Fungus toenails. Causes, symptoms and treatment (image)

Almost every third person has a nail fungus on my feet. The disease is called onychomycosis and cause delamination and crumbling of the nail plate. Also nail fungus can occur at any age, requires the timely and proper treatment under expert guidance.

Onychomycosis

What is nail fungus?

Onychomycosis - fungal infection of the nail plate. The disease can be caused by fungi dermatophytes or microspores. Fungi adversely affect the building Foundation to the nail keratin and gradually eat it, because the deformation changes.

The following types of onychomycosis:

  • Normal scars. Change the color of the nail, streaks and stains.
  • Hypertrophic. There will not only change the color, but also easy to deformation. Most often, the nail becomes deformed edges.
  • Onicholocheskiy. The nail has been destroyed, atrophy and abandoned.

Fungal infection may cause deformity of the nail free edge, the sides and the back of the pillow. Because the disease process affects the entire nail plate.

Reasons

Fungus on the nails show not only because of low immunity. About 70% of the people infected by sick people, and this is often relative. Small-scale skin of legs falling objects, and contact with healthy tissue of the nail or the skin, to infect a healthy person.

Infection often occurs through:

  • Washcloths.
  • Sponge.
  • Towels.
  • Mat.
  • Shoes.
  • Manicure accessories.
Mushroom

When you visit the beach, saunas and baths without Slippers is a high risk of infection of the fungus on the feet. High humidity and temperature, infection occurs much more often.

Especially attentive it is necessary to be in public places where people walk barefoot. Fungi can withstand low and high temperatures and sand on the beach, they retain viability for several months.

Even a small wound and rubbing the leg through contact with infected objects can cause onychomycosis. It is not necessary to continue wearing a shoes with other people, although the external manifestations of fungus they detected. They can be carriers of pathogenic organisms, and which has a strong immunity, the disease does not occur.

Brands

The initial stage of the fungus in the feet is manifested in the dryness and peeling. Currently, people may not notice visual changes to the nail plate, but he suffers from itching and a burning sensation in the fingers. Gradually increased sweating, in rare cases, blisters and corns. The introduction of the fungus on the nails is beginning to change their color, they become brittle and cracked.

The nail below contains a mixture of and void. The feet become smelly, but Usually the symptoms increase.

In severe cases, the body temperature rises, and there is severe painthat does not move normally. Looks like fungal nails, and what changes feature largely depends on the type and strength of the human immune system.

Fungi dermatophytes appear yellow longitudinal stripes, yeast - causes flaking of the nail plate yellowing. The mold – causing superficial damage to the nail plate, which can be yellow, brown, blue or green.

Description of the disease in different type of fungus is different, but there are common symptoms.

These are:

  • The color change of the nail plates.
  • Itching and burning of the skin of the toes.
  • Stripes and spots on the nails.
  • Crumbling and destruction of the nail pages.
  • Redness of the skin around the nails.
  • Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the nail).

The disease begins to damage the nail of the little finger or big toe, after which there is an infection, all of the plates. There is keratinization of the nail, it thickens and crumbles. Fungal infections usually affect-aged men and the elderly, and children-they are very rare.

Nail fungus

Treatment is with a dermatologist or mycologist. Accurate diagnosis is not enough for visual inspection, and necessary laboratory studies. This small part of the nail will be sent for microscopic examination. After the detection of the fungus to confirm his views by seeding in nutrient broth.

Despite the fact that most diseases of the nail plates in adults, it is a fungus, many diseases with similar symptoms. Loss of nail fungus can cause similar symptoms, but require different treatment. It is a criminal, or an acute purulent inflammation of the fingers, requiring surgery.

How to treat nail fungus?

Do not expect that the fungus will pass on their own. The longer a person suffers from this disease, the more difficult it is to continue to perform.

The duration of treatment and choice of drug depends on:

  • The stage of the disease.
  • The degree of damage to the nail.
  • Clinical forms of the disease.

The initial stage of nail fungus and foot require a local medications that can be in the form of:

  • Solutions.
  • Cream of mushroom.
  • Creams.
  • Stop.

To apply preparations for external use, preferably after keratolytic treatment of the nail plate.

Before each treatment, the application of medicine is necessary:

  • To make soap-soda bath. Small bath add a tablespoon of baking soda and salt and 50 g of soap. Keep your feet in this solution for about 15 minutes.
  • Treatment of damaged nail. Special nail file the top layer of the nail eroding, so the drug is better absorbed.
  • Apply the medication. The drug is applied to clean, dry nails and the skin around them.

When you use solutions, ointments and creams, the drug is applied 2-3 times a day, lucky – 2 times a week. The course of treatment determined by the doctor depending on the existing damage.

If the nail plate is completely shocked, and local drugs are not a positive effects, recommended to connect them to the system antimykotika.

Systemic medication is a long list of contraindications and should be appointed by the attending physician. Most of them are prohibited to take during pregnancy and lactation, in childhood and chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys.

Treatment

In severe cases, under the nail fungus can require removal of the nail plate. The procedure can be done surgically, and with the help of keratolytic containing salicylic acid and urea.

Removal of the affected nail keratolytic patches differs from its comfort. After steaming foot patch gently applied to the affected nail plate and sealed with adhesive plaster. A few days after the plaster is removed, cut the affected areas of the disc, causing one of the antifungal drugs. The procedure can be performed several times.

During treatment it is important to rule out the risk of repeated self-infection. The size of this Shoe is treated with a special disinfectant. The fact that socks were worn before treatment, it is better to get rid of. In the future each month, a second treatment footwear and clothing. If you refuse this procedure, after a short time the fungus can reappear.

Symptoms and fungus treatment is completely individual, and the first sign of this disease, you must consult a doctor. Only he can make the right diagnosis and choose an effective remedy. Otherwise, the fungus can spread to other nails, and completely destroy them.