To start treatment of onicomycosis in time, you need to know what the nail fungus is like.Mushrooms related to the types of dermatophytes, candidates and yeast can cause the disease.The opportune and correct determination of the pathogen will allow the fungus to be quickly and effectively cure in the legs.
What is nail fungus?
The fungal disease of nails has a scientific name - onychomycosis, which of ancient Greek means "chronic infection".This disease affects the nail plate in which power was broken for some reason.Fungal disputes are quickly propagated, they do not need special conditions for development.The disease itself does not occur due to the high survival of fungi.
Causes of nail fungus
Factors, as a result of which nail fungus manifests:
- Wet and hot environment.After a long day spent on shoes, the legs sweat a lot.It is necessary to dry shoes and completely abandon the synthetic socks.
- Age.The largest number of cases of the disease occurs from 18 to 55 years.Basically, men suffer.If in young people, nail fungus occurs extremely rarely, then in elderly men the percentage of incidence of at least 90%.This is mainly due to the decreasing growth of nail plates.
- Medication.Taking drugs, such as antibiotics and cytostatics, can cause the disease.
- The immune system.Having stepped on unprotected legs on any dirty surface, you can easily be infected.A person with weak immunity to do this is much easier.
- Profession.Nail fungus can occur due to high temperature in the work room, joint or ionizing radiation.Mines, medical institutions, baths and showers are more susceptible to the disease.
Three main paths were identified through which the fungus is able to fall under the leg nail plate:
- Through the nail roll.The nail roll is a fold of the skin around the 3 -sided nail plate.
- By the edge of the nail.In this case, the fungus falls under the nail, not in it.In the future, this can become keratosis - a disease during which the nail begins to separate from the nail bed.
- Through the dorsal part of the nail.This part is the most durable, which is why, through it, the fungus penetrates much less frequently.
Nail fungus types
As the nail fungus looks like which type of specific fungus caused the disease
Dermatophytes
This is the most common type of fungal disease.The dermatophyte nail plate is affected in 90% of cases.
There are 3 varieties of this disease, each has a different territory of the lesion:
| Tricophyte | Affecting nails and feet |
| Epidermophite | The fungus manifests itself in the 1st and 5th of the fingers |
| Tricophyte | The fungus manifests itself in the first and 5 fingers, can go to interdigital folds |
Mold
This type of disease is extremely rare.When infected, the nail plate changes color and becomes black, yellow, brown or blue.
Yeast -like mushrooms
These mushrooms are able to speak not only on nails, but they are also the cause of the candidate in the girls.The disease makes the nail thinner.The nail plate purchases yellow.If the disease is ignored, it will be possible to separate the nail from the box.
Disease stages
The appearance of nail fungus depends on the stage of the disease.
In medicine, it is customary to distinguish three main stages from its development:
- In the first stage, it is quite difficult to identify the presence of the fungus.All because there are no visible signs.
- The second stage.When moving to the second stage, the nails lose their shine, the color of the plate gradually begins to change.The nail becomes more brittle on the edges.You can already see small white spots or grooves, which will increase in size over time.
- The third stage is a neglected form of pathology, when a person ignored the disease for a long time and did not treat it.At this time, there is a huge risk of losing your nail.It begins to extensively and break more and more.
How is nail fungus: symptoms and signs
The fungus has serious symptoms.At the beginning of the disease, the glow in the nail gradually disappears.The surface of the plate becomes similar to waves, small white spots appear.
Over time, the nail becomes brittle and scaly.Despite its fragility, nail thickness may increase.Perhaps an unbearable feeling of scratching between the fingers.Sleeping in the legs is gradually increasing.Probably the occurrence of grains and bubbles.
Another distinct sign of the disease is an unpleasant odor.This is due to the fact that the gap between the nail and the bed is clogged with dirt and the fungus products.
When the disease is very thrown, the patient can increase temperature and leg pain, which prevents him from moving normally.
Regional Onychomicosis
Regional onychomycosis is the early stage of the disease.It is quite difficult to determine the disease at this stage.
The appearance of nail fungus depends on the degree of development of the pathology.Narrow gray lines appear gradually along the edges of the plate.The nail itself begins to get.In the center of the nail, yellow spots of small sizes occur.The plate does not change thickness, but becomes fragile.
The nail is not completely affected.Only their individual sections suffer.Therefore, the surface of the affected nail is checkered.Under the nail, you may consider the gray substance, but the nail itself does not become thicker from it.
Normotorofici
Normotrophic Onychomycosis occurs for the same reasons as the rest of the fungus.Microorganisms enter the skin, after which they penetrate its surface through small deep damage to the nail plate.
