There are many reasons why nail fungus develops. In most cases, the infection is spread through household contact. Especially often the disease strikes in the summer, when everyone mostly wears open shoes. Also, in a warm and humid environment, bacteria multiply much faster and become more active.
Most often, the pathology develops in people who like to walk barefoot in public places, such as swimming pools, baths and saunas, changing rooms on the beaches and sports clubs. Also, toenail fungus often affects children who like to try on someone else's shoes. As a rule, this happens in schools or kindergartens.
Toenail fungus can be the result of a weakened immune system. And even if a person follows all the safety rules of behavior in public places, the infection can easily penetrate the skin with excessive sweating of the feet or with insufficient personal hygiene of the feet.
It is recommended to wash your feet as soon as possible with warm water and soap and do not forget to dry them, in the summer use powders so that the skin does not sweat so much. This is especially true for people prone to colds and infectious diseases.
In some cases, poor quality shoes become the cause of the fungus. This often happens when a person wears closed shoes for a long time, which does not allow air to pass through. This creates a favorable environment for bacteria to grow.
It is recommended, if possible, to buy shoes made of natural materials, wash and air them constantly.
Symptoms of a nail fungus
The symptoms of toe fungus are quite easy to spot. After all, they appear almost immediately, as the infection is introduced into the body. But the problem is that people do not always give importance to the first changes, thus delaying the treatment of the disease. Let's look at these symptoms in more detail.
- Early in the development of the disease, sweating between the toes may increase. In this case, an unpleasant odor will be observed, which is almost impossible to remove. As the disease progresses, it will intensify even more, causing great discomfort.
- Nails change color and structure. Most often they acquire a yellow, gray and even green tint. The nail plate can be painted gradually. Also, the thumbnail begins to exfoliate. Sometimes it even collapses. At the same time, nail files and scissors do not help to correct this.
- As the disease progresses, the skin around the nail plate starts to become inflamed. A characteristic of the fungus is intense itching and burning. This is especially enhanced if the foot is constantly in the shoe. In summer the itching is not so bad.
- Often, against the background of a nail fungus, diseases begin to progress, which until then were only stimulating factors for the reproduction of bacteria. The course of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and thyroid gland is complicated.
- In case the nail starts to get thicker, this indicates that the disease is progressing. Usually, when large growths appear on the nail plate, treating the fungus takes a long time. And only an integrated approach can guarantee a good result.
Specificity of treatment
When a toenail fungus appears on the big toe or if the foot is affected, treatment must be timely and comprehensive.
Thumb fungus in a child is best treated with safe folk remedies early in the development of the disease. Or see your doctor first.
As for adults, the treatment of big toe fungus can be carried out both with the help of pharmaceutical preparations and home remedies. Let's look into this in more detail.
pharmacy preparations
In case the thumb fungus has gone too far, the problem should be treated not just with local remedies. It is advisable to consult a specialist about taking pills. There are a huge number of them today, so it's important to choose the one that's right for you.
The most popular tablets based on Terbinafine and Ketoconazole. But the fact is that the pills have a lot of contraindications. Therefore, in no case should they be drunk by people with kidney or liver failure, and also by those who have heart problems. Care should be taken to take these pills at the same time as other medications. This is especially true for hormonal medications.
Sprays, gels and ointments are used for the topical treatment of the fungus. They are also recommended to be selected together with the attending physician. They perfectly help to fight nail fungus at the initial stage of the development of the disease. Medicinal varnishes, which should be applied directly to the affected nails, are an excellent help.
Varnishes are able to destroy the cell membrane structure of a pathogenic fungus in the shortest possible time. It is also useful to apply these funds for disease prevention as they have absolutely no side effects and are completely safe.
But if the nail is affected to the point that you need to remove it, there are special solutions for this. These substances are applied to a pre-steamed affected nail, after which the sore spot is closed with a bandage and a bandage. After a few hours, everything is painlessly removed.
Removing an unhealthy nail is an excellent alternative to surgery. After all, along with the stratum corneum, pathogenic microorganisms are killed and removed. And special auxiliary components allow a healthy new nail to grow as actively as possible.
popular recipes
You can simultaneously deal with nail fungus and folk methods. There are a large number of them. Consider some of the most common and effective ones. So, daily warm baths with salt help well. They help to smooth the skin and disinfect the nail.
Kills fungi and fresh garlic juice. You must mix hot vegetable oil with garlic porridge, let it ferment for a day.
Lubricate the sore toe and affected toe skin daily at bedtime for a month for complete healing. Note that the visible results after the first two procedures should not stop, as it is necessary to completely kill the entire infection.
Fighting toenail fungus is extremely difficult if you start the disease.
Therefore, it is recommended to act immediately after the first symptoms are detected. Simultaneous treatment with folk and pharmaceutical remedies will certainly give a good result.