Fungal foot infections start in the areas between the toes. After that, the infection can spread to the feet and nails. The disease is caused by dermatophytes, mold or yeast fungi. According to statistics, in our country about 20% of people have foot fungus. The severity of the disease depends on the type of infection, but in any case the disease must be cured, because the peeling, severe itching, inflammation and unpleasant smell of the feet cause severe discomfort. We will tell you how to get rid of foot fungus.
What does foot fungus look like?
A yeast infection causes inflammation of the skin where the yeast infection is located. The main types of dermatomycosis of the legs are:
- Sole fungus is squamous, in which the affected area turns red, peels, and cracks appear on the skin. The patient often does not feel any discomfort, which contributes to the wide spread of this type of disease.
- Dyshidrotic foot fungus is localized on the arch of the foot, which is not in contact with the floor surface. At the places of infection, small blisters appear that spread to the inner and outer parts of the feet, open, creating erosions and diaper rash on the surface of the skin. The process is accompanied by a feeling of itching and burning. After the opening of the vesicles (bubbles), the disease turns into a squamous form.
- Fungus on the skin of the feet that affects the interdigital space is called the intertriginous form of the disease and is its most common type. It appears in the form of cracks, the edges of which are covered with a white flaking edge of the epidermis. As a rule, this form has a long-term chronic course and is difficult to treat.
- Fungi on the lower leg or ankle look like round spots of pink or red color, covered with skin scales. As the infection progresses, the foci of inflammation grow, the process is accompanied by severe itching.
Onychomycosis
This disease is a type of athlete's foot that is characterized by a fungal infection of the nails. You can get infected in public showers, saunas, bathrooms and swimming pools. The scales containing the pathogenic microorganism are quite easily separated from the nail plate and can remain on floors, carpets, bedding and unpainted benches. High humidity allows them not only to survive, but also encourages active reproduction, so the risk of infection increases significantly.
In the initial stage, the infection reaches the epidermis of the feet, causing severe itching. In order to relieve the discomfort, the person begins to comb the infected area, but this only worsens the situation. Areas of the skin affected by the fungus become covered with small scratches and cracks, microorganisms begin to spread, penetrate under the nail plate, and then begin to multiply uncontrollably.
Severe diseases such as diabetes or HIV, poor circulation or injury to the nail greatly increase the risk of infection.
Onychomycosis is divided into 3 types:
- Normotrophic. In this type of onychomycosis, the color of the nail changes from normal to yellow-brown. The natural shine, shape of the nail and its thickness remain unchanged.
- Hypertrophic. There is a final change in the color of the nail, its shine disappears, its shape changes, thickening develops and partial destruction begins.
- Onycholithic. The color of the affected nail changes to brown, becomes thinner and begins to break. His gradual separation from the bed begins. Uneven layers may appear on the exposed part of the nail bed.
Treatment of this type of fungus on the palms and soles with local drugs is ineffective due to the fact that the fungal spores are located under the nail. Before starting the treatment, the nail should be removed. This is done with the help of keratolytic drugs, and plasters are also used. In some cases, it is possible to remove the nail mechanically: the parts of the nail that have died are cut off with a nail file or pliers. It is important to remember that all instruments used must be sterile.
The combined use of mechanical removal and keratolytic patches is the most effective way of removing diseased nails. As for keratolytic agents, you can use a ready-made kit with a broad-spectrum antifungal drug. It contains a special ointment, files for scraping the nail and a patch. After the nail plate is removed, you should start taking systemic antifungals: systemic antifungal drug, oral antifungal agent.
Symptoms
Depending on the form of the disease and the localization of the inflammation, the infection is accompanied by various symptoms with a number of the following general signs:
- peeling skin;
- mild or severe redness of the skin at the site of the lesion;
- itching;
- burning sensation;
- skin rash or cracks.
Blisters between the toes
The main symptom of athlete's foot, caused by the fungus Candida, is the appearance of blisters between the toes, usually between the fourth and little toes. The course of the disease is accompanied by swelling of the skin near the fingers, pronounced areas of redness with small bubbles on their surface. The source of inflammation is surrounded by the edge of the peeled epidermis.
Dihydrate form
Vesicular fungus or, as it is also called, mycosis dyshydra, is the rarest type of disease. Its main manifestation is numerous vesicles united in conglomerates. Vesicles are blisters filled with pus or nutrient fluid inside. When the fluid starts to turn cloudy, the vesicles burst, leaving ulcers in place. They begin to merge into a single line, forming pronounced scars on the skin. This happens due to the drying and peeling of the skin layers.
About 70% of infections with vesicular fungus are accompanied by an allergic rash. Various bacteria and viruses begin to penetrate the ulcers. As a result, the disease becomes mixed, and identifying the original pathogen becomes more difficult. Therefore, you should consult a doctor as soon as the primary symptoms appear: he can quickly identify the type of foot fungus and start treatment.
