Mushroom legs It is an extremely unpleasant and very common infectious disease.According to statistics, every fifth person in the world experiences symptoms of a fungal infection at least once in their life.The widespread spread of fungi was prevented only by the body's defenses, as well as by the successes of modern medicine.Mycosis can be treated;It is only important to detect the disease in time and start the correct therapy.
Causes of fungi
Fungal skin diseases (myxons) most often occur against the background of reduced immunity.The human body, which cannot protect itself from dangerous infectious agents, is susceptible to various diseases.In this case, not only the internal organs suffer.
Changes in local immunity lead to an increase in skin permeability.The skin can no longer perform its protective function, and pathogenic agents enter, causing the development of inflammation.Fungus that develops on the feet is an unpleasant event that can significantly disrupt the life of any person.
They cause fungal diseases and any damage to the skin.Abrasions, scratches and cuts, not to mention open wounds - all these are entry points for any infection.
If a healthy person is still unable to cope with fungi, any wound can cause disease by reducing immunity.The fungus penetrates the skin, multiplies and causes significant discomfort just by its presence.
In advanced cases, the fungus on the toes can spread to the skin of the feet and legs, causing serious diseases.
Factors that provoke the development of mixons:
- Vascular diseases of the legs;
- metabolic diseases (diabetes mellitus);
- Excess body weight;
- Wearing tight shoes;
- leg injuries;
- damage to the skin around the nail during pedicure.
Athlete's foot is a common problem for people who visit public baths and saunas.A warm, humid room is an ideal environment for fungus to multiply and spread on human skin.
You can get an infection in the pool as well as on the beach.Anywhere you have to walk barefoot or use other people's (public) shoes, the risk of fungal infection increases several times.
Fungal diseases of the skin of the feet and nails are more common in people who are overweight.Mixons also occur against the background of diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases.
Therefore, with such pathologies, the blood circulation of the lower extremities suffers.Any small scratch in diabetes takes a long time to heal and is an ideal entry point for a fungal infection.
Fungus between the toes is also a common companion for older people due to the age-related decline in the number of toes.
Symptoms of a fungal infection
What does interdigital fungus look like?It is difficult to confuse the symptoms of the disease with something else, and an experienced doctor will only take a look at the patient to make a diagnosis.Typical symptoms allow you to recognize the fungus in the earliest stage of its appearance:
- cracks or sores between the toes;
- excessive peeling (yellow or white scales);
- areas of skin peeling between the fingers;
- itching;
- Getting old.
The symptoms of the disease can be very different.In some people, the fungus between the toes looks like weeping sores.
In some cases, ulcers and fissures may be covered with typical whitish or yellowish scales.Peeling can be quite severe or slightly noticeable.
Often, areas of loose and dead skin appear between the toes.A typical symptom of a fungal infection is itching, but its severity can vary greatly.
For some, itching becomes a very painful companion of the disease, for others, the fungus causes only mild discomfort.The skin with mycosis is usually red, there may be scratch marks.
All these signs make it possible to accurately recognize foot fungus and distinguish it from other skin diseases.
A fungal infection between the toes is quite often combined with a nail infection.A typical nail fungus looks like this:
- thickening of nails;
- nail color (pale pink to yellow, gray or brown);
- peeling nails;
- fragility of the nail plate;
- itching and pain around the nails.
Special forms of mushrooms
In some cases, athlete's foot only causes the appearance of cracked and weeping ulcers.When a fungal infection develops, small blisters filled with clear or cloudy fluid may appear.
The skin becomes swollen and red.Over time, the bubbles burst and shallow depressions appear in their place.Ulcers hurt a lot and heal very slowly.Ulcer formation is not typical.
This form of fungal infection is generally called vesicular-erosive.With the erased form of the disease, the skin does not change so much.In the chronic course of the disease, the skin peels only in certain areas.
