To begin the treatment of onychomycosis on time, you need to know what the nail fungus looks like.Mushrooms relating to the types of dermatophytes, candidates and yeast -like ones can provoke the disease.Timely and correct determination of the pathogen will allow you to quickly and effectively cure the fungus on the legs.
What is nail fungus?
The fungal disease of the nails has a scientific name - onychomycosis, which from the ancient Greek means "chronic infection."This disease affects the nail plate in which the power was broken for some reason.Disputes of fungi are rapidly propagated, they do not need special conditions for development.The disease itself does not occur due to the high survivability of fungi.
Causes of nail fungus
Factors, as a result of which the nail fungus manifests itself:
- Wet and warm environment.After a long day spent in shoes, the legs sweat a lot.It is necessary to dry shoes and completely abandon synthetic socks.
- Age.The largest number of cases of the disease occurs at the age of 18 to 55 years.Basically, men suffer.If in young people, nail fungus occurs extremely rarely, then in men of an elderly age the percentage of incidence of at least 90%.This is primarily due to the decreasing growth of nail plates.
- Medicines.Taking drugs, such as antibiotics and cytostatics, can cause the disease.
- The immune system.Having stepped with unprotected legs on any dirty surface, you can easily become infected.A person with weak immunity to do this is much easier.
- Profession.Nail fungus can occur due to high temperature in the working room, gasket or ionizing radiation.Employees of mines, medical institutions, baths and showers are most susceptible to the disease.
Three main paths were identified through which the fungus is able to fall under the nail plate of the leg:
- Through the nail roller.The nail roller is a skin fold surrounding the nail plate from 3 sides.
- Through the edge of the nail.In this case, the fungus falls under the nail, and not on it.In the future, this can develop into 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 often.
Types of nail fungus
What the nail fungus looks like depends on which particular type of fungus provoked the disease
Dermatophytes
This is the most common type of fungal disease.The nail plate with dermatophyte is affected in 90% of cases.
There are 3 varieties of this disease, each of them has a different territory of the lesion:
| Trichophyte Rubrum | Affecting nails and feet |
| Epidermophyte | The fungus manifests itself on the 1st and 5th toes |
| Trichophyte | The fungus manifests itself on the 1st and 5th toes, can go to interdigital folds |
Molds
This type of disease is extremely rare.When infected, the nail plate changes its color and becomes black, yellow, brown or blue.
Yeast -like mushrooms
These mushrooms are able to manifest themselves not only on nails, but are also the cause of the thrush in girls.The disease makes the nail thinner.The nail plate acquires yellow.If the disease is ignored, then it is possible to separate the nail from the box.
Stages of the disease
What the nail fungus looks like depends on the stage of the disease.
In medicine, it is customary to distinguish 3 main stages of its development:
- At 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 luster, the color of the plate gradually begins to change.The nail becomes more brittle at the edges.You can already see small white spots or grooves, which over time will increase in size.
- 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 the nail.He begins to extensively and break more and more.
What does the nail fungus look like: symptoms and signs
The fungus has severe symptoms.At the beginning of the disease, the gloss on the nail gradually disappears.The surface of the plate becomes wave -like, small white spots appear.
Over time, the nail becomes brittle, scaly.Despite its fragility, the thickness of the nail may increase.Perhaps an unbearable feeling of itching between the fingers.Sleeping in the legs is gradually increasing.Probably the occurrence of corns and bubbles.
Another distinct sign of the disease is an unpleasant odor.This is due to the fact that the gap between the fingernail and the bed is clogged with dirt and the products of the fungus.
When the disease is greatly launched, the patient may increase the temperature and pain in the legs, which prevents him from moving normally.
Regional onychomycosis
The regional onychomycosis is the initial stage of the disease.It is quite difficult to determine the disease at this stage.
What the nail fungus looks like depends on the degree of development of pathology.A narrow gray lines gradually appear along the edges of the plate.The nail itself begins to dull.In the center of the nail, yellow spots of small sizes occur.The plate does not change thickness, but it becomes fragile.
The nail is not completely affected.Only its individual sections suffer.Therefore, the surface of the affected nail becomes checkered.Under the nail you can consider the gray matter, but the nail itself does not become thicker from it.
Normotorophical
Normotrophic onychomycosis occurs for the same reasons as the rest of the fungus.Microorganisms enter the skin, after which they penetrate from its surface through small damage deep into the nail plate.
