive sweating on the feet.
Mycosis can be transmitted from person to person. For example, this can happen in public baths used by athletes or swimmers. Small flakes of skin infected with the fungus may fall off during bathing. Once a small spot of infection begins to develop, it usually spreads along the skin. Read about where else you can catch mushrooms here.
What are the symptoms?
The skin between the little toes will usually be affected first. The first signs of fungus, when a new infection forms on the skin, are small. The onset will be noticeable when the rash starts to spread and the skin starts to itch and scaly. Cracks and inflammation will appear on it. Large cracks in the skin between the toes may become larger and may be very painful. Small flakes of infected skin will peel off.
If interdigital mycosis is not treated, the rash will gradually spread to the rest of the foot. In some cases it extends to the soles of the feet. Often the infection causes peeling all over the soles and sides of the feet. Sometimes mycosis causes a large blistering rash all over the soles of the feet. In this case, we are dealing with foot fungus.
How serious is this?
As a rule, no. Most people manage to treat itchy toes before infection occurs. Sometimes the infection spreads to the skin of other parts of the body. This is usually a moist, unventilated area, such as the groin.
Usually, the fungus, including toenail fungus between the toes, does not spread deeper, but only on the surface of the skin. However, other microbes (bacteria) can get into the cracks left by neglected or untreated mycosis. Sometimes this can lead to a more serious foot or leg infection.
It happens that the infection spreads to the nail - it can be cured. But in this case, to get rid of the fungus, you need several weeks of taking antifungal tablets to clear the infection from your nails.Therefore, it is better to treat interdigital fungus on the feet in time, as soon as the first symptoms begin to appear.
Mycosis treatment
Treatment for fungus between the toes usually involves the use of various antifungal creams and sprays. You can buy topical antifungals at your local pharmacy or get them with a prescription.
To treat the fungus between the toes, it is necessary to apply an antifungal agent directly to the affected area, which is the skin of the feet. There are various medications that will help fight fungal infections.
It is usually sold in cream form, but is also available in spray, liquid and powder form. These medicines are very good for clearing the skin from fungal infections. However, there is no evidence that one drug is better than another.For children, a milder medication should be used.Another option is undecenoic acid or tolnaftate, which is used only as directed by the doctor.
During treatment, the inflammation usually seems to disappear quickly, but you may need therapy for 1-2 weeks after the rash disappears. This is necessary to completely eliminate the fungus on the skin - which will prevent relapse.
- Preparations with the active ingredient clotrimazole: use 2-3 times a day for at least four weeks.
- Preparations with the active ingredient miconazole nitrate: apply twice a day and continue for 10 days after the skin returns to normal.
- Preparations with the active ingredient econazole nitrate: apply twice a day until the skin returns to normal.
- Drugs from the triazole group: apply twice a day for seven days. To cure toenail fungus between the toes, you must continue to use the medicine for a few more days if the symptoms are worse. Not suitable for children.
- Preparations with the active ingredient terbinafine hydrochloride: apply once or twice a day for seven days. Not suitable for children.
- Preparations with undecenoic acid: apply twice a day and continue for a week after the skin returns to normal.
If you encounter this disease for the first time and do not know how to treat foot fungus and do not make a mistake in choosing a medicine for treatment, seek the advice of a doctor.
For skin, especially inflamed skin, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream combined with a mild steroid ointment. They are usually used no more than seven days. You may need to continue using only one antifungal cream for a while after this.
Anabolic steroids reduce inflammation and relieve itching and redness in a short period of time. However, steroids do not completely eliminate toenail fungus, and therefore steroid creams alone cannot be used for treatment.
Antifungal tablets for toenail fungus are sometimes prescribed for adults if the infection is severe and does not go away with creams. Tablets are also necessary if the infection, in addition to the feet, is located in many places on the skin.
However, this treatment for interdigital fungus is not suitable for everyone.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people with liver disease, are not always recommended to use antifungal tablets. Children are usually not given antifungal drug treatment.
Although toenail fungus can spread from person to person, you don't have to stay away from work, school or sports if you have it.However, in public places, such as swimming pools or saunas, try to cover your feet until the rash disappears.Also, try not to scratch the broken skin as this can spread the infection to other areas.
The following tips can prevent athlete's foot from recurring:
- It is necessary to wash your feet every day and dry the skin between your toes thoroughly after washing. This is probably the most important thing. Wear socks if your feet are not completely dry. The moist skin between your fingers is the perfect place for fungus to grow.
- Do not share other people's towels in public changing rooms. Towels should be washed as often as possible.
- Change your socks every day. Fungus breeds in pieces of skin in unwashed socks. Cotton socks and leather shoes are in many ways better than nylon socks and shoes made of synthetic materials, which increase perspiration.
- Try to change shoes every 2-3 days, this will allow each pair to dry completely after wearing.
- Wear slippers or sandals in public changing rooms and bathrooms. This prevents your feet from coming into contact with the floor, which may have pieces of other people's skin on it.
- When you're at home, walk barefoot as much as possible—without shoes or socks—to allow air to reach your feet. However, this may not be practical for some people.
If your athlete's foot keeps coming back, you can keep it from coming back by regularly using one of the antifungal sprays or creams as a preventative. As a preventive measure, you can use various preventive creams every day.