First, peeling and roughening of the skin.Gradually, the skin becomes rougher and acquires a characteristic yellowish color.Over time, the process can spread to the lower leg, thigh and gluteal region.
Diagnostics
To recognize foot fungus, it is enough to carefully examine the skin of the feet, the spaces between the toes and nails.The typical symptoms of the disease do not doubt the diagnosis.
To find out which fungi live on the skin, you need to send a scraping and material from the affected areas to the laboratory.Bacteriological culture of the material allows to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease.
The results of the examination will be ready in a few days, after which the doctor can begin to treat the fungal infection.
Local therapy
The treatment of the fungus between the toes begins with the choice of antifungal drugs.Any means that can be used to treat an infection are divided into general and local drugs.
Local therapy is used in the early stages of the disease, the fungal infection covers only the skin between the toes.Also, topical preparations are widely used for combined nail lesions.
A wide selection of drugs allows you to choose the right drug for almost any situation.A dermatologist should prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs.
In this case, self-medication can worsen the condition, because the wrong medicine can accelerate the progression of the disease.In addition, many antifungal drugs have a large number of contraindications and can seriously harm health.
What remedies help against athlete's foot?When internal folds are affected, it is better to use creams and ointments.It should be remembered that the skin in this area is quite thin.Careless movements can injure the space between the fingers and cause the spread of infection.
Ointment or cream should be applied carefully, in a thin layer on cracks and ulcers.When processing, you should cover not only the area affected by the fungus, but also 2-3 cm of skin around the spots.
It is necessary to destroy the elements of these fungi in the areas of the still healthy skin.What is better to use for foot fungus: ointment or cream?The choice is only in the form of disease.It is recommended to apply the ointment to dry the skin.
It penetrates deeply into the affected area and effectively combats fungi that have become chronic.Ointment can also be applied under a bandage so that the medicine penetrates into deeper layers of the skin.
Fungal infections should be treated with cream in the stage of severe exacerbation of the disease.Itching, weeping, ulcers and eostions are direct indications for applying the cream.The cream quickly leaves a mark on clothes, leaving almost no mark.
Preparations in the form of creams do not penetrate into the deep layers of the skin and are not used for severe and peeling skin.Many medications that eliminate toenail fungus are available in two forms at once.
Dermatologists recommend applying the ointment at night to increase the effect of the product on dry and thickened areas of the skin.The cream can be used during the day to eliminate children's and weeping ulcers, as well as under clothing.
Unlike the cream, the ointment is very easily absorbed, and it is often difficult to wash off the marks in the laundry.What medications can be used to treat toenail fungus?
The choice of remedy will depend on the identified pathogen.
Many drugs can be used not only for fungal but also for bacterial infections, as well as mixed lesions of the skin of the feet.
Systemic therapy
Treatment of foot fungus is possible only with local medicines.In some cases, doctors prescribe drugs that affect the entire body.
If several interdigital spaces are affected at once, and if the process spreads to the nails and feet, systemic therapy may be required.
In their practice, dermatologists most often use antifungal drugs that effectively eliminate itching and inflammation and help to eliminate the main symptoms of a fungal infection.
- dysbacteriosis;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea);
- headache;
- Heart rhythm disorders;
- liver and kidney damage;
- Allergic reactions.
Long-term treatment of foot fungus with systemic drugs can cause a serious malfunction in the functioning of the whole body.
That is why it is so important that such treatments are only prescribed by a doctor after an examination.The duration of drug therapy and dosage is selected taking into account the course of the infection and the presence of various pathologies in the patient.
An important point: The course of treatment with systemic antifungal drugs must be completed!Do not stop the medication unless absolutely necessary.
Incomplete therapy can lead to the development of drug resistance.In the future, it will be extremely difficult to get rid of and restore the mutated fungus.
Folk treatment
Is it possible to treat foot fungus with folk remedies?It is believed that alternative therapy methods can really relieve itching, other symptoms of fungal infections of the skin and nails.
