If the nail plates are affected by a fungus, this will definitely not decorate the toenails.But every fifth person encounters this disease at least once in his life.The nail changes color, thickens and crumbles.Symptoms of a fungal infection can be hidden and treatment is not prescribed at the right time.
When the immune system is weakened, nail fungus can spread to the skin of the foot.And in some cases, the fungus can spread through the bloodstream and cause damage to internal organs.Fungal infection is a common cause of allergy and exacerbation of many diseases, for example, bronchial asthma.A sick person is dangerous to others, especially children.
Treating a fungal nail infection is not an easy task.The patient will need persistence and precision.Despite the apparent non-seriousness of the disease, it is important to recognize toenail fungus in time and make sure to treat it.
Causes of fungal nail infections
The fungi that cause nail disease are normal inhabitants of the environment.But under certain conditions, fungal mycelium can begin to develop on human skin or nails.Onychomycosis, a nail fungus, occurs several times more often on the feet than on the hands.This is due to the fact that the feet are injured more often and come into greater contact with contaminated surfaces.Nail fungus appears on the toes and hands in the same way.
You can get infected with the fungus in common areas where people walk barefoot.These are beaches, swimming pools, baths, saunas, gyms, showers.Flakes of skin containing fungal spores are peeled from the feet of a sick person.Spores are very resilient and can remain viable for years.Fungi especially love moist environments and wooden surfaces.
When it comes 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, on the other hand, becomes a source of infection for family members, especially children.
In a family, the disease is more likely to develop in one of the parents and the child than in both spouses.The reasons for this lie in genetic predisposition.
Signs and types of the disease
Toenail disease is not difficult to recognize;its symptoms are obvious.Depending on the appearance of the affected nail, three forms of the disease are distinguished: normotrophic, hypertrophic and atrophic.
| The shape of the lesion | Signs of illness |
|---|---|
| Normotrophic. | Thoi retains its color and strength.Symptoms of the disease are limited to the appearance of spots on the surface of the nail. |
| Hypertrophic. | It thickens, becomes dark and loose.Over time, it changes shape and looks like a "bird's claw".This phenomenon is called gryphos. |
| Atrophic. | Destruction of toenails.The nail becomes dull, crumbles and the nail bed is exposed.Over time, the nail plate can completely collapse. |
Distal-lateral, proximal, total and superficial onychomycosis are distinguished at the site of penetration of the nail infection.Distal-lateral onychomycosis is more common.This is an option when the infection enters the nail from its free edge and affects the free edge of the nail and the right and left folds of the nail bed.In the proximal version, the growing part of the nail opposite the free edge is affected.In the surface version, the fungus affects the entire surface of the nail plate from the outside.It looks like a fine white powder scattered on the surface of the nail.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 the disease appear on the feet, as this is where the infection appears.The skin on the foot peels, the spaces between the toes become red and itchiness may occur.The first signs of nail damage: the appearance of spots on the nail plate.The spots can be white, yellow or blue-black, which is typical of mold.Then, the fungus penetrates deeper, the affected nail looks dull, thickens or crumbles.Adjacent nail plates are affected.
In order to accurately determine the causes of the disease, the microscope of the nail scratches is performed.Some laboratories have the option of inoculating this material in a nutrient medium to grow and study the culture of the fungus.
How is the treatment performed?
Treatment of a fungal infection should begin as soon as the initial signs of the disease are detected.At the same time, treatment cannot begin until it is confirmed that the cause of the disease is a fungus.You don't have to do an expensive and harmful treatment for the body just like that!
Treatment of fungal infection includes a number of measures:
- removal of the affected nail;
- taking antifungal drugs;
- treatment of the nail bed with local agents;
- additional treatment methods: laser radiation, physiotherapy, vascular agents.
Nail removal is performed when the nail plate has thickened and drugs cannot penetrate the subungual layer through it.You can remove the affected nail using a special piece.The patient can perform this removal independently.A special mass is applied to the nail plate, fixed with 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 when the nail is surgically removed.The surgeon removes the nail under local anesthesia.The nail plate can usually be removed using a clipper.Removing the nail allows you to significantly increase the effectiveness of the therapy.
Treatment with antifungal drugs is carried out for 3-6 months.For the local treatment of the subungual area, pharmacies have different types of preparations in the form of varnishes, sprays and lotions.It is preferable to choose a drug with the same active ingredient that the patient takes orally.Physiotherapy and vascular medications complete the treatment.All these measures make it possible to increase the blood supply to the legs and increase the distribution of medicinal substances at the site of the fungal infection.
Even if all the symptoms have disappeared, 2 and 4 months after the end of the treatment, it is necessary to do control tests to determine if there is a relapse.
The reasons for ineffective treatment may vary.Perhaps the fungus is insensitive to the drug used for therapy.It happens that a person does not fully comply with medical recommendations.Re-infection is possible.
Onychomycosis of the feet in children
The risk of infection for a child is mainly related to fungal infections in adults in the family.Children often get infected in swimming pools.In children, the immune defense is not formed, so the risk of infection for a child is higher than for an adult.At the same time, regeneration processes in children continue faster.Therefore, the nails grow faster than the fungus spreads on them, and the child may not develop the disease.
In children, the symptoms of the disease do not differ from those of adults, and the principles of treatment are the same.The first symptoms of the disease, as in adults, appear on the skin of the feet: itching, peeling and the space between the toes is wet.And only then does the infection spread to the toenails.
Treatment for children is gentle.For a child, only local treatment is possible, without the use of tablets, which are not harmless for small children.
To prevent the infection of other family members from a sick child, special measures must be taken.Shoes and toys should be treated with antiseptics and bedding should be ironed with a hot iron.
Fungus in a breastfeeding woman is dangerous for the child.But treatment in this case is possible only at the local level, since antifungal drugs penetrate into milk during breastfeeding.This is harmful to the child.A woman can complete the full course of treatment when she weans her baby.
Prevention of fungal infections of the feet
The reasons for re-infection with fungi often lie in the fact that the prevention of the disease is not carried out.Prevention of onychomycosis includes the following measures.
- Wearing comfortable shoes made of natural materials, especially in the hot season.
- Daily change of socks, stockings, tights.They should be washed daily and, if possible, ironed.
- In the pool and sauna, make sure you wear slippers and don't walk 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, the targeted prevention of infection of other family members should be done.To do this, the patient must use local antifungal agents: varnishes, creams, sprays.They help prevent the spread of spores that cause infection.
The patient's shoes and bedding should be treated.Every part of the shoe should be wiped inside and out with a disinfectant solution.This can be 25% formaldehyde or 40% solution of ordinary acetic acid.There is a special varnish for antifungal treatment of shoes.After the shoes have been wiped, a tampon is inserted and the shoes are wrapped in a plastic bag for a day.Then you need to wipe every part of the shoes with ammonia and ventilate.
The patient should choose socks and tights made of natural materials.Every time you wash them, you should boil them with soap and soda for 20 minutes.A soap-soda solution is prepared as follows: 50 grams of detergent are diluted in 10 liters of water and 200 grams of soda are added.
Prevention will prevent disease among family members and re-infection of the patient himself.