Fungus on the skin of the feet is one of the most common infections. The fungus on the legs is distinguished by its vitality and ease of development. If you trust the statistics, then 20% of the world's population suffers from the fungus.
What is a skin fungus?
Fungal diseases are infectious diseases that affect the skin. The most common type of fungus is mycosis. In medicine, this skin disease is divided into several types.
The fungus can adapt to almost any habitat conditions. Fungal spores can live for a long time on ordinary clothes or shoes. In most cases, fungal infections are exposed to the feet and nail plates of the legs of a person.
How does mycosis proceed?
The causative agent of mycosis of the feet is the fungus Trichophyton rubrum, T. Mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. Mycosis can be contracted through contact with infected skin or after using any personal hygiene item.
Mycosis is characterized by the destruction of the skin in the form of scaling. This is due to the fact that the fungus penetrates deep under the skin and damages the epidermis.
Yellow or white spots may appear on the nails. If the fungus affects the toes, small bubbles with fluid form between them, which burst, healing is painful. Foot fungus is also accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Symptoms of mycosis can be different, depending on its type. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail.
The main forms of mycoses:
- Interdigital mycoses.
- Squamous-hyperkeratotic form.
- vesicular form.
- Deleted form.
- nail fungus
interdigital mycosis
The most common location of the interdigital fungus is the intervals between 3, 4 and 5 fingers.
The main symptoms of interdigital mycosis:
- The formation of a crack, which is covered with a thick white scaly film.
- A small amount of fluid may be released from the crack.
- The appearance of diaper rash between the toes.
- Mild itching between the fingers.
Initially, the fungus between the toes may be dormant without any symptoms. However, the changes gradually begin to be observed: the skin becomes dry and rough, acquires a grayish tint, cracks appear in rough places.
In addition, there is a fungus called "wet" between the fingers. This form is characterized by the formation of liquid-filled bubbles. These bubbles burst, thus creating the effect of a "wet" mushroom. Such a fungus most often forms after wearing tight-fitting shoes without ventilation, as well as during times of severe stress.
Squamous-hyperkeratotic form
The squamous-hyperkeratotic form of mycosis is characterized by severe scaling and keratinization of the skin. This form of fungal infection is very common, however, it most often affects people with atopic dermatitis.
The main symptoms of the squamous-hyperkeratotic form of mycosis:
- Weak itching.
- The formation of cracks in the skin of the feet.
- Pain.
- skin dryness
- Peeling of the skin.
- Erythema with clear boundaries.
- yellow scales
- Onychomycosis - damage to the nail plates.
vesicular form
The vesicular form of the fungus is the rarest of all. Only 8% of all mycosis patients are exposed to this type of disease. The vesicular form is characterized by the formation of eruptions with liquid content inside. When these vesicles burst, erosions appear, which can become infected.
The main symptoms of vesicular fungus:
- Formation of red or pink blisters.
- Inside the formations there is a liquid of transparent color.
- The size of the blisters can reach a maximum of 1 cm in diameter.
- The rash may be accompanied by mild itching.
- Wet blisters.
This form of mycosis is dangerous, since there is a high probability that harmful bacteria and infections will get under the skin. To determine the vesicular form of mycosis, it is necessary to undergo special studies and take a skin scraping for analysis, since this disease can easily be confused by external symptoms with eczema or pustular psoriasis.
deleted form
The erased form of the fungus is almost always the beginning of the development of foot diseases - mycoses.
With the erased form of the fungus, there are practically no visible symptoms, however, some of them can still be distinguished:
- The skin is slightly flaking between the toes.
- The formation of small cracks between the fingers that affect only the upper layers of the epidermis.
All these symptoms are not accompanied by itching or pain, therefore they do not cause a person any discomfort.
nail fungus
Toenail fungus is also a very common form of this disease. Such a fungus does not pose a particular threat to human health, but it can cause a lot of discomfort.
Symptoms of nail fungus:
- The appearance of dryness and peeling of the skin of the feet.
- itching
- redness
- Changing the shape of the nail.
- The color of the nails acquires a grayish-yellow tint.
- Cracking of the nail plate.