With norotrophic onychomycosis in the early days of the disease, the color of the nail does not change completely, but only in areas.On the sides and at the end, the nail is white, yellow or gray.The nail plate loses its shine and disappears.Over time, the color of the nail changes completely, but its thickness does not decrease.
Hypertrophic
Hypertrophic onyomycosis is considered an advanced form of a type of norotrophic disease.The causes of their occurrence are no different from the causes of other types of nail fungus.
The occurrence of hypertrophic onychomycosis contributes to contact with infected people, using uncomfortable shoes or interruption of hygiene.The cause can also be diseases: HIV, hyperhidrosis and diabetes.
In the legs with hypertrophic onychomycosis, nail thickness increases markedly.Plate thickening can lead to a disease such as hyperkeratosis (with a disease, the skin under the nail becomes keratinized).
The color of the plate changes because it looks yellow or gray.The nails become opaque, bland.The appearance of poologrifosis is possible - a fungus in which the nail is deformed and takes the shape of the claw of a bird.
With hypertrophic onychomycosis, the sides of the nail suffer more strongly.As a result, intense pain occurs in the fingers, preventing a person from moving normally.
White superficial form
The shape of the white surface of onychomycosis is the rarest type of disease.With him, the thumb and finger nail is damaged.
With the disease, the nail leg and the matrix do not suffer.White spots appear gradually on the surface of the nail.Over time, its size and area increase.The color of the points changes from white to yellow.The nail begins to crumble.
If the disease is launched, it will be possible to inflammate the skin around the nail.Along with him, severe redness and itching appear.
The thickness of the plate does not change and its surface becomes rough.Often, nails break, the shine disappears.
People who visit the greatest risk of being sick:
- Baths;
- saunas;
- Public books.
The combination of high humidity and heat is an ideal environment for the rapid development of a fungal disease.People who wear common hygiene and shoe products are at risk.
The shape of the white surface of onychomycosis is easy to confuse with these diseases:
- Seborrhea.
- The first stage of eczema.
- Psoriasis.
Therefore, the dermatologist does not stop at a visual examination of the patient.Compulsory takes it biological material and sends it to the laboratory to determine the type of pathogen.
Onicolithic
Onychomycosis is characterized by the separation of the box nail plate.The nail loses its shine and turns gray.In the area of damage, there is a graph covered with hyperkeratosis (excessive thickening of the epidermis stratum layer, can be 1 mm to several cm).
With a disease, a nail thickening and thinning is possible.
Onychomycosis candidiasis
This type of disease occurs due to a decrease in the protection properties of the skin and weak immunity coating.Candida mushrooms, which live in the gut and urinary tract, begin to multiply quickly and fill nail plates.The disease is more common in the female half of the population.Most of the time, people who work with waiters and wash them suffer.
At the beginning of the disease, the mushroom affects the roll of nails and the skin next to it.The skin blushes and begins to be inflamed.The roll swells, the skin in it practically disappears.If the disease is not treated, it can become chronicle and peeling of the skin in the nail roll area and nails will remain forever.
Refusal of treatment can cause nail deformation.It starts from the roll to the center of the nail.It becomes thinner and with a slight press on the plate, the pus is possible.On the plate itself, wave -shaped white stripes are clearly visible.
There is proximal candidate onicomicosis.The difference is that the nail roll does not suffer.Determining the disease is helped by white points of small sizes under the nail.
The third form of candidate onicomicosis is distal.The fungus affects the remote part of the nail and moves to the middle.The color of the plate changes and the nail becomes thicker.Hyperqueratosis occurs under the nail as a result of which the nail increases.
Proximal deformation
Proximal deforming onychomycosis begins to develop in case of nail plate candidate injury.The main feature of the disease is the nail bed.With this form of disease, it is deformed and becomes in the form of a wave.
Atrophic
Atrophic onychomycosis is characterized by a change in nail plate color to a brownish gray.The nail is affected from the outer end and gradually moves to the roll of the skin.
There are also such signs:
- Loss of a natural nail shine.
- The plate is atrophied.
- The nail bed is exposed.
- The nail is thinner and atrophy in the future.
- There is a layer of scales on the skin on the nail bed.
- The infection applies to neighboring tissues.
With atrophic onychomycosis, only the nail sprout remains not touched.
Treatment Methods
Before starting treatment of any form of onychomycosis, you should contact a dermatologist for diagnosis.Only after laboratory tests and determine the size of the affected areas, an additional patient treatment is prescribed.
As a rule, in the treatment of local onychomycosis, local medications and medications are used to take orally.
For more effective treatment, in addition to taking medications, it is recommended to treat personal items and general items to exclude re -infection.
