Fungal diseases of the toenails are quite widespread in humans. In addition to the undesirable cosmetic effect, these infections can cause significant damage to the body, so onychomycosis must be treated. But for this you need to know as much as possible about this disease, especially since today scientists have identified a huge number of types of pathogens.
Types of pathogens
With onychomycosis, the parasites start in the tissue structure of the nails and the skin around them. According to the generally accepted classification, spore microorganisms that can manifest in humans are divided into three groups:
- nail fungus, especially Candida albicans;
- dermatophyte fungi (genus Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton);
- fungal species (genus Aspergillus, Alternaria and Fusarium).
Acute or chronic onychomycosis causes each of them separately. It is also not uncommon for two or, more rarely, three of these species to be infected at the same time. During diagnosis, it is of utmost importance to accurately detect the pathogen, as each of the fungal disease groups can be treated with different drugs that are not universal.
appearance reasons
The reasons for the development of the infection may be associated with both the ingress of the pathogen from the external environment and the general state of the patient's body. Their knowledge will help you understand how to treat nail fungus.
External sources of fungal propagation include:
- Swimming pools, changing rooms, showers, baths - those public places where a person walks barefoot. Therefore, when visiting such establishments, one should wear flip flops for safety.
- Using poorly disinfected tools in salons during a pedicure, which can often be dangerous for the body.
- Other people's folders, scissors and other toiletries pose no less of a threat.
- In summer, closed shoes can pose a danger, in which the feet will sweat a lot.
- In order not to treat nail onychomycosis, you should bathe or shower regularly as sweat and dirt act as a favorable environment for germs.
- Some types of onychomycosis are transmitted from pets, but these pathogens are mostly common in warm countries.
Other health problems also contribute to the development of the described disease:
- Weakened immune system.
- The presence of small wounds and cracks in the skin, dry tissues.
- A large number of burrs.
- Violation of blood circulation of nail tissues.
- Contact with fungal pathogens on human skin. This method of infection is called autoinfection.
Thus, there are many sources of infection with fungal diseases. These microorganisms are very common all over the world, so a disease like nail fungus occurs in many people. Therefore, knowing how to treat onychomycosis will never be superfluous.
Symptoms and diagnosis
The appearance of a fungus on the legs does not mean the inevitable development of the disease. Onychomycosis only develops in a person with a weakened immune system. But there are many options for how toenail fungus manifests itself. In this case, pay attention to the following nail fungus symptoms:
- compaction or thinning of the stratum corneum;
- high fragility of the nail plate, its delamination;
- the presence of burrs and calluses;
- unnatural color: white, yellowish or greenish tones;
- surface roughness of the nail plate;
- loss of natural shine;
- inflammation of the skin of the fingers, itchy feet;
- cracked foot.
By these signs, you can find out how nail fungus starts.
Advanced nail fungus treatment is extremely difficult and lengthy. That is why the appearance of onychomycosis symptoms cannot be ignored. If they are found, you should immediately seek medical help.
The main purpose of diagnosing nail fungus is to accurately determine the causative agent of the infection. Many types of parasitic organisms are extremely difficult to detect, especially since the outward signs of disease are easily confused with metabolic disorders.
Typically, onychomycosis is diagnosed in several stages, for which the following methods are used to recognize nail fungus:
- clinical data study;
- analyzing a piece of tissue under a microscope;
- cultural diagnoses;
- DNA research.
During the examination of the patient at the first visit, the doctor can diagnose the presence of damage to the nail plate, however, without carrying out precise studies, it is not possible to understand what caused the disease. Laboratory research is the only way to identify nail fungus.
By examining a scraping under a microscope, a doctor can tell exactly what nail fungus looks like. The difficulty lies in determining the specific type of pathogen. Therefore, at this stage, the diagnosis does not stop.
The exact culture of the fungus is determined by its reproduction in the laboratory. To do this, an analysis is used for nail fungus based on a special Sabouraud nutrient medium. Typically, after three to five days of such a study, experts are able to determine the specific type of pathogen. Also, using this method, you can check the susceptibility of parasites to drugs and outline the most effective course of treatment.
Parasite DNA testing is the current and most promising option for identifying toenail fungus, reducing the time it takes to get results to a day or two. However, this analysis for nail fungus can effectively detect only the yeast species.
who is at risk
As already mentioned, certain categories of people are prone to onychomycosis to varying degrees. The following are the main factors that increase the likelihood of developing an infection:
- Reaching retirement age. Due to reduced blood circulation and deterioration of metabolism, this disease is much more common in elderly people than in other categories of the population. Late diagnosis also plays an important role in this, as retirees, having discovered the symptoms of nail fungus and considering it a common sign of aging, do not always seek qualified help.
- Mechanical damage to nail tissues. Any injury impairs the supply of nutrients to the tissues. As a result, a focus of infection will start at the site of a break or crack, which will spread throughout the nail, which may even simply fly out of it.
- High blood sugar levels cause damage to the blood vessels in the foot. Therefore, the manifestation of onychomycosis is so common in diabetics, from which it is also extremely difficult to get rid of them.
