To identify the presence of fungus on your toenails and quickly deal with the disease, you need to know the signs of its appearance.It has been determined that about 20% of the world's population is infected with onychomycosis.People who do sports and go to the pool fall into the risk category.
Reasons for the development of onychomycosis
When faced with this problem, the question arises as to why nail fungus appears on the hands or feet.Pathogens multiply in the soil or in the air.The best conditions for their reproduction will be extreme humidity and a significant increase in temperature (public showers).
Nail fungus on the fingers or toes is an infectious disease, so its development occurs very quickly.The human nail plate is porous and contains water, keratin fibers and oil.Therefore, after creating suitable conditions for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, the appearance of unpleasant lesions should be expected soon.
The main causes of nail fungus are:
- Using narrow shoes.Poorly breathable products made of low-quality materials are especially dangerous.
- If a person suffers from excessive sweating.
- There are significant disturbances in the activity of the patient's immune system.Onychomycosis can appear due to changes in hormonal levels or dysfunction of metabolic processes.
- Often the disease appears after the use of non-sterile manicure tools.
- After a long course of therapy with antibacterial drugs.
- Such as diabetes mellitus or concomitant disease of varicose veins.
- Due to bad habits, as well as work characteristics.
Symptoms of fungal disease on the feet
To recognize nail fungus, you need to know its symptoms.The main symptoms of the disease are excessive drying of the skin, peeling and regular itching.Unfortunately, this symptomatology is almost always ignored.After some time, changes in the nail surface are noticeable.Instead of shine and healthy color, cracks are formed and sometimes there may be gaps.But even such obvious signs are often ignored.
As a rule, patients with an advanced form of fungal infection consult a doctor.In this case, the color of the nail plate changes completely, the nail becomes brittle and later even peels off.
If the disease is not treated in time, the risk of fungal infection spreading to the skin increases.And due to the bad habit of biting nails, the disease manages to penetrate the human body and affect the internal organs (when the patient suffers from nail fungus).
It is important to diagnose the disease in time to prevent serious complications.It is better to start fighting the fungus in the early stages.You can diagnose a yeast infection yourself.To do this, you need to prepare a solution of potassium permanganate at home and then soak your feet in it.Healthy plates are characterized by a uniform color closer to brown.And nails affected by onychomycosis will be white.
There are several ways to identify nail fungus yourself:
- There is a noticeable deformation of the nail plate.You should not ignore the signs that the nail color has changed or that the nail has thickened a bit.The presence of infection is also indicated by unusual spots of different colors.
- There have been changes in the nail structure.Diagnosis of onychomycosis is possible not only by unusual spots.Sometimes veins and stripes appear on the nail plate.Without timely treatment, they spread and then affect the skin of the feet.
- If the nail is loose.Due to fungal infection, the plate begins to collapse and sometimes peels off.
- Instead of a healthy color, the nail becomes dull yellow.At the same time, the edges of the coils become inflamed and extremely sensitive.
- An unpleasant odor occurs due to tissue death.
- If the fungus on the legs goes to an advanced stage, pain appears when walking or walking.
Features of some fungal infections
Before carrying out the therapeutic treatment of onychomycosis, it is necessary to determine exactly what kind of pathogen affects the nails.This will require careful diagnosis.Although the symptoms of fungal infections are similar, there are some characteristics in the course of the disease.
When the agent of action is yeast, the patient's nail becomes dull yellow, very dense.In addition, it is stripped from the bed.
But if it is determined that the fungus is caused by mold fungi, the symptoms are manifested by a change in color (sometimes green, brown, sometimes black).In addition, the plate begins to peel strongly and there are many inclusions on it.
Sometimes a fungal infection occurs due to the activity of dermatophyte pathogens.The disease manifests itself in the form of longitudinal stripes located in the center or along the edges of the nails.
You should not treat yourself.Instead, it is recommended to consult a professional.Only the attending physician will determine how to recognize the causative agent of onychomycosis and the optimal method of therapy.
The recovery process is always long.However, with the help of special ointments, unpleasant symptoms disappear from the skin after 3 weeks.In certain cases, the treatment of nail fungus infections will take several months.In addition to following the instructions of experts, you should also pay attention to hygiene.Foot baths with the addition of apple cider vinegar give excellent results.
It is recommended to regularly treat the affected areas with tea tree oil or use a special propolis tincture.
It is possible to prevent re-infection with onychomycosis.You should understand that for this everyone in the family should have their own hygiene products.Also, do not forget to regularly treat the inside of your shoes with special alcohol.