There are a large number of fungi in the world, but only a few of them can infect the human body. Diseases caused by these microorganisms are called mycoses. People call this disease fungus. The skin of the feet is most often affected. According to medical research, mycoses are the second most common skin disease. You need to start fighting toenail fungus as early as possible. By seeking medical help in time, one will not only get rid of the problem quickly, but also protect loved ones from infection.
Signs of athlete's foot (symptoms)
In the early stages of the disease, the patient may not be bothered by anything. People associate slight discomfort on the skin of their feet with many other reasons and do not rush to seek medical help. The first obvious symptoms appear when the fungus has spread significantly. Patients experience:
- redness of the skin of the legs;
- unpleasant smell from the feet;
- itching and burning;
- peeling skin.
The symptoms of the disease can vary depending on the form. The most common is the intertriginous type. It causes the following symptoms of athlete's foot:
- burning sensation in the legs;
- the appearance of cracks on the skin;
- exfoliate the epidermis.
At the site of deep cracks, areas of erosion may appear. They bring severe discomfort to the patient, because when walking they cause significant pain. After that, the skin of the feet becomes very loose, which leads to a significant decrease in local immunity. As a result, secondary infections join fungal infections, which cause:
- widespread inflammation of the skin of the feet;
- suppuration of the affected area;
- swelling and pain in the legs.
Fungus can also affect nails. This type of disease is called onychomycosis. Its appearance will be indicated by a change in the color of the plate, its thickening or thinning. If left untreated, the fungus leads to damage to all nails or their complete loss.
Cause of disease
This disease is caused by several types of parasitic fungi. Often, this disease occurs when affected by dermatophytes or red trichophyton. It is possible to determine how to treat foot fungus only after identifying the causative agent. All of them do well and reproduce quickly in a moist and warm environment. In this case, you can get infected when visiting the following public places:
- sauna;
- swimming pool;
- soul;
- bathing area
Infection can also occur through contact with a sick person or his personal belongings. For example, people who use strangers are at risk of getting athlete's foot:
- towels;
- pumice stone;
- wiping cloth;
- socks;
- manicure scissors.
Another factor that affects the spread of this disease quickly is the lack of proper foot hygiene. People who wear wet shoes or socks often develop fungus. High susceptibility to mycoses is observed in those who suffer from:
- increased sweating of the feet;
- endocrine diseases;
- decreased immunity;
- diabetes mellitus;
- varicose veins.
Which doctor should I contact?
It is very difficult to overcome the disease itself. Patients with such problems need the help of a qualified specialist. A dermatovenerologist will tell you how to cure foot fungus.
At the first appointment, the specialist will carefully examine the affected leg area. A doctor with extensive experience only needs a visual assessment of the skin to make a diagnosis. But doctors also need to know how the disease appears. To do this, he will conduct a conversation with the patient. The patient should answer the following questions:
- How long ago did the first signs of athlete's foot appear?
- Has this problem bothered you before?
- Are there any chronic diseases?
- Does the person have contact with a sick person?
- Have you ever visited a sauna, steam bath or swimming pool?
- Do your relatives have fungal infections of the feet?
Based on the information received from the patient, the doctor can determine the true cause of the disease. To understand how to deal with a disease, you need to know exactly what the causative agent is. Exams help with this. The patient is prescribed to scrape the skin from the affected leg area. After laboratory tests, experts determine exactly the causative agent of the disease.
How to treat the disease?
The faster a person gets help, the faster the therapy for him. The doctor determines how to treat foot fungus after receiving the results of the diagnostic examination. Experts suggest fighting the disease with medicine. The patient is given an antifungal medication that:
- stop the development of pathogens;
- destroy fungi;
- has an anti-inflammatory effect;
- relieves unpleasant symptoms.
Such products are offered in the form of ointments, gels, sprays, tablets or suspensions for oral administration. For toenail fungus, a special varnish or plaster can be used, which also has an antifungal effect. Specialists choose drugs for patients individually, because most of them have several contraindications. It is forbidden to take certain medicines for:
- pregnant lady;
- breastfeeding mothers;
- children.
To achieve a quick recovery, it is very important to strengthen the immune system. For this, patients are prescribed to take vitamin-mineral complexes and immunostimulants. In advanced cases, when the secondary infection is associated with a fungal infection, the patient is given antibiotics.
How to cure foot fungus forever?
Many patients complain that the disease returns some time after completing the course of therapy. The reason for this is a primary infection that does not heal completely. A common mistake that many people make is to stop therapy when improvements appear. It is very important to continue using the medicine for the entire period prescribed by your doctor. Even if the disease does not appear externally, it is not a fact that the entire infection has been defeated. To prevent repeated damage to your feet, you need to:
- Strictly follow the recommendations of experts.
- Do not replace the drug with its own analogues.
- Apply the product regularly, without breaks.
During treatment, the patient must wear closed slippers at home. You should not let other family members wear them, as the infection can be spread through them. When treating foot fungus, it is also forbidden to walk on the floor barefoot, or share washcloths, pumice stones or other bath accessories with others. It is very important during therapy:
- Wash the patient's clothes separately from others.
- Do wet cleaning at home every day.
- Treat the sick person's shoes with an antifungal agent.
You also need to take foot hygiene seriously. They must be washed at least 2 times a day. At the same time, they need to be treated with hot water. It is important to change your socks regularly and wear shoes that are comfortable and not too tight. After recovery, you must throw away the slippers, towels, washcloths, and socks that the person used during the illness.
Prevention
Knowing what causes toenail fungus, you can easily prevent it. To avoid this disease, you only need to observe the following preventive rules:
- When visiting the bath, sauna or swimming pool, use only disposable or personal slippers.
- Do not wear wet or damp shoes.
- If there are sick people in the house, use only personal bathroom accessories.
Some diseases also increase the risk of fungus. Therefore, by eliminating them in time, the occurrence of diseases can be avoided. People who experience:
- Flat feet;
- corn;
- hyperhidrosis of the feet.
It is important for people to know that in low temperatures the fungus persists for a long time. Therefore, freezing is not scary for him. However, the pathogen dies when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, boiling can be used for preventive purposes. If you treat the patient's clothes and shoes in this way, the fungus inside them will die.