This article will focus on such an unpleasant but, alas, quite common occurrence as toenail fungus. The symptoms and causes of this disease are known by medical science and can be easily diagnosed at all stages. However, it can only be detected with a careful attitude towards one's own health. How to identify toenail fungus? How to treat it? Are the advertised oils effective?
What Causes Nail Fungus?
Nail fungus is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads especially successfully in countries with a mild and tropical climate, that is, where it is humid and warm. Paradoxically, however, cold-blooded people are more likely to get nail fungus. This is due to the fact that in harsh climates, you constantly have to wear warm shoes with socks. The foot sweats, the sock becomes wet and the person is forced to stay in this position for a long time without the possibility of changing shoes. This is the best way to promote the formation of nail fungus. Before we talk about how to identify toenail fungus, let’s figure out who is most susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
At risk are people whose feet can not breathe during the day due to tight shoes. These are miners, power plant workers, gardeners and representatives of other work specialties. Mushrooms can be "taken" by working in the laundry, in the pool, hotel, restaurant.
Which diseases can serve as a prerequisite
Often, not only representatives of the above professions suffer from this disease, but also people who have type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, deformity of the feet, varicose veins can be a prerequisite for the formation of nail fungus. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nutrition of the nails due to blockage or blockage of blood vessels. This is why the creams advertised today, as well as the supposed nail manicures designed to protect against fungi, will be completely useless in the fight against diseases. After all, it is often caused by internal diseases and external influences will not eliminate the problems.
Who is at risk?
Decades ago, nail fungus was diagnosed in most cases in the elderly. However, every year the number of patients suffering from nail fungus is increasing, and the disease itself is becoming younger.
Official data show that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. At the same time, it is women who turn to a dermatologist much more often with this problem. The fairer sex is more concerned about their health and finds nothing embarrassing in consulting a doctor.
Next, we will examine why it is so important to get recommendations for treating fungus from a dermatologist, and also talk about how you can determine fungus on nails and what symptoms it has at each stage of its development.
What does nail fungus look like?
This disease is not fatal, but, of course, it is necessary to get rid of it. Fortunately, recognizing the onset of a disease is easy for anyone. How to identify foot fungus? See below for tips. First of all, take a closer look at your nails.
The first thing to look for is this nail color. The nail affected by the fungus becomes dull yellow and dark. Depending on the stage of the disease, the affected area may be the edge of the nail plate, the base or the entire nail.
Pay attention to the thickness of the nail
In answering the question of how to determine nail fungus, the changes in the nail plate should also be mentioned. Despite the fact that due to the disease, the nail becomes thinner, visually and from the sensations it seems to become thicker and swollen.
How to identify nail fungus? In order to detect the presence of an infection, a visual examination of the nail plate is not sufficient. Mix potassium permanganate and water in a ratio of 1 to 5, dip your nails in the resulting solution for half a minute. The healthy nail will be colored and brown. Part of the affected plaque will remain white.
Stages of the disease
The disease continues in four stages. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely you are to get rid of nail fungus forever.
The first stage is characterized by damage to the edge of the nail. As mentioned above, the color of the plate changes, bumps appear. The nail grows of poor quality, hollow and therefore breaks and crumbles.
An increase in the lesion area will become a sign of the second stage. In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the second stage can start as if bypassing the first. The defeat of the nail plate will start not from the edge, but at the base of the nail. It will be more problematic to recover from nail fungus in the second stage than in the first stage.
How to identify toenail fungus in stage 3? In medicine, it is called a white surface fungus and it looks like the whole plaque is affected. It has a dense white color, crumbles strongly at the edges.
The fourth stage is called total dystrophic fungus. The nail has a yellow-gray color, emits a particularly unpleasant odor and crumbles strongly. In the fourth stage, you can often see the exposed part of the skin under the broken nail, as it has grown due to the fungus, in most cases it breaks down.
The reason for contacting a dermatologist is often the independent identification of the fourth stage of nail fungus. Do not search forums or the internet for tips on how to effectively treat nail fungus. It is best to consult a specialist at the first symptoms of the disease.
What to expect from a visit to the doctor?
Perhaps, in each of us there is a fear of doctors. However, do not be afraid to contact a dermatologist if you suspect you have nail fungus. The specialist will perform an external examination and will also take an itch of the upper cornea of the nail layer in order to send it to the lab for diagnosis. A detailed analysis will reveal what became the causative agent of the disease, determine the type of fungus and also tell the doctor what kind of treatment should be prescribed.
Treating a nail fungus takes a long time. It can last from a month to three. After the course of treatment, you will have to do the tests again, even if the above symptoms are not noticed.
A few words about effective treatment
So now we know how to identify toenail fungus. The methods are given above. Now it's worth saying a few words about the treatment you can do yourself. Naftifine drug has proven itself quite well. However, you do not need to use an oil, but a solution. This medicine can also be used in case of fungal infection of the feet.
How to use Naftif? If you have a fungus in the first stage of the disease, then lubricate the affected surface of the nail twice a day. Keep your nails dry and well washed. In the later stages of the disease, you can not do without taking pills. However, in this case, the use of Naftifin should not be stopped: this will increase the effect of the effects of the medication.
Before applying the product, thoroughly clean the affected surface of the nail with a manicure device. However, you need to be extremely careful when doing this. After perfect manipulations, it is necessary to apply Naftifin solution on the cleansed area. Repeat 2 times a day.
summarizing
The article provides an answer to the question of how to identify toenail fungus. However, it is worth remembering that self-medication does not always lead to complete recovery. If the thickness or color of your nails changes, you should consult a doctor.
According to the degree of damage to the nail plate, the fungus can be divided into four stages. If in the first stage the disease does not cause alarm, as it does not deform the nail plate too much, then in the fourth stage you can easily lose the nails. Do not hesitate to contact a dermatologist.
He is strongly discouraged from self-medicating, succumbing to advertising incentives regarding the effectiveness of a particular drug. Cream or any other agent applied to the nail plate from the outside will not get rid of the causative agent of the disease, and, therefore, will be ineffective. As a result, you will only delay the treatment process, masking the manifestation of the disease. It is also worth remembering that nail fungus not only looks unaesthetic, but are also a kind of beacon, which indicates the presence of disorders in the body.