With normotrophic onychomycosis in the first 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 becomes white, yellow or gray.The nail plate loses its shine and fades.Over time, the color of the nail changes completely, but its thickness does not decrease.
Hypertrophic
Hypertrophic onychomycosis is considered an advanced form of a normotrophic type of disease.The causes of its occurrence are no different from the causes of other types of nail fungus.
The occurrence of hypertrophic onychomycosis contributes to contact with infected people, wearing uncomfortable shoes or hygiene disruption.The cause can also be diseases: HIV, hyperhidrosis and diabetes.
On the legs with hypertrophic onychomycosis, the thickness of the nail increases markedly.Thickening of the plate 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 of which it looks yellow or gray.Nails become opaque, dull.The appearance of onichogrifosis is possible - a fungus in which the nail is deformed and takes the shape of a bird's claw.
With hypertrophic onychomycosis, the side parts of the nail suffer most strongly.As a result, severe pain in the fingers occurs, preventing a person from moving normally.
White superficial form
The white surface form of onychomycosis is the most rare type of disease.With it, the nail of the thumb and little finger is damaged.
With the disease, the nail leg and the matrix do not suffer.White spots gradually appear on the surface of the nail.Over time, their size and area increases.The color of the spots changes from white to yellow.The nail begins to crumble.
If the disease is launched, then inflammation of the skin around the nail is possible.Together with him, severe redness and itching appear.
The thickness of the plate does not change, and its surface becomes rough.Often, the nails break, shine disappears.
People who visit the most at risk of getting sick:
- baths;
- saunas;
- Books of public.
The combination of high humidity and heat is an ideal environment for the rapid development of a fungal disease.Those people who use common products of hygiene and shoes are very at risk.
The white surface form of onychomycosis is easy to confuse with such diseases:
- Seborrhea.
- The first stage of eczema.
- Psoriasis.
Therefore, the dermatologist does not stop at a visual examination of the patient.Mandatory takes biological material from him and sends him to the laboratory to determine the type of pathogen.
Onycholithic
Onicholytic onychomycosis is characterized by the separation of the nail plate from the box.The nail loses its luster and becomes gray.In the area of damage, there is a plot that is covered with hyperkeratosis (excessive thickening of the stratum layer of the epidermis, it can be from 1 mm to several cm).
With a disease, both a thickening of the nail and thinning are possible.
Candidiasis onychomycosis
This type of disease occurs due to a decrease in the protective properties of the skin coating and weak immunity.Candida mushrooms, which live in the intestines and urinary tract, begin to multiply quickly and populate nail plates.The disease is most common in the female half of the population.Most often, people working with waiters and dishwashers suffer.
At the beginning of the disease, the mushroom affects the nail roller and the skin next to it.The skin blushes and begins to become inflamed.The roller swells, the skin on it practically disappears.If the disease is not treated, then it can develop into chronic and peeling of the skin in the area of the nail and nail roller will remain forever.
Refusal of treatment can cause deformation of the nail.It begins from the roller to the center of the nail.It becomes thinner and with a slight press on the plate, pus is possible.On the plate itself, wave -shaped white stripes are clearly visible.
There is proximal candidal onychomycosis.The difference is that the nail roller does not suffer.Determining the disease is helped by white dots of small sizes under the fingernail.
The third form of candidal onychomycosis is distal.The fungus affects the remote part of the nail and moves to its middle.The color of the plate changes, and the nail becomes thicker.Hyperkeratosis occurs under the nail, as a result of which the nail rises.
Proximal-deforming
Proximal-deforming onychomycosis begins to develop in case of candidal lesion of the nail plate.The main feature of the disease is the nail bed.With this form of the disease, it is deformed and becomes in the form of a wave.
Atrophic
Atrophic onychomycosis is characterized by a change in the color of the nail plate to a brownish-gray.The nail is affected from the outer end and gradually moves to the skin roller.
There are also such signs:
- Loss of a natural gloss of the nail.
- The plate is atrophied.
- The nail bed is exposed.
- The nail is thinner and atrophy in the future.
- There is a layering of skin scales on the nail bed.
- The infection applies to neighboring tissues.
With atrophic onychomycosis, only the sprout of the nail remains not touched.
Methods of treatment
Before starting treatment of any form of onychomycosis, you must contact a dermatologist for diagnosis.Only after laboratory tests and determining the size of the affected areas, further treatment of the patient is prescribed.
