Most people do not even know that the most common sweating of the feet and the accompanying unpleasant odor is one of the main signs of the development of a fungal disease. Toenail fungus, the symptoms of which do not appear immediately, can appear in all people who do not take care of themselves at least a little. This ailment awaits almost everywhere, and most often in public places. The sad thing is that a fungal disease is quite insidious - it is treated for a long time and is not effective in 100% of cases, since it is characterized by relapses. In order to timely identify the fungus and start treatment, you need to have an idea of how the toenail fungus manifests itself.
The spread of a fungal disease
The disease is caused by the development of parasitic fungi in the body. The best conditions for its appearance and subsequent propagation are a warm environment at the same time as high humidity. Many are of the opinion that it is very easy to get such an infection in water parks, baths, beauty salons.
But the statistics are completely different: you can get a fungal infection even without leaving your home through shared items (bathroom, clothes, shoes, towels). However, this is true if at least one member of the household is a carrier of the fungus. And yet, what in principle affects the spread of the fungus? There are key aspects that cause infection with a fungal disease:
- Heavy sweating;
- Diabetes;
- The problem of excess weight;
- If the nail is injured;
- Weak immunity.
In order to somehow protect yourself from infection with a fungus, you need to use only personal hygiene products, carry out a comprehensive treatment of the shower and bath, wear only your shoes, organize carpet washing as often as possible, etc. And if you have already noticed the first signs of toenail fungus, you should immediately contact a dermatologist!
Signs of a fungus, depending on the causative agent of the disease.
Signs of toenail fungus should be noticed early. The effectiveness of complex treatment of a fungal infection is determined by the extent to which the causative agent of the disease was correctly identified. This can be explained by the fact that there are many varieties of fungi, and each species reacts to a specific group of drugs.
In most cases, the causative agents of the disease are:
- Mold;
- dermatophytes;
- Yeast.
If the fungus began to develop due to yeast, it is almost impossible to detect the disease overnight. Signs of a fungus on the legs in such circumstances are as follows:
- The foot and the skin around the nail itch;
- The nail peels off.
Yeast infection occurs only in 4-5% of cases. Most often, it is dermatophytes that affect the nail plate (94. 5%). This pathogen is of 3 types, and the manifestation of each one is very different:
- 1 typeThere is a simultaneous defeat of the nail plate, the skin of the feet and legs as a whole. Such a fungus easily moves to the nails and skin of the hands.
- 2 type. The disease affects only the thumb and little finger nails on the legs. You can also go to the creases between the fingers.
- 3 type. It is characterized by damage to the nail plate of the little finger and thumb, but the disease does not spread to the skin.
As for mold, the causative agent in this case is mold fungi. It is observed extremely rarely. It is mainly found in AIDS patients.
Other symptoms
Often, when the disease is just beginning to develop, there are no symptoms of toenail fungus. But in the case of extreme attention to the feet, a person will notice that round spots began to appear on the nail plate, and the nail itself loses its shine and becomes rough. In development, a fungal disease affects the nail plate to a greater extent - its color will initially change, after which the nail exfoliates and can easily break. The shade of the nail plate is determined by the type of pathogenic fungus.
Toenail Fungus: Symptoms (Additional)
- The nail surface turns black;
- The nail takes on an unusual shape, and its structure changes completely;
- Nails become very brittle;
- Plastic nail cuts under the skin;
- Followed by constant fatigue.
An abnormal appearance of the nail plate is a "bell" to visit a dermatologist, and nail fungus, the symptoms of which you have noticed, will be confirmed or refuted there. If you constantly postpone the visit to the doctor, the disease will quickly spread to other areas. If you don't think about it, then there is nothing life-threatening about this ailment. But, in addition to an exclusively aesthetic problem and discomfort, a fungal infection is sometimes the cause of major complications. For this reason, the symptoms should not be ignored and the treatment of the disease should be started in a timely manner, as soon as it has been identified.
A doctor who treats fungal diseases.
It's realistic to detect an infection on your own, but only a doctor can confirm your guesses. To make an accurate diagnosis, a dermatologist will recommend certain tests. For its implementation, a piece of the destroyed nail plate is taken or the periungual tissues are scraped.
Early detection of infection facilitates subsequent treatment and eliminates the possibility of complications. If the treatment is not started at the right time, this will ensure the spread of the disease to other organs and all the finger/toe nails.
Toenail fungus: treatment procedure
Therapy intended to treat the fungus is prescribed by a dermatologist; everything will depend on how advanced the disease is, the type of fungus that is present in the body and other factors. Usually, if the fungus is just beginning to develop, drugs for external use are prescribed. In more difficult situations resort to intensive treatment.
By the way, it takes a long time. Therefore, it is in your best interest to visit a doctor at the slightest suspicion of a yeast infection. The symptoms of nail fungus must be recognized beforehand. And the earlier the disease is detected, the faster the treatment will be carried out!