Moreover, it should be done immediately. First of all, before using antifungal drugs, the acute process should be eliminated. It is better to entrust this task to a specialist: he can carefully puncture the vesicles, treat the remaining ulcers with two percent boric acid and apply brilliant green solution or methylene blue.
Treatment of advanced disease includes the use of corticosteroid ointments. After removing the inflammatory process, it is recommended to use local antimycotics. This will suppress the pathogen. We continue to consider the names and types of foot fungus.
First signs
Leg skin disease is always accompanied by a series of general symptoms, the appearance of which indicates an infection of the skin with spores of harmful microorganisms. You should seek help from a dermatologist in the following cases:
- the appearance of cracks or blisters on the skin in the folds of the feet or between the toes;
- rough and significant thickening of the skin of the feet;
- redness of skin areas, their peeling;
- a burning or itching sensation.
Duration of treatment
A combined infection of the skin and nail plate requires rehabilitation therapy of one to three months. These terms are considered standard for the most effective pharmaceutical products from a medical point of view.
Pregnancy requires a charming visit to the doctor to choose a way to get rid of mycodin infection. Strong drugs and therapies that require the use of similar drugs are prescribed only under the supervision of a doctor and in compliance with strict dosages. Many antibacterial tablets that effectively destroy fungi can cause noticeable harm to the fetus. Therefore, whenever possible, during pregnancy, patients are recommended to be treated with prescriptions of traditional medicine. Many of them allow you to cope with the disease, but provided that the disease has not reached a complex stage. Only classical medicine can help in dealing with the advanced form.
Modern medicines allow you to completely restore your legs to health within two weeks, provided that the signs of infection are detected in time.
Causes
Infection occurs for several reasons after direct or indirect contact of the patient with the carrier of the infection or his personal belongings, household items. Risk factors for getting tinea pedis include:
- circulation disorders in the legs and related diseases (varicose veins);
- weakened general or local immunity;
- non-compliance with hygiene rules;
- weakening of the body's defense system after taking antibiotics;
- increased sweating of the skin of the feet;
- the presence of minor damage to the skin (abrasions, scratches).
Treatment methods
In most cases, it is possible to completely resolve the disease detected in time in a maximum of one month. This is a very important point in the treatment, because itching, tissue damage and other manifestations disappear, the patient sometimes stops the treatment, believing that the disease has been defeated. But the remnants of the infection can easily cause a relapse.
Treatment procedures should be stopped only after the doctor's permission and after passing the necessary tests. This is especially true for advanced forms of the disease. The fungus is firmly "fixed" in the body and sometimes it takes at least six months to get rid of it. But the external manifestation of foot fungus in the form of various damage to the skin or nails disappears much earlier, creating the illusion of health. Stopping therapy in this case is almost guaranteed to cause the patient to relapse.
Foot treatment for mycoid infection is comprehensive. To get rid of the disease, local antifungal drugs and tablets are used to remove the infectious agent that has entered the body. To get rid of itching, pain, brittle nails and accelerate tissue regeneration, certain drugs can be prescribed. It is not recommended to combine them independently with the main therapeutic group, so as not to cause an allergic reaction or poisoning the body due to the simultaneous use of incompatible drugs.
Treating athlete's foot in its early stages is quite simple. Usually, two weeks of therapy are enough to eliminate the symptoms of mycoid infection.
Types of mycosis
Only a dermatologist can accurately determine the type of fungus by visual inspection, the data of which is clarified by laboratory tests. Depending on the causative agent of a fungal infection (yeast, mold, fungi of the genus Trichophyton or Candida) on the skin of the feet, there are several main types of disease, which include:
- foot candidiasis;
- athlete's foot;
- trichophytosis (or rhumbicosis) of the feet;
- onychomycosis (nail fungus).
Prevention
Simple preventive measures will significantly reduce the likelihood of infection. Use only personal items, and treat nails with sterile instruments. When visiting public places, such as baths, saunas, swimming pools, beaches, you should use your own footwear. By the way, try to choose it so that it is comfortable and allows your feet to breathe. You should take care of prevention in advance so that you don't have to deal with various types of foot fungus later.
How to treat
Treatment of skin fungi on the legs is a long-term complex therapy, in severe cases it includes the use of systemic oral agents. In the case of smaller lesions, the emphasis is on local therapy using antibacterial and antiseptic agents. In acute forms of the disease, warm baths are prescribed to relieve inflammation and remove dead skin cells. In some cases, it is necessary to treat the patient's shoes and clothes with special compounds in order to avoid relapses.
System tools
Systemic oral drugs are prescribed in cases of inefficiency of local drugs and in severe advanced forms of the disease. A course of oral antifungal drugs is indicated for fungal infections of the deep layers of the skin, they help not only in the treatment of the acute stage, but also prevent the disease from becoming chronic. The dosage regimen, duration of the course and dosage are chosen by the attending physician.
