Fungus on the feet: what they look like, types of pathology and degree of damage, treatment methods.

One of the most unpleasant skin diseases is mycosis. Depending on the degree of damage, two categories of diseases are distinguished: dermatomycosis and onychomycosis. In the first case, the skin is affected and in the second, the nails. To successfully get rid of harmful microorganisms, you need to know what foot fungus looks like and how to fight it.

Main types

Experts in the field of dermatology identify several types of foot fungus, which differ from each other by the nature of the effect and the causative agent. As for the pathogenic microorganisms that cause the development of fungal diseases, these can be:

• moldy;
• yeast;
• dermatophytes.

Exposure to these parasites leads to the development of a dangerous condition called rubromycosis, which affects the skin of the feet. Furthermore, the disease can vary in its clinical manifestations and can be membranous, moccasin type or vesicular.

The development of the fungus causes excessive saturation of the blood vessels, dryness and peeling of the skin. Furthermore, the process itself is slow and without significant symptoms. The first itching or burning sensations are felt only after a serious foot injury. Soon the process of deformation of the nails begins, giving rise to blisters, scabs, plaques and pustules.

If the necessary measures are not taken, the magnitude of the damage will be colossal and the walking process will be accompanied by pain. Knowing what foot fungus looks like and how it manifests itself, the patient can seek help from a specialist in time and avoid dangerous consequences.

When it comes to therapeutic treatment, it is important to know the types of disease. The method of addressing the problem is determined only after a thorough examination under the microscope and the drawing up of a clinical picture. Various exfoliating products are used to remove skin rashes. These include ointments and creams containing salicylic acid. Complex treatment also includes antifungal drugs.

If the degree of damage is too severe, very effective compresses and emollients are used. Success in the fight against the disease depends on the patient's responsibility and his willingness to start treatment on time.

Infection methods

There are many reasons and factors that determine nail damage from fungal diseases. In most cases, this happens directly: when the nail plates come into contact with soil or vegetation, sick people or animals. As for the indirect routes, they look like this:

1. If a person uses objects and personal belongings of a fungus carrier.
2. If a person comes into contact with objects intended for the care of a pet.

There are also many predetermined factors that increase the risk of developing mycosis. These include age-related characteristics, since young children are much more likely to suffer from the disease due to excessively thin skin and a lack of necessary protective functions in the body.

In addition, a fungal infection attacks a patient with an impaired immune status. If the immune system is weakened, it cannot fight such manifestations, which leads to destructive processes.

Other factors include:

1. Insufficient functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems. Because of this, the protective mechanisms are weakened.
2. The development of chronic infectious diseases that negatively affect the immune system, increasing the likelihood of developing fungi.
3. Excessive sweating of the feet. This discomfort is a congenital pathology or a consequence of wearing uncomfortable shoes.
4. Changes in sweat composition. This process creates a breeding ground for fungal microorganisms, which leads to their activation.

Symptoms of rubrophytosis.

A parasite called Tr. Mentagrophytesvar is the main causative agent of the dangerous fungal disease rubrophytosis. Due to its small size, it is instantly deposited in the stratum corneum or granular layers of the skin, causing the development of allergies and other unpleasant processes. In most cases, the vital activity of the parasite is accompanied by the following reactions:

1. Swelling with a dense crust.
2. The appearance of pustules and swelling.
3. Severe skin corrosion.
4. The appearance of scales and scabs on the skin, which cause pain.
5. Processes of yellowing and deformation of the nail plates.

In addition, intense itching and the appearance of pain when walking cannot be ruled out. During the clinical examination, the specialist draws a general picture and describes the symptoms while examining the scraper.

If the disease progresses rapidly and worsens, the patient may be prescribed 0. 25% silver nitrate, 1% resorcinol, and 10% calcium. Antihistamines are used to combat allergic manifestations. In severe cases, highly effective antifungal medications combat the symptoms of rubrophytosis.

Foot candidiasis

Thrush of the foot is rare. The causative agent of the disease is dangerous fungi of the genus Candida, which exist peacefully in any organism, but are conditionally dangerous and do not pose a big threat. But if the number of microorganisms begins to increase, this causes discomfort and serious health consequences. Other factors contribute to this, such as a deterioration of the immune system, frequent hypothermia, stressful situations and an unhealthy lifestyle. As for external factors, these include:

1. Prolonged exposure to water causes massive separation of the skin layers from each other.
2. Accidents at home or at work.
3. Wearing shoes of the wrong size or material.

