Foot fungus is an extremely unpleasant and very common infectious disease.According to statistics, every fifth person in the world experiences the symptoms of a fungal infection at least once in their life.The wide spread of fungi is prevented only by the body's defense forces, as well as the achievements of modern medicine.Mycosis can be cured;it is only important to detect the disease in time and start appropriate treatment.
Causes of fungi
Fungal diseases of the skin (mycoses) most often occur against the background of reduced immunity.The human body, unable to protect itself from dangerous infectious agents, is susceptible to various diseases.In this case, not only the internal organs suffer.
Changes in local immunity lead to increased permeability of the skin.The skin can no longer perform its protective function, and pathogenic agents enter inside, causing the development of inflammation.Fungus that develops on the feet is an unpleasant phenomenon that can significantly destroy the life of any person.
They cause fungal diseases and any skin damage.Scratches, scrapes and cuts, not to mention open wounds - these are all entry points for any infection.
And if a healthy person can still cope with the fungus, then with reduced immunity, any wound can cause disease.The fungus penetrates the skin, multiplies and causes significant discomfort by its very existence.
In advanced cases, the fungus on the toes can spread to the skin of the feet and legs, causing serious diseases.
Factors that cause the development of mycosis:
- vascular diseases of the legs;
- metabolic diseases (diabetes mellitus);
- excess body weight;
- wearing tight shoes;
- toe injuries;
- damage to the skin around the nails during a pedicure.
Fungus on the feet is a common problem of people who visit public baths and saunas.A warm, humid room is an ideal environment for the reproduction and spread of fungi on human skin.
You can pick up the infection in the pool as well as on the beach.In any place where you have to walk barefoot or use other people's (public) shoes, the risk of fungal infection increases several times.
It has been observed that fungal diseases of the skin of the feet and nails are more common in overweight people.Mycoses also occur against the background of diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases.
The thing is that with such pathologies, the blood circulation of the lower extremities suffers.Any small scratch in diabetes takes a long time to heal and is an ideal entry point for a yeast infection.
Fungus between the toes is also a common companion of older people due to age-related decline in immunity.
Symptoms of a yeast infection
What does interdigital fungus look like?The signs of the disease are difficult to confuse with something else, and an experienced doctor only needs one look at the patient to make a diagnosis.Typical symptoms allow you to recognize the fungus at the earliest stage of its appearance:
- cracks or sores between the toes;
- excessive peeling (yellow or whitish scales);
- areas of peeling skin between the toes;
- itching;
- get wet.
Symptoms of the disease can be very diverse.For some people, the fungus between the toes looks like weeping ulcers.
In some cases, ulcers and fissures may be covered with typical whitish or yellowish scales.Peeling can be quite strong or slightly noticeable.
Often, areas of loose and dead skin appear between the toes.A typical sign of a yeast infection is itching, but its severity can vary greatly.
For some, itching becomes a very painful companion of the disease, while for others, fungi cause only mild discomfort.The skin with mycoses is usually red, there may be traces of scratching.
All these signs make it possible to accurately recognize foot fungus and distinguish it from other skin diseases.
A fungal infection between the toes is often combined with a nail infection.Typical nail fungus looks like this:
- thickening of nails;
- change in nail color (from pale pink to yellow, gray or brown);
- peeling nails;
- fragility of the nail plate;
- itching and pain around the nails.
Special forms of mushrooms
In some cases, foot fungus leads to the appearance of not only cracks and ulcers.When a yeast infection develops, small blisters filled with clear or cloudy fluid may appear.
The skin swells and turns red.Over time, the bubbles burst, and shallow depressions appear in their place.Ulcers hurt a lot and heal quite slowly.Scar formation is not typical.
This form of fungal infection is usually called vesicular-erosive.In the erased form of the disease, the skin does not change so much.In the chronic course of the disease, the skin peels off only in certain areas.
In the first place is peeling and roughness of the skin.Gradually, the skin becomes rougher and acquires a characteristic yellowish color.Over time, the process can spread to the lower leg, thigh and gluteal region.
Diagnostics
To recognize foot fungus, it is enough to carefully examine the skin of the feet, the spaces between the toes and nails.Typical signs of the disease leave no doubt about the diagnosis.
To find out what kind of fungus lives on the skin, it is necessary to take a scraping from the affected areas and send the material to the laboratory.Bacteriological seeding of the material enables precise determination of the causative agent of the disease.
The results of the examination will be ready in a few days, after which the doctor can start treating the fungal infection.
Local therapy
The treatment of fungus between the toes begins with the selection of antifungal drugs.All means that can be used to treat the infection are divided into general and local drugs.
Local therapy is used in the early stages of the disease, when the fungal infection affects only the skin between the toes.Also, local preparations are widely used for combined nail lesions.
A wide selection of drugs allows you to choose the right drug for almost any situation.A dermatologist should prescribe antimycotic drugs.
Self-medication in this situation can lead to a worsening of the condition, because the wrong medicine can accelerate the progression of the disease.In addition, many antifungal drugs have a large number of contraindications and can cause serious harm to health.
What medicines help against foot fungus?When the interdigital folds are affected, it is best to use creams and ointments.It should be remembered that the skin in this area is quite thin.Careless actions can injure the space between the fingers and lead to the spread of infection.
Ointment or cream should be carefully applied, in a thin layer, to cracks and ulcers.When processing, you should cover not only the area affected by the fungus, but also the skin 2-3 cm around the spots.
This is necessary in order to destroy the elements of the fungus on areas of still healthy skin.What is better to use for foot fungus: ointment or cream?The choice depends solely on the form of the disease.The ointment is recommended for use on dry, flaky skin.
It penetrates deep into the affected area and effectively fights against fungi that have become chronic.The ointment can also be placed under the bandage so that the medicine penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin.
Fungal infections should be treated with a cream in the phase of severe exacerbation of the disease.Itching, crying, ulcers and erosions are direct indications for applying the cream.The cream is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving practically no traces on clothes.
Preparations in the form of cream do not penetrate into the deep layers of the skin and are not used for strong roughness and peeling of the skin.Many medications that eliminate foot fungus are available in two forms at once.
Dermatologists advise applying the ointment at night to enhance the effect of the product on dry and thickened areas of the skin.The cream can be used during the day to eliminate ulcers and weeping, as well as under clothes.
Unlike cream, grease is much more difficult to absorb and often leaves hard-to-wash marks on laundry.What medications can be used to treat toenail fungus?
The choice of drug will depend on the identified pathogen.
Many drugs can treat not only fungal, but also bacterial infections, so they can be used for mixed lesions of the skin of the feet.
Systemic therapy
Treatment of foot fungus is possible not only with local medicines.In some cases, doctors prescribe drugs that affect the entire body.
Systemic therapy may be necessary if several interdigital spaces are affected at once, as well as if the process spreads to the nails and feet.
In their practice, dermatologists most often use antifungal drugs that effectively relieve itching and inflammation and help eliminate the main symptoms of a fungal infection.
- dysbacteriosis;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea);
- headaches;
- heart rhythm disorders;
- liver and kidney damage;
- allergic reactions.
Long-term treatment of foot fungus with systemic drugs can cause a serious malfunction in the functioning of the whole body.
That is why it is so important that such drugs are prescribed only by a doctor after a complete examination.The duration of therapy and the dosage of drugs are selected taking into account the course of the infection and the presence of various accompanying pathologies in the patient.
Important point: the course of treatment with systemic antifungal drugs must be completed!Do not stop taking the medicine unless absolutely necessary.
Incomplete therapy can lead to the development of drug resistance.In the future, it will be quite difficult to get rid of the mutated fungus and achieve recovery.
Folk remedies
Is it possible to treat foot fungus with folk remedies?It is believed that alternative therapy methods can really relieve itching and eliminate other symptoms of fungal infections of the skin and nails.
Kombucha is considered a good remedy for mycosis.This plant was brought from Japan in the last century and has been very popular for many years.
A small piece of kombucha is rubbed into the spaces between the fingers twice a day for a month.If necessary, the treatment can be repeated after a two-week break.
Propolis and tea tree oil are also used to remove fungus.Treatment of foot fungus is also possible with the help of ordinary soda diluted in hot water (in the amount of 1 tablespoon of soda per 3 liters of water).
The cooled solution is used to treat the affected areas of the skin and nails twice a day.It should be remembered that the treatment of fungi with folk remedies is possible only in the early stages of the disease.In advanced cases, when the fungus affects the entire skin of the feet and nails, be sure to consult a doctor.
Ways to treat fungus with homemade products
- Garlic.
You need to cut half a clove of garlic, roll it in salt and rub it on the problem areas of the skin.Another option for using garlic is to grind the cloves into a paste and use it to make a poultice on the affected areas or simply rub them with the mixture.
- Onion.
Grind the onion into a paste, then apply it to painful places on the surface of the skin.If there are wounds or blisters on the skin, you can add Vaseline to the onion mixture (one to one ratio).Squeezed onion juice is also used to treat infections.You must wipe the infected skin areas with this liquid.
- Chicken egg.
To prepare the medicine, it is necessary to pour vinegar over the whole egg and leave it in a dark place to stand until the shell dissolves.Then you need to get rid of the film and add butter (1 teaspoon) to the resulting mixture of yolk, white and vinegar.
The resulting mass must be well mixed to the consistency of fat.Apply the ointment to clean, steamed feet, wrap with transparent film and gauze.The fat must be stored in the refrigerator.
- Natural ground coffee.
This is another effective remedy in the fight against toe fungus.Before going to bed, it is recommended to take a bath with strong brewed ground coffee.Such procedures will help to get rid of unpleasant or painful sensations and heal irritations.
- Wine vinegar.
Apply wine vinegar to the affected areas and sit until the vinegar dries;no need to rinse with water.
- Apple cider vinegar.
In combination with sea salt, apple cider vinegar will help to get rid of the annoying disease.To do this, you need to prepare a bath that includes: 100 grams of sea salt, 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 5 liters of water.By repeating such baths every day, you can beat the disease.
- Baking soda.
You need to moisten the soda with water until it becomes a thin paste, which should be applied to the areas affected by the fungus for 20 minutes, then rinse the feet with warm water, wipe and apply baby powder.
In addition, soda can be used in the form of cold baths.To do this, you need to mix one tablespoon of baking soda and table salt and dilute it all in water.It is recommended to make such baths before going to bed, and then rinse the solution with clean water.
Treatment of toe fungus with medicinal herbs
- Marigold flowers.
To prepare the infusion, pour a glass of boiling water over 250 g of dried flowers and leave for half an hour.
- Celandine.
A decoction for foot baths is prepared from celandine;for that you have to boil 4 tablespoons of the plant in 1 liter of water, boil for 5 minutes.Such baths should be done for three weeks.
- Thistle leaves.
A fresh burdock leaf should be crushed so that the juice appears on the surface.Wrap a crumpled sheet around your feet and put on a sock overnight.The course of treatment is 3 weeks.
When the disease has already been overcome, you should take care of the means for personal hygiene and wear so that the infection does not spread again.You can treat the inside of the shoes with vinegar (30% solution) or antiseptic.
So, despite the persistence and vitality of the fungus, there are many ways that will help you get rid of them forever, you just need to show a little patience and not be lazy to repeat the daily procedures.
Prevention of fungal infection
Treatment of fungus between the toes with traditional or folk remedies is a long and complex process.Is it possible to prevent the development of fungi?
The following recommendations will help prevent foot skin infections.Do not forget the rules of personal hygiene.Always wear slippers in the pool, sauna or beach.Monitor the condition of the skin on the feet.
Moisturize the skin with special creams to avoid dryness and cracks.Strengthen your immune system and take care of your health.When the first signs of fungus appear between the toes, consult a doctor.