Doctors recognize antifungal drugs for systemic use as the best tool for systemic treatment of foot fungus. They have an active fungicidal (destroying) and funginistic (suppressing the proliferation of bacteria) effect, their active components can accumulate in the upper layers of the epidermis, nails and hair. Be sure to read the instructions for use before taking, because these products have contraindications.
Local remedies
Therapy with local drugs includes not only the use of antifungal creams and ointments, but also the use of special sprays, aerosols and lotions. The form of the drug is recommended by a dermatologist, depending on the type of the causative agent of the infection, the severity of the lesion on the skin of the legs, the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient's body. The duration of treatment with a local drug can be from 2 weeks to 3 months.
For athlete's foot and other forms of mycosis of the skin of the legs, an aerosol, a suspension for application to the skin or a solution for local application can be prescribed. The products are either applied directly to the skin damaged by the fungus, or wet swabs soaked in a medicinal solution are applied. You can get all the necessary recommendations for use from your doctor.
Antifungal ointments
In the treatment of foot fungus, in most cases, an antifungal ointment is prescribed, for example, a cream with the active ingredient terbinafine hydrochloride or its analogues. Apply the medicine in the form of an ointment or cream to the dry skin of the heels or other areas of localization of inflammation, previously carefully cleaned of dead epidermal cells and any other plaque. For different types of diseases, the duration of treatment can be from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 months.
Experts consider broad-spectrum ointments to be an effective means of combating foot fungus of various forms and stages. The active components of the drug locally fight against the fungal infection, suppressing the reproduction of its pathogen. The ointment is applied two to three times a day to washed, affected skin for several weeks or months, depending on the degree of skin damage.
Folk remedies
The use of folk remedies is possible only with the consent of a doctor. The main products for baths, compresses and applications against fungus on the skin of the feet are vinegar, propolis, baking soda, herbal decoctions and laundry soap. The following procedures are practiced:
- Baths with soda and salt solution. For 3 liters of water at a temperature of 36-40°C, use 3 tablespoons. l. salt and 3 tbsp. l of soda. The duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes, after the bath, rinse your feet under running warm water. It is used for acute forms of fungus for 7-10 days, twice a day.
- Lotions with herbal decoction. To prepare the decoction, mix dried oak bark, calendula flowers and verbena leaves in equal proportions. To prepare the decoction, 3 tbsp. l. pour a glass of boiling water over the mixture and keep it on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Use the obtained decoction to make poultices three times a day for 20-30 minutes.
Deleted form
The deleted form of mycosis is almost invisible, the symptoms are minimal. These include: mild itching, burning, peeling like flour, microcracks located in the interdigital areas. If you do not consult a specialist when the first signs of the disease appear, the pathology can develop into a form of onychomycosis, which is much more difficult to treat. In this case, the peeled nail will grow back from one month to six.
Mycosis of the obliterated form is treated with local preparations: ointments, creams, foams. They allow you to create a layer on the foot that will protect against infection with other infections. It is not recommended to wash your feet for 24 hours after applying this medicine.
Systemic therapy can only be prescribed in extreme cases. The problem is that such drugs are toxic and negatively affect some internal organs, such as the liver. Accordingly, if there is an effect from the use of local drugs, then it is better not to take tablets.
Routes of infection
Fungal spores remain viable in the environment for a long time, so you can easily contract the disease in the most unexpected places. But the most favorable conditions for their development are warmth and high humidity. Therefore, people who visit the following are at risk:
- swimming pools;
- baths;
- saunas;
- fitness centers;
- beaches.
Fungi can appear on all things that are there, even if regular disinfection is carried out. Therefore, avoid common items in such places and be sure to bring a spare pair of shoes with you.
Military personnel are at risk. Soldiers in the army usually wear uncomfortable shoes that do not allow air to pass through. Because of this, the feet sweat, microtraumas appear, into which fungi penetrate.
There are two types of infection. The first is a direct way through direct contact with the causative agent of infection during communication with a sick person, caring for an animal or walking barefoot on the ground and sand. The second - indirect way leads to infection through objects belonging to infected people or pets.
Preventive measures
Disease prevention is always easier and safer for health than treatment, even with the most gentle method. In the case of a fungal infection, prevention is one of the mandatory norms of life, because it is very easy to get infected. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended to follow a few simple rules:
- try to eat healthy and eat as healthy as possible;
- do not use other people's things and personal hygiene products;
- use basic protective equipment in public places, such as replacement shoes and hygienic antibacterial agents;
- wash your feet and change your socks regularly;
- lead a healthy lifestyle;
- Bathe regularly to improve foot health;
- disinfect your shoes periodically.
Prevention of yeast infection is important not only to prevent it, but also if the disease does occur. In this situation, compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards helps to speed up healing and prevent infection of others with the fungus.