One-fifth of the European population is ill with foot mycosis.
These are data from a study conducted in all European countries. Foot fungus most often starts with interdigital folds, for the following reasons:
- vascular diseases of the legs (21%);
- overweight (17%);
- foot pathology - narrow interdigital spaces, diabetic foot, flat foot (15%);
- trauma to the skin, nails and toes due to tight shoes, sports injuries, edged pedicures.
Favorite place of appearance of mycosis of the feet - the narrowest spaces between 3, 4, 5 toes. From there, the fungus affects all interdigital folds, the skin of the foot with the side edges, the back of the foot, the nails
How to recognize foot mycosis? Symptoms of toenail fungus
- A crack or funnel appears between the toes, the edges of which are covered with a white or squamous (flaky) green skin;
- The crack may be weeping with exudates;
- Circular diaper rash with peeling skin appears under and between the fingers (intertriginous symptoms);
- With the flow rubbed between the toes, cracks are hardly noticeable, but the peeling takes on a flour-like character (the skin looks like it is sprinkled with flour - these are its affected scales). Symptoms are especially common in children;
- There is a slight itching between the toes, but there is no major discomfort.
In a "sleeping" state, wiped, the fungus between the fingers can stay indefinitely, hiding the symptoms. But the processes will grow. Gradually, the skin appears more and more dry, rough, rough, sagging, takes on a yellow-yellow-gray color, horns to calcification, cracks in particularly harsh places.
Simultaneously or sequentially, the onychomycosis stage occurs - nail lesions that change color, thicken, exfoliate and crumble. They come to such a conclusion in the later stages, when the symptoms clearly indicate long-term health negligence.
The second route of fungal development between the toes is rarer (about 8%). This is a "wet" fungus, vesicular or exudative, in which there are bladder blisters that explode and ulcerate behind them. Such wet mycosis between the toes affects people with severe stress, with long growths, wearing bad shoes, tight, without ventilation, with irregular fungal therapy, with self-treatment with antifungals and corticosteroids.
If you sabotage the treatment of fungus between the toes, 80-100% of patients will be affected by toenails, 20% - on the hands. The look is sad and disgusting, the nail looks like shredded powder or laundry soap. It can also take on the appearance of a "vulture's hoof" or grow. And an ingrown toenail is also a painful treatment.
How to cure interdigital fungus?
Even if all these symptoms come after many years, you should start treating the fungus between the toes immediately because it is a very contagious and insoluble infection.
We go to the dermatologist. Before treatment, he makes a scratch from his fingers and examines it using microscopy, culture or DNA analysis. Microscopy reveals filaments or spores of mycelium.
Systemic treatment consists of taking tablets or capsules with antifungals. They accumulate in the horny tissue, entering through the bloodstream and destroying the fungus for many weeks after taking the medicine
The downside is that systemic medications are moderately hepatoxic (they have a bad effect on a weak liver), and therefore the treatment cannot be applied to people with a diseased liver, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, young people andold people. The type of medication depends on the nature of the pathogen. If the symptoms are vague and the type is not established, treatment with a broad-spectrum drug is prescribed. The use of systemic drugs is still a risk; in advanced stages, they need to be treated for a long time.
You can also treat the lesions with topical medications. Such drugs often have a wide range of effects, and destroy both fungi and bacteria. The treatment is long and intensive, so you should tell your doctor immediately if your funds are limited.
Home therapy and prevention of fungal infections. It is also useless to treat the fungus itself. The information allows us to talk about its extraordinary survival and high recurrence potential.
Prevention is an effective remedy.
- Check family members for fungal symptoms. Pollution within the family is common. All must be treated;
- Do not use someone else's shoes, socks, someone else's pedicure set, do not wipe with an ordinary towel;
- Not all fungi die even at 100 degrees Celsius, but a considerable part - yes, so wash the bed and bath linen at 90 degrees;
- Disinfect shoes with antifungal spray once a month, bath surfaces once a week;
- In public places, do not go barefoot and do pedicures in well-disinfected salons;
- To prevent fungus, you can use antifungal ointment, which is applied to clean and dry feet;
- Do not wear shoes until the feet are dry.
Dermatologists also advise doing a pedicure at least once a month and a half, removing dead tissue. It's in them that the fungus wants to settle. Better to be careful than to cure later.
At the clinic, you can undergo examination and consultation with a dermatovenerologist.