Perhaps treatment with the following ways:
- Physiotherapy.This procedure is prescribed to improve the blood circulation of the limbs.Physiotherapy is used in combination with UHF and charging amplipulators in lumbosacral and cervical departments.Laser therapy and diathermia are also used.
- In the case of a neglected disease, when the nail is deformed and exfolia, doctors decide to remove the plaque from the nail.This will further prevent the spread of the fungus and give medicines more efficiently to work on a healthy surface.
Pharmacy products
The main methods of combating fungal diseases include antimicotic.They cause more damage to nail fungus and therefore treat affected areas.Antimicics are suitable for treating almost all types of disease, except the candidate (here treatment should be selected individually).
Dermatologists often prescribe the following antimicotic:
- Varnish that can protect the nail from additional disease development.
- Solutions that destroy the fungus of the nail rollers and the sign itself.
- Ointments or gels that relieve itching and inflammation.
When local treatment does not give the right effect to the fullest, preparations are prescribed to bring inward.The main difficulty of treating such means is in a large number of against -indications and precautions.The effect of drugs gradually increases.
Traditional medicine
In the treatment of a fungal disease, folk medicine can be used, but only in conjunction with other medications.
Chubby
To use it, it is necessary to vapor the legs.After that, a small piece of the mushroom is applied to the sick nail, folded with a bandage.The compress remains all night and in the morning is removed.Excluding the dead areas should be removed and treat the surface with any anti -space.The course of treatment lasts several weeks.
Air
Calamus's decoction is also able to become an assistant in the fight against nail fungus.Take this decoction 3 times a day.During reception, it is necessary to trim the gross skin and growing nails.
- To prepare the product, it is necessary 2 teaspoon.MOA the rhizomes of the plant and pour boiling water (as a rule, 100 ml is sufficient).
- So the rhizomes are boiled in water for no more than 1 min.
- When the product is cold, it is ready for use.
Due to the fact that the decoction has a bitter taste, it can be washed with water.
Acetic baths
Acetic baths have a good effect only on the early stages of the disease.In the future, they are used only with the doctor's permission and along with other drugs.
Acetical baths softens the epidermis, improves blood circulation and also transforms the appearance of the feet.
Vinegar can be used to combine the following components:
- Refrigerator.It visibly softens the epidermis and improves the effect of the procedure as a whole.To prepare a solution for the procedure, it is necessary to move 0.5 tablespoons in 3 liters of water.Vinegar with 2 tablespoons.l.refrigerator.
- Essential oils.This component reduces the course of treatment several times.For a vinegar bath, 3 drops of oil is required.
- Glycerol.For 3 liters of water, 9 tablespoons.l.Vinegar and 3 tablespoons.l.glycerol.When preparing the solution, glycerin is added to water for better dilution.Glycerin in vinegar baths helps moisturize the skin from the legs.
Baths can also be used as a prevention.
There are several against -indications in which vinegar baths cannot be used:
- Oncology.
- Wounds, ulcers and leg scratches.
- Individual intolerance.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Pregnancy.
- Violations of the cardiovascular system.
- Age up to 10 years.
Before the procedure, you need to perform 3 steps:
- Take a sensitivity test.A small area near the elbow is moistened with a prepared solution.After 15 minutes.There should be no allergic reactions (itching, burning, redness).
- Before the procedure, the legs should be cooked steam and affected tissues are removed.
- After the procedure, you need to rinse your feet and dry well.For 2 hours, you cannot carry your legs.
- The duration of the procedure is 10 to 20 minutes.
In general, treatment with vinegar baths lasts 2 to 3 weeks.
Tea tree oil
The use of tea tree oil contributes to the effective recovery of the affected nail.During the procedure, the oil should be applied under nail in the calculation of 1 drop per 1 nail.The procedure is performed 3 times a day.Nail treated areas should be glued with an adhesive so that the effect of treatment is greater.
Iodine processing
In the fight against nail fungus, iodine is widely used.It is best to use a 5% solution for the procedure.All that is needed for treatment is to apply an iodine solution twice a day to the affected area of the nail.
When applying iodine, a burning sensation is possible.If the burning sensation is weak and does not cause discomfort - everything is fine.If the pain is severe, iodine processing should be interrupted immediately.The course of treatment with an iodine solution is 22 to 3 months.
The advanced stage of the disease can lead to more serious consequences.Whatever the independent way of treatment the patient does, in the first signs, is necessary to consult a specialist.By the way, the nail fungus looks like, the doctor may prescribe complete treatment.Onychomycosis in the legs is treated quickly and effectively with the correct approach.