As a rule, in the treatment of onychomycosis, local drugs and medicines are used to take orally.
For more effective treatment, in addition to taking drugs, 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 in order to improve blood circulation of the limbs.Physiotherapy is used in combination with UHF and amplipuls-carlation on the lumbosacral and cervical departments.Laser therapy and diathermy are also used.
- In the case of a neglected disease, when the nail is deformed and exfoliates, doctors decide to remove the nail plate.This will further prevent the spread of the fungus and will give medicines more efficiently to work on a healthy surface.
Pharmacy products
The main methods of combating fungal diseases include antimicotics.They cause more harm to the nail fungus, and therefore, effectively treats affected areas.Antimicotics are suitable for the treatment of almost all types of disease, with the exception of candidate (here treatment must be selected individually).
Dermatologists often prescribe the following antimicotics:
- Varnishes that can protect the nail from the further development of the disease.
- Solutions that destroy the fungus from the nail rollers and from the plate itself.
- Ointments or gels that relieve itching and inflammation.
When local treatment does not give the right effect to the fullest, preparations are prescribed for taking inside.The main difficulty of treating such means lies in a large number of contraindications and precautions.The effect of drugs increases gradually.
Traditional medicine
In the treatment of a fungal disease, folk medicine can be used, but only in conjunction with other drugs.
Tea mushroom
To use it, it is necessary to steam your legs.After that, a small piece of the mushroom is applied to the sick nail, bent with a bandage.The compress holds all night, and in the morning is removed.Deleted the dead areas should be removed, and then treat the surface with any antiseptic.The course of treatment lasts several weeks.
Air
The calamus decoction is also able to become an assistant in the fight against the fungus of the nail.Take such a decoction 3 times a day.During the reception, it is necessary to trim the coarsened skin and growing nails.
- To prepare the product, it is necessary 2 tsp.Grind the rhizomes of the plant and pour boiling water (as a rule, 100 ml is enough).
- Then, the rhizomes are boiled in water for no more than 1 min.
- When the product has cooled, it is ready for use.
Due to the fact that the decoction has a bitter taste, it can be washed down with water.
Acetic baths
Acetic baths have a good effect only in the initial stages of the disease.In the future, they are used only with the permission of the doctor and along with other drugs.
Acetic baths softens the epidermis, improves blood circulation, and also transforms the appearance of the feet.
Vinegar can be used in combination of the following components:
- Soda.It noticeably softens the epidermis and improves the effect of the procedure as a whole.To prepare a solution for the procedure, it is necessary to stir 0.5 tbsps on 3 liters of water.vinegar with 2 tbsp.l.soda.
- Essential oils.Such a component reduces the course of treatment several times.For one vinegar bath, 3 drops of oil are needed.
- Glycerol.For 3 liters of water, 9 tbsp.l.vinegar and 3 tbsp.l.glycerol.When preparing the solution, glycerin is added to the water for better dilution.Glycerin in vinegar baths helps to moisturize the skin of the legs.
Baths can also be used as a prevention.
There are a number of contraindications in which vinegar baths cannot be used:
- Oncology.
- Wounds, ulcers and scratches on the legs.
- Individual intolerance.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Pregnancy.
- Violations of the cardiovascular system.
- Age up to 10 years.
Before the procedure, you need to perform 3 steps:
- Make 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 must be steamed and the affected fabrics are removed.
- After the procedure, you need to rinse the feet and dry well.For 2 hours, you cannot load your legs.
- The duration of the procedure is 10-20 minutes.
In general, treatment with vinegar baths lasts 2-3 weeks.
Tea tree oil
The use of tea tree oil contributes to the effective recovery of the affected nail.During the procedure, oil should be applied under the nail in the calculation of 1 drop per 1 nail.The procedure is carried out 3 times a day.The treated areas of the nail should be glued with a patch, so the effect of treatment will be higher.
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 a solution of iodine 2 times a day to the affected area of the nail.
When applying iodine, a feeling of burning is possible.If the burning sensation is weak and does not cause discomfort - everything is fine.If the pain is severe, then iodine processing should be stopped immediately.The course of treatment with a solution of iodine is long-2-3 months.
The advanced stage of the disease can lead to more serious consequences.Whatever way of independent treatment the patient does, at the first signs, it is necessary to consult a specialist.By the way the nail fungus looks like, the doctor will be able to prescribe full treatment.Onychomycosis on the legs is treated quite quickly and effectively with the right approach.