Nail fungus, like all other fungal diseases, is a contagious disease.Microscopic pathogenic fungi are very easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person and quickly penetrate the nail plates, forming a colony.
Toenails are the places that suffer most often from fungal infections.According to medical statistics, nail fungus occurs in approximately 15% of the world's population.It is noted that men are more susceptible to this disease.Doctors attribute this phenomenon to the fact that women are more scrupulous about hygiene rules.In addition, fungus affects older people much more often, which is most likely due to their somewhat reduced immunity and the presence of chronic diseases.
Regardless of what type of fungus is causing the nail disease, it will present with similar symptoms and require the same treatment.Due to the fact that fungal nail infection does not pose a threat to life, most patients do not rush to receive treatment, considering the problem to be only cosmetic.This approach is fundamentally wrong, because due to prolonged exposure to fungi, the immune system begins to suffer, and this opens the door to many diseases.
How does a fungal infection occur?
It is very easy to get infected with fungi.That is why this disease has become so widespread.Most often, the disease is caused by the following reasons:
- violation of personal hygiene rules;
- wearing someone else's shoes;
- wearing someone else's socks;
- being barefoot in the gym;
- being barefoot in the pool;
- being barefoot in a public bath.
Fungi are transmitted particularly quickly from one family member to another.For this reason, even if 1 person in the family faces this disease, everyone should treat the nails.
What predisposes to the development of nail fungus
Some people are more susceptible to fungal diseases, while others are less susceptible.This is due to the fact that there are several predisposing factors for the disease.Such provocateurs of the disease include:
- diabetes mellitus - since this disease causes damage to the capillaries, the metabolism in the tissues of the nail fold is disrupted, which causes a rapid weakening of local immunity;
- mechanical damage to the nail plate - with improperly cut, cracked and broken nails, the nutrition of the nail plate begins to partially break down, due to which its ability to resist the fungus is significantly reduced;
- vascular disease - in this case, fungi develop for the same reason as in diabetes;
- fungal infections of the skin - if a fungus is present on the skin, then if it is not treated, it gradually spreads to the surrounding tissues, leading to nail damage;
- decreased immunity - with a decrease in protective forces, which can occur for many reasons, the body is unable to resist pathogenic fungi and easily penetrates the nail tissue.
It is in the presence of provoking factors that in the vast majority of cases the development of fungal nail infection occurs.
How is the fungus manifested?
It is quite easy to determine the presence of nail fungus, as the symptoms of this disease are very visible and it is not easy to confuse it with anything else.You may suspect a fungal infection of the nail plate when the following signs appear:
- change in the color of the nail plate - in the presence of fungus, the color of the nail changes from healthy to yellow, gray or brown, depending on the type of fungus that caused the disease;
- the rough surface of the nail - the roughness caused by a fungus is easily determined not only by touch, but also by eye.This symptom appears due to the fact that the uneven destruction of the upper layer of the nail plate occurs;
- delamination of the nail - the nail begins to peel off from the edge, and gradually the process reaches the base of the plate.After examination, the border of the nail distortion area is clearly visible;
- white spots under the nail - this is what the places where the nail has started to peel off from the base look like.As the nail plate grows under the influence of the fungus, a cavity is formed between it and the subungual tissues, which looks like a white spot;
- dullness of the nail plates - the shine of the nails gradually disappears and no specific damage is observed on its surface.This symptom appears due to peeling of the top layer of the nail, which is thin and is called skin.It contains fats and moisture, therefore it has a shine;
- a large number of nails - the appearance of these very painful dry peelings on the skin is observed due to the fact that the fungus also affects the folds of the nails.Because of this, the skin begins to die quickly and peel off;
- detachment of the nail plate - due to the fact that the fungus affects the area of nail growth, the plate begins to peel off gradually, first from the base and then evenly, up to the edge;
- destruction of the nail plate - the diseased nail becomes brittle, begins to crumble and deform.This happens due to the growth of the fungus in the thickness of the nail.
When the first symptoms of nail fungus appear, you should start therapy using medications or folk remedies.Both are very effective and therefore the patient must make his own decision as to which method of treatment to give priority to.
Nail fungus medicine
If the nail plate is not yet very affected by the fungus, you can do without removing it.To treat a nail, you must use medications prescribed by your doctor.