- Nail brittleness.
- The formation of a crumbling mass under the nail.
- The formation of voids under the nail plate.
- Bad smell.
If the foot fungus has become severe, then the patient's temperature begins to rise. Foot fungus, like any type of mycosis, can cause the development of psoriasis or eczema.
What does fungus look like on the skin of the feet?
Despite the fact that foot fungus is a very common disease today, not everyone knows exactly what it looks like. Many infected people don't even give it much thought when the first signs of a yeast infection appear. As mentioned above, there are several types of fungi.
Each type has its own symptoms:
- In the initial stage of infection, redness, slight swelling and cracks appear on the skin.
- At the intermediate stage of the development of the fungus, peeling of the skin appears. The foot is covered with spots of white, pink or white color.
- If the disease has already passed to the highest degree of its development, the nail plates of the toes begin to collapse and change their usual color. The skin on the feet begins to peel off in large pieces. Deep and painful cracks appear.
A photography
Symptoms of foot fungus
To determine the fungus on the legs, it is necessary to determine the attention to the basic symptoms:
- Redness of the affected areas of the skin.
- Peeling of the skin.
- Formation of blisters with liquid content.
- Nails change color and shape.
- Fragility and delamination of the nail plate.
Diagnosis
At the first manifestations of the symptoms of the fungus, you should consult a dermatologist. Sometimes, to establish an accurate diagnosis, visual examination is not enough.
Some symptoms may indicate the presence of another skin condition. Therefore, a specialist in such cases should scrape and do microscopy. Only after such studies can we speak clearly about the presence and form of a fungal disease.
Treatment
It is necessary to start treating a fungal disease only after a complete diagnosis by a specialist, who must prescribe various drugs for the treatment of this disease. Leg fungus treatment can consist of several methods.
These methods include:
- systemic therapy.
- spot therapy.
- Home remedies.
It is worth taking a closer look at each of them.
systemic therapy
Systemic therapy refers to the use of various antifungal medications. Such drugs penetrate into the bloodstream and kill the fungal infection. Such funds can penetrate the platinum of the nail, which can remain for several weeks, gradually killing the fungus.
Effective remedies for foot fungus.
Terbinafine and itraconazole are considered effective antifungal agents. These systemic drugs can cure the patient in two weeks.
It is important to note that systemic therapy is not prescribed for the following people:
- Pregnant women.
- Nursing mothers.
- People with liver diseases.
- Older adults with comorbidities.
Ointments and creams
It is recommended to combine systemic treatment of fungal diseases with local therapy. This method of treatment includes various creams and ointments, which can also have an antifungal effect. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that if creams and ointments are used without the use of systemic drugs, the treatment may be ineffective.
Local drugs to combat fungal infections are divided into 20 forms. In addition to creams and ointments, various sprays, gels, foams, and varnishes are also used to treat foot fungus.
Using local treatment of the fungus, it is worth remembering that after applying any remedy to the skin, it is not necessary to wash the legs during the day.
Home remedies
You can also cure foot skin fungus with the help of home remedies. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus:
- At night, a piece of kombucha is applied to the affected nails.
- Place a cut Kalanchoe leaf on the nails overnight.
Folk remedies for the treatment of fungus between the toes:
- Wash the skin between the fingers and grease with birch tar.
- Make a decoction of plantain, yarrow, wormwood and chamomile. Make foot baths with the prepared broth.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Lubricate the affected areas of the skin with onion juice at night.
- Make a compress for the night from 20% propolis tincture.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Do a sea salt foot bath twice a day.
- Three times a day, take foot baths with a decoction of chamomile, oak bark and calendula.
Prevention
The fungus of the skin of the legs most often causes sweating. Even in the cold season, the causative agent of a fungal disease is well preserved. But high temperature can kill the infection, so one of the prevention methods is boiling. Another method of prevention is the disinfection of footwear with formalin. With this action, the fungus dies within 20 minutes.
Conclution
In conclusion, it is worth noting that a fungal disease of the skin of the legs does not harm human health. The fungus only creates discomfort. However, this infection should not be ignored. If the disease becomes severe, it can lead to pain and the development of other infections.