Feet are a favorable place for the development of pathogenic bacteria, because they spend a lot of time in shoes and sweat. Therefore, mycotic wounds are a frequent companion of many people. The tender skin near the little toe, on the soles of the feet, is most often affected. Fungi on the nails are no less common. However, the most common variety is considered interdigital mycosis, which occurs in adults and children. The disease is transmitted through the household. Shared saunas, baths, swimming pools, as well as personal hygiene items can become sources of pathogens. Therapy of the pathology is quite long, but the initial stage of the pathology is successfully treated at home with the use of drugs and folk remedies.
Causes of mycosis
There are several factors that contribute to the development of unpleasant pathology.
- Excessive sweating of the feet.
- Regularly wearing uncomfortable shoes in which the skin melts.
- Violation of hygiene requirements.
- Avitaminosis.
- Weakened immunity.
- Metabolic disease.
- Various dermatological and internal diseases (diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, etc. ).
Interdigital mycosis often affects young children, because their skin is more sensitive than the skin of adults.
Important: wounds, ulcers, cuts and microcracks on the legs are a favorable environment for the development of a fungal infection.
Symptoms
Symptoms of yeast infection:
- The initial stage is characterized by redness of the skin between the fingers, which indicates the beginning of inflammation.
- Unbearable itching, peeling, unpleasant odor appear.
- Furthermore, the nails are involved in the pathological process, they become yellow, they peel off.
- The patient feels a burning sensation.
- The epidermis between the fingers becomes wet and looks like a continuous wound that does not heal.
- The weeping surface dries, cracks form in this place.
If treatment is not started at this stage, the disease goes into a neglected form, which can cause complications in the form of bacterial infection.
Treatment
It is almost impossible to get rid of a fungal disease quickly. The treatment will last from 1 to 3 months, the time depends on the severity of the pathology. It is necessary to solve the problem internally and externally.
Pharmaceutical preparations:
- Internally, systemic antifungals are usually prescribed. Means are available in the form of tablets and capsules. They are effective even in advanced stages of the disease. It is worth knowing that such drugs have a toxic effect on the liver, therefore they are contraindicated in young children, pregnant and lactating women, and are prescribed with caution to the elderly and patients suffering from liver failure.
- External means are available in the form of ointments, solutions, sprays, creams. Inexpensive but effective tool - greases with sulfur and zinc. Special attention is paid to fats from the allylamine group, because they can be used to treat children from 2 years of age, pregnant women. The advantage of these drugs is the absence of toxic effects on liver cells. The duration of the therapeutic course is usually 10 days, after which there is a break of 10 days, and then the therapy is continued.
It is strictly forbidden to choose medicines independently. If the disease has affected all family members, it is necessary to contact a specialist who will prescribe the appropriate medicine for each one.
Alternative therapy
Most doctors approve the use of folk recipes as part of the complex therapy of fungus between the toes:
- Fungal bacteria do not tolerate salt solutions, so daily baths with the addition of sea or kitchen salt will help not only in dealing with the disease, but will also soften the epidermis of the feet. Procedures should be done in the evening. Add 50-60 g of salt to 3 liters of water.
- A good result is wiping the affected areas with wine vinegar. This should be done only with a cotton swab. Do not rub the product with your fingers.
- Iodine has excellent antiseptic properties. You can apply it to the affected areas twice a day. To prepare therapeutic baths, a few drops of iodine are dissolved in a small amount of water, the feet are lowered for 15 minutes. Duration of treatment is 14 days. In patients prone to allergic manifestations, a reaction may occur, so an individual sensitivity test should be performed before the procedure.
- Manganese solution is used to treat areas affected by fungi. The color of the resulting liquid should be pale pink. A cotton swab is moistened in it and the lesions are lubricated. The procedure is performed daily before going to bed.
- Soda solution effectively fights against fungal infection. It is used for daily foot washing instead of ordinary soap. A popular way is to use therapeutic soda baths. 2 tablespoons of soda are used for 2 liters of water. The feet are dipped in a warm solution and kept for 10-15 minutes. The minimum duration of treatment is 2 weeks.
- Onion juice has long been considered the best anti-fungal remedy. To use it, you need to squeeze the juice of a large onion, moisten a cotton swab in it and apply it to the affected area for a few minutes. To avoid irritation, the composition must be washed off the skin after a certain time for a therapeutic effect.
- The combination of tea and vinegar perfectly copes with the disease. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to brew a spoonful of black tea in a glass of boiling water, cool it, strain it and add 10 ml of 9% vinegar. The tool is recommended for lubricating the affected areas of the epidermis daily before going to bed.
- The antiseptic properties of boric acid are successfully used in the fight against fungal diseases. The powdered product can be used as a powder at night and the solution can be added to baths. For 2 liters of water you will need 20 ml of solution. Keep your feet in the water for no longer than 15 minutes. Such a drug has its own contraindications and is not used for the treatment of children, pregnant women, and patients with renal insufficiency.
- Glycerin in combination with vinegar has a good therapeutic effect. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions in a glass container. Apply a cotton swab dipped in the solution to the affected areas daily.
- You can prepare homemade ointment based on vinegar and glycerin. To do this, you need to take a spoonful of olive oil, dimethyl phthalate, vinegar and glycerin. All components should be mixed well and rubbed into the affected areas of the epidermis overnight. In the morning, wash off with soap.
- It is a popular recipe for fat based on lard. To get it, it is necessary to mix 50 g of fat, 15 g of birch tar, 10 g of sulfur powder, dissolve the mixture in a water bath and rub it into the hot spots of inflammation every day.
- The healing properties of propolis will help you get rid of the problem forever. The recipe consists of 100 ml of medical alcohol combined with 50 g of propolis. The composition is carefully changed and applied to the affected areas in a thick layer. To achieve the best result, it is necessary to wrap the feet with a film and wear socks made of natural fabric. At the beginning of the therapy, the condition of the skin worsens, but after the completion of the full course, the therapeutic effect will be noticeable. The tool must not be used by those suffering from allergies to bee products.
- Medicinal ointment based on honey. To prepare it, you need to take 30 g of honey, 10 g of apple cider vinegar, 20 ml of eucalyptus essential oil. Mix the ingredients well and let it stand for 3 days. Use the ointment to treat the affected epidermis daily for 2 weeks.
- Compresses of sea salt and crushed mint leaves in a ratio of 1: 2 work well for diseases. The compress is applied at night.
- One of the simple recipes involves rubbing your feet with garlic juice daily until full recovery.
- Porridge made from fresh burdock leaves should be applied to sore spots at night, fixed with a bandage or put on socks.
- Applications from the infusion of celandine and meadowsweet in a ratio of 2: 1 are effective. The duration of treatment with this medicine is 14 days. The recipe should be used with caution, because celandine is a poisonous plant and can cause allergic reactions.
- Traditional healers recommend fighting fungus using potato baths. To do this, the peel of the vegetable is boiled in a large amount of water, the raw materials are removed, and the resulting broth is used to steam the legs. The duration of the procedure is at least 30 minutes. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the pathology and is usually 2 weeks.
Many folk recipes allow everyone to choose the right one for themselves. The use of home remedies is allowed only after consultation with a doctor. It is mandatory to conduct an individual sensitivity test to the selected folk remedy.