- For exactly the same reason, diseases of the circulatory system, such as Raynaud's syndrome or varicose veins, can cause an infection.
- Because spores often multiply both in nail tissues and on the surface of the body, people affected by fungal skin infections are at risk for onychomycosis. Once defeated, a disease can arise again.
The danger of ignoring symptoms
Many people do not seek medical help if they find signs of a fungal infection and only after some time try to cure an advanced fungus. This is due to the relatively mild course of the disease and the ability to hide cosmetic defects with tights or closed shoes.
However, you should not ignore the early symptoms and treatment of the disease, otherwise there can be serious complications.
If you wonder why nail fungus is dangerous, you should start with the fact that onychomycosis is contagious. An infected person will pose a threat to others.
Certain restrictions are imposed on patients with fungal infections. A person with an old fungus, for example, will never receive a medical certificate of admission to the pool.
Being a parasitic disease, nail fungus weakens the patient's immunity, increasing the likelihood of other health problems. Trying to cure nail fungus at home can turn into more serious problems.
Ancient onychomycosis leads to serious consequences that should be feared:
- parasites can enter the circulatory system;
- lack of treatment for toenail fungus seriously weakens the immune system;
- spores increase allergic reactions, exacerbate chronic diseases;
- due to the deterioration of general health, people are more prone to depression, insomnia and so on.
That's why the first signs of toenail fungus should be the reason to contact the clinic.
Treatment
Nail fungus treatment is based on two principles. First, the drugs mechanically destroy the spores. Second, the drugs slow down the parasites' reactions by blocking their activity and reproduction. By the way, you should think carefully before deciding on treating nail fungus during pregnancy.
In medicine, medicines, folk remedies, laser treatment of nail fungus and medical pedicure are used.
pharmacy preparations
Pharmaceuticals have a strong impact. Many of them are specially selected for specific pathogens, which further increases the effectiveness of treating nail fungus in children and adults. Of all the ways to quickly cure toenail fungus, medication is the best.
To enhance the effect, a nail fungus diet can help. It is prescribed by the attending physician.
Folk remedies
Often, an independent fight against parasites does not lead to success, because fungi tend to restore the spore structure. Therefore, the most preferable, in case of detection of the first signs of the disease, is to seek medical help. Only a doctor can confidently suggest how to quickly get rid of nail fungus.
There are many popular options on how to cure nail fungus. For example, essential oils help, which serve as a natural antiseptic. The main way to treat nail onychomycosis at home is to apply a drop of the substance to the affected area, which is then sealed with a plaster.
Vinegar against nail fungus, lemon juice, mouthwashes also fight well. It's not uncommon to treat toenail fungus at home with iodine or garlic. Which of these remedies is best to use will be recommended by the attending physician.
An effective method at home to get rid of nail fungus is a vodka-based mixture. To do this, you need to mix 200 ml of alcohol, a teaspoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of potassium permanganate. 50 ml of boiled water is added to the composition and it must be put in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. With the resulting remedy, you need to clean the affected areas twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime, until the infection is completely destroyed. This assistance has a restorative effect, although the restoration of damaged tissue takes some time.
All these ingredients are included in the main list of what nail fungus is afraid of. How to remove the fungus faster, a dermatologist or mycologist will tell you.
laser treatment
More recently, laser technology has been added to the top ways to get rid of nail fungus. The principle of laser nail fungus treatment is the thermal effect of the beam on the parasites. It creates a temperature of about 50 degrees, by the way, this is the answer to the question: at what temperature does the fungus die. At the same time, the treatment of fungal diseases with short-term radiation does not affect the human body.
Complex laser treatment usually consists of four sessions, with an interval of one week between them. Competent specialists from medical centers that provide this type of service know how to properly treat advanced nail fungus with radiation. After laser therapy, about 85% of patients are finally cured. This is one of the most effective ways to deal with nail fungus.
medical pedicure
You can apply a medical pedicure for nail fungus in the early stages of the disease, this is the main disadvantage of this method, in addition, the treatment of onychomycosis with varnishes is quite long. Therapeutic pedicure for nail fungus involves the use of special formulations that are applied to the damaged area. This service is provided by many beauty salons. However, you can treat nail fungus at home with the help of medical varnish.
By the way, a specialist may know how to restore a nail after a fungus.
Prevention
There are many ways to prevent fungal nail diseases:
- The most important thing is daily hygiene.
- In public places, swimming pools, saunas, changing rooms, slippers must be worn.
- Do not wear closed shoes in hot weather.
- To prevent yeast infection, do not use other people's personal hygiene products: nail files, scissors, towels, etc.
It is very important to ensure that the child clearly follows these rules.
There are different types of toenail fungal infections. Treating onychomycosis requires a serious diagnosis, long-term therapy, and a certain amount of money may be required. Therefore, it is preferable to observe preventive measures and prevent infection with parasites. Nor will it be superfluous to know how to defeat the fungus.