Treatment of nail fungus with medicines is very long and can last up to 1 year.It is necessary to apply medicinal formulations strictly according to the rules and without concessions, otherwise all efforts spent on the elimination of fungi will be in vain.
When the fungus has affected the thickness of the nails, it makes no sense to treat the nail plate and you should use drugs designed to remove it.If these products are used correctly, the diseased nail can be removed painlessly or almost painlessly.
For this case, there are medicines that soften and remove the nail plate from the tissues located below it.The removal of the nail is done several times and causes almost no discomfort to the patient.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus
Traditional medicine can be used in the treatment of nail fungus only if the disease has not gone too far.Ideally, such methods of therapy should begin at the first symptoms of the disease.
- Iodine is destructive to almost all types of nail fungus and therefore can be used successfully in the fight against the disease, although doctors do not take this method of therapy very seriously.Using iodine solution is easy.To achieve the desired effect, it is enough to lubricate the sick nail with iodine in the morning and in the evening.Healthy nails should also be treated with iodine, but only once every 2 days.This treatment continues until a healthy nail begins to grow.
- Kombucha can also be used in treatment.A small amount of it will be enough to remove nail fungus.Such a part must be detached from the mushroom and cleaned of films.Then it is pressed into a pulp, which is rubbed on the injured nail in the morning and in the evening.This treatment lasts at least 45 days.
- Copper sulfate is also used in the fight against nail fungus.For medical purposes, you should take 1 teaspoon of copper sulfate and dissolve it in 1 liter of boiled water.The resulting composition is very concentrated, and therefore for treatment, 1 tablespoon is added to 1.5 liters of water at a temperature of 50 degrees.A foot bath with this composition is used once a day.The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.Therapy continues until a healthy nail begins to grow.
- A salt and vinegar bath is helpful from the beginning of fungal nail infections.To prepare the composition for the bath, you need to dissolve 4 tablespoons of 9 percent vinegar and 100 g of salt in 4 liters of very warm water.The bath is done 2 times a day.The duration of 1 procedure is 15 minutes.If there are wounds on the skin of the legs, it is better to refuse such treatment, as this can lead to their degeneration into ulcers.
- Celandine is also recommended for the treatment of nail fungus.In the summer season, when you can easily find a fresh plant, it will be useful to use its juice.To obtain the medicinal composition, the stems of the plant are rotated through a meat grinder, and then the juice is squeezed from the obtained mass through cheesecloth.Prepare 200 ml of liquid.Then the same volume of alcohol with a strength of 70% is poured into the liquid.After injecting the drug for 1 day, it is used to lubricate the affected nail 4 times a day.In order for the beneficial effect to be maximum, the legs are steamed beforehand.The treatment is carried out until a healthy nail plate grows completely.
- Baking soda is another way to fight nail fungus.For therapeutic purposes, it is good to use baking soda paste.To prepare it, 1 teaspoon of the substance is diluted with boiled water to a thick paste and mixed well.After that, the medicine is applied to the affected nail in a thick layer and sprinkled with lemon juice.As a result of the chemical reaction, a slight burning sensation will be felt and abundant foam will be observed.After 5 minutes of exposure, the soda is washed off.This procedure is repeated every day until a healthy nail grows.
Prevention of nail fungus
If you do not forget the rules for the prevention of nail fungus, it is quite possible to protect yourself from this trouble.To prevent the disease, you should follow the following recommendations:
- respect the rules of hygiene;
- do not wear wet shoes;
- wash house slippers at least once a month using antibacterial washing powder;
- use iodine nail treatment as a preventive measure once a month;
- wear only your shoes;
- use mats when in the sauna and pool;
- regularly do manicure and pedicure according to all the rules;
- change socks every day;
- air your shoes every day;
- use an ultraviolet shoe dryer.
With strict adherence to preventive measures, fungal disease can be prevented even if there is a sick person in the family.It is very important to show your child from an early age the rules of hygiene and the dangers of violating them.The fact is that many children get nail fungus by trying on the shoes of adults of guests or parents, as well as by exchanging shoes with friends in kindergarten.Understanding why this is a health hazard will help protect your child from nail fungus from a very young age.