Manifestations of onychomycosis.

Trying to find out what fungus on the toes looks like, it is necessary to know about another dangerous type of pathology - onychomycosis. Its development is accompanied by nail fungal infection after water procedures in ordinary swimming pools, showers and saunas. In terms of prevalence, the disease is not inferior to mycosis, since scales with dangerous parasites quickly separate from the nail plates and are then found on fabric surfaces, benches or carpets. If there is a lot of humidity in the environment, the parasite not only finds itself in comfortable conditions, but also begins to work on the reproduction of the colony.

In the early stages, the pathogen affects the skin of the feet and causes an itchy sensation. As a result, the patient wants to scratch his foot, but this only aggravates the problem. Soon the skin becomes covered with small cracks and scratches, and pathogens begin to settle under the nail and actively multiply.

The probability of finding pathology increases many times with injuries to the nails, unbalanced blood circulation and the presence of complex diseases, such as diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases.

Depending on the form and degree of damage, nail fungus is divided into three groups:

1. Normotrophic. As it develops, the color of the nails becomes yellowish brown. The thickness and shape of the nail remain the same.
2. Hypertrophic. This causes a final change in color, loss of shine and deformation of the shape of the nail. This type of onychomycosis causes pain and does not allow the patient to move freely. The problem can be aggravated if uncomfortable shoes are worn.
3. Onycholytic. The pathology causes a change in the tone of the nails, causing them to turn brown. In addition, the plates lose their usual strength and begin to delaminate. Deformed layers appear in exposed areas of the nail bed.

Effective treatment

To treat the disease, the use of local antifungal drugs is practically useless, which is explained by the deep penetration of microorganisms under the nails. Before starting to combat the pathology, it is necessary to locate the fungus. To do this, specialists prescribe keratolytic drugs or patches to the patient. Sometimes the problem is solved mechanically, cutting out the deformed and dead areas of the nail plate with a file or special tweezers. When performing this procedure, you must ensure that the instrument is clean.

The most effective way to combat nail fungus is the combined use of patches and mechanical nail cleaning. As a keratolytic agent, you can use a set consisting of a patch, a nail file and a special ointment. At the end of the nail removal procedure, it is necessary to use systemic antifungal medications.

Home remedies

It is quite possible to get rid of fungal foot infections without the help of a specialist. However, self-medication should be treated with special responsibility, understanding that this process can require a lot of time and effort. It is also necessary to take into account that different mushrooms react in their own way to the action of any medicine or folk remedy. Home medicine, if used incorrectly, can only worsen the problem by helping to detect parasites.

To prevent such a development of events and successfully destroy the fungal colony, it is necessary to combine proper cleansing of the skin with cleansing the body of pathogenic microorganisms and comprehensive restoration of the epidermal layer. For these purposes, it is advisable to use baths and clean your feet and palms daily with antiseptics. The most effective home remedies for baths are:

• boric acid;
• Apple vinager;
• hydrogen peroxide.

To prepare a bath, it is necessary to take 20 grams of one of the above compounds and dilute it in a liter of boiled water. After that, the feet are placed in the solution for 20 to 40 minutes. To notice a significant improvement in the condition of your nails, it is enough to perform these procedures regularly for several weeks.

To cleanse the skin from redness, itching and burning, it is recommended to wipe your feet daily with a mixture of soda with added salt. A good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory exfoliant can be a mixture of equal amounts of minerals and essential oils. The selected components are mixed and the affected areas are covered with the finished mixture.

Tar soap is a serious enemy of fungus. It contains birch tar, which has long been considered one of the most powerful antibacterial substances. It should be applied to the affected areas and washed off after 5 minutes. Treatment with this soap lasts two weeks. At the end of the procedure, the skin is treated with zinc cream or ointment.

Hardware solutions

If the problem of nail fungus has noticeably worsened and any folk or official remedy practically does not give results, you can use an innovative solution - hardware treatment. This method is very effective and can be the only salvation in cases where other drugs are powerless.

Among the available techniques, laser treatment with erbium lasers is the most common. It cauterizes the mycelium and eliminates the visible symptoms of nail fungus. In addition, the technology allows you to clean the skin around the nails, between the fingers and on the feet, restoring its previous elasticity and attractiveness.

If you follow the basic rules of skin care for fungal diseases of the feet, it is quite possible to destroy this dangerous pathology. It is important not to delay treatment in the future and to immediately take appropriate measures if questionable symptoms appear.