Kombucha is considered a good remedy for mycosis.This plant was imported from Japan in the last century and has been very popular for years.
A small amount is rubbed into the spaces between the fingers twice a day for a month.If necessary, the course of treatment can be repeated after a two-week break.
Professional and tea tree oil are also used to get rid of fungus.Treatment of foot fungus is also possible with the help of regular soda diluted in hot water (1 tablespoon of soda per 3 liters of water).
The cooled solution is used to treat the affected areas of the skin and nails twice a day.It should be remembered that treating fungus with folk remedies is possible only in the early stages of the disease.In advanced cases, when the fungus affects the entire skin of the feet and nails, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Ways to treat fungus with Evemade products
- Garlic.
You need to cut half a clove of garlic, roll it in salt and rub it on problem areas of the skin.Another option for using garlic is to grind the saw into a pulp and make a compress on the affected areas or simply rub with the mixture.
- Onion.
Grind the onion into a paste, then spread it on the painful spots on the surface of the skin.If you have wounds or burst blisters on the skin, you can add vaseline to the onion mixture (proportion to each other).Squeezed onion juice is also used to treat the infection.It is necessary to wipe the infected areas of the skin with this liquid.
- Chicken egg.
To prepare the medicine, you need to pour vinegar over a raw egg and leave it in a dark place to infuse until the shell is dissolved.Next, you need to get rid of the film and add butter (1 teaspoon) to the mixture of yolk, white and vinegar.
The resulting mass should be thoroughly mixed to the consistency of an ointment.Apply the ointment to clean, steamed feet, wrap with cling film and gauze.The ointment should be stored in the refrigerator.
- Natural ground coffee.
This is another effective tool in the fight against toe fungus.Before going to bed, it is recommended to take baths of strongly brewed ground coffee.Such procedures will help to get rid of unpleasant or painful feelings and treat irritations.
- Wine vinegar.
Apply wine vinegar to the affected areas and let sit until the vinegar dries;No need to rinse with water.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
Along with sea salt, Apple Cider Vinegar will help to get rid of nervousness.To do this, you need to prepare a bath, which includes: 100 grams of sea salt, 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 5 liters of water.You can get rid of the disease by repeating such baths every day.
- Baking soda.
You should moisten the soda with water until it becomes a thin paste that should be applied to the areas affected by the fungus for 20 minutes, then wash your feet with warm water, wipe and wash with baby powder.
In addition, soda can be used in the form of a cool bath.To do this, you need to mix a spoonful of soda and table salt and dilute it all in water.It is recommended to take such baths before going to bed, and then wash off the solution with clean water.
Treatment of toenail fungus with herbs
- Calendula flowers.
To prepare the infusion, pour 250 g of dry flowers into a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour.
- Celandine.
A decoction for foot baths is prepared from Celandine;For this, you need to brew 4 tablespoons of herbs in 1 liter of water, boil for 5 minutes.Such baths should be done within three weeks.
- Burdock leaves.
A fresh burdock leaf needs to be mashed so that the water appears on the surface.Wrap the drawn sheet around your foot and put the sock on overnight.The course of treatment is 3 weeks.
When the disease is already defeated, you need to take care of personal hygiene items and shoes so that the infection does not spread again.You can treat the inside of the shoes with vinegar (30% solution) or antiseptic.
So, despite the persistence and vitality of the fungus, there are many ways to help get rid of it forever, you just need to be patient and not lazy to repeat the daily procedures.
Prevention of fungal infection
Treatment of fungus between the toes with traditional or folk remedies is a long and complicated process.Is it possible to prevent the development of fungi?
The following recommendations will help prevent foot skin infections.Do not forget the rules of personal hygiene.Always wear slippers in the pool, sauna or beach.Monitor the condition of the skin on your feet.
Moisturize your skin with special creams to prevent dryness and cracks.Strengthen your immune system and take care of your health.When the first signs of fungus appear between your fingers, consult a doctor.