One of the most common foot diseases is foot fungus, or as it is also called, mycosis. According to medical research statistics, several types of this lesion of the skin and nail plates have been identified.
The main thing is to immediately consult a doctor when a fungus appears in order to have time to protect your body from bacteria and everyone around you.
What does foot fungus look like?
Many have heard that there is such a disease as mycosis, and it manifests itself in almost 80% of the population, but rarely has anyone encountered this problem in person. There are cases where those infected, simply not paying attention to the symptoms, may not begin treatment on time, which leads to disastrous consequences. But in addition to the infected body, the people around him can also suffer.
You can study in more detail the stages of localization of bacteria on a person’s foot using a photo, but it should be taken into account that in addition to visual effects, there are symptoms that will also differ in the degree of infectivity of the body.
The initial phase of the manifestation of foot fungus will not be very noticeable, but a burning sensation, itching and a small area of redness may already indicate that the fungus has begun its active activity.
The next phase is more serious and concerns both the foot and the nail plate. The nail begins to change (turn yellow, gray, thicken). Also, small white stripes and spots may appear on the nails, which is usually a good reason to consult a doctor for a diagnosis.
The last phase is severe peeling of the skin, the nail slowly begins to move away from the hole, ulcers and ulcers may appear. All this leads to the complete destruction of the upper layer of the epidermis, internal cracks begin to become exposed.
This is what mycosis of the foot looks like at each stage of development. And as you can see from the photo, the consequences of fungal infection of the nail plates and feet can be sad.
Fungus on toes
A fungal infection of the skin between the toes is called athlete's foot, and the fungus itself is called Tinea pedis. This fungus is generated by contact with an already infected person, or by using someone else’s hygiene products.
Symptoms of the disease
- The skin between the fingers becomes very dry and vulnerable, small scales appear;
- The appearance of small purulent blisters with liquid on the skin, and if one of them bursts, an unpleasant sensation appears on the skin;
- The nail plates change, the structure becomes more fragile;
- There may be an unpleasant odor on socks and shoes due to the manifestation of fungus; it is quite pungent and specific.
According to the degree of development of fungal bacteria, epidermophytosis can occur in four phases:
Mild
At the first signs of peeling on the feet, you should immediately consult a dermatologist. These are the first signs of fungus. Further development of bacteria occurs at the level of the fingers, between the fingers and on the nails. The following symptoms are redness on the skin, small cracks on the heels and feet, itching and burning at the site of greater localization of the disease.
Squamous-hyperkeratotic
The squamous-hyperkeratotic phase of the disease is caused by slight swelling of the skin of the feet, which also provokes severe peeling of the feet and skin between the toes.
Severe itching and burning spread over the entire area of the foot, including the nails. The color of the nail plate becomes from light yellow to grayish, which entails the destruction of the top layer of the plate itself.
The hyperkeratotic phase of the fungus has the following symptoms: a rash all over the skin of the foot, with red to blue blisters, which will subsequently peel off severely and cause pain when walking.
If you do not consult a doctor, the infection cooperates and turns into one serious source of infection. This whole process is accompanied by an unpleasant odor from the feet.
Intertriginousthe phase is characterized by the appearance of deep cracks on the heels, accompanied by pain, and the appearance of erosive ulcers. The pain increases significantly, which prevents the person from standing on his leg normally.
Dyshidroticthe phase is characterized by small purulent blisters that develop at tremendous speed, covering the entire area of the foot and toes in just a few days. Pustules can self-open, thereby causing red erosions to appear. After the skin dries a little, a small amount of fluid may be released from the wounds.
The main thing is, when fungus appears on the legs, immediately understand the symptoms and consult a dermatologist in a timely manner. The symptoms of the fungus and a visual examination should give a definite picture of the process occurring on the legs. But you should not start self-medication, as this usually leads to ineffective consequences, which gives rise to an even stronger location of the disease.
In order to prescribe the correct course of treatment, the doctor will need to know the phase of development of the fungus and identify the type of pathogen. But before this, the patient must undergo a diagnosis, as a result of which the whole picture of the course of the disease will be clear.
How to treat foot fungus
It should be remembered that depending on the phase of the disease, treatment will be prescribed, which must be comprehensive.
Before starting treatment with local drugs, it will be necessary to relieve inflammatory processes and keratinization phenomena.
In order to help get rid of unwanted fungal bacteria, you should know the correct procedures:
- For external use, you should use creams, ointments, sprays, solutions, varnishes;
- Mandatory course of taking antifungal drugs;
- For severe burning and itching, you should purchase sedatives to relieve pain symptoms;
- Since the immune system is weakened when fighting the fungus, you will need to take a course of vitamins and minerals, which will help the body fight the infection with greater force;
- If concomitant infectious diseases occur, the dermatologist will prescribe a course of antibiotic treatment.
To determine specific drugs, the dermatologist must know the full picture of the course of mycosis; the age of the infected person, the reaction of the fungus to certain drugs, as well as the degree of infection of the areas of the foot must be taken into account.
Most medical reference books can clearly show all the phases of the progression of foot fungus in the form of a photo with a description of the symptoms, so that a person can independently determine them. After a visual examination and comparison with photos of the course of mycosis, the patient should immediately seek medical help from a specialist.
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