Fungus on the feet: what it looks like, types of pathology and degree of damage, methods of treatment

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

The main type

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

• moldy;
• yeast;
• dermatophytes.

Exposure to these parasites leads to the development of a dangerous condition called rubromycosis, which involves the skin of the feet. In addition, the disease may differ in clinical manifestations and may be membranous, moccasin-like, or vesicular.

Fungal development causes oversaturation of blood vessels, dryness and peeling of the skin. In addition, the process itself is slow and without significant symptoms. The first sensation of itching or burning is felt only after a severe leg injury. Soon the nail deformation process begins, resulting in blisters, scabs, plaques and pustules.

If the necessary measures are not taken, the scale of the damage will be very large, and the walking process will be accompanied by pain. Knowing what foot fungus looks like and how it manifests itself, patients can seek help from specialists in time and avoid dangerous consequences.

When talking about therapeutic treatment, it is important to know the type of disease. The method of approaching the problem is determined only after a comprehensive examination under the microscope and making a clinical picture. Various exfoliating products are used to clear the skin of rashes. These include salicylic acid-containing ointments and creams. Complex treatment also includes antifungal drugs.

If the level of damage is too severe, highly effective compresses and emollients are used. The success of fighting this disease depends on the responsibility of the patient and his willingness to start treatment on time.

Method of infection

There are many reasons and factors that determine nail damage from fungal diseases. In most cases, this happens directly - when the nail plate comes into contact with the ground or plants, sick people or animals. As for the indirect path, it looks like this:

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

There are also many determining factors that increase the risk of developing mycosis. These include age-related characteristics, as young children are more likely to suffer from this disease due to their skin being too thin and lacking the necessary protective functions in the body.

In addition, fungal infections attack patients with a weakened immune status. If the immune system is weak, it cannot fight such manifestations, which leads to destructive processes.

Other factors include:

1. Inadequate functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems. Because of this, the protection mechanism becomes weak.
2. The development of chronic infectious diseases that negatively affect the immune system, increases the likelihood of developing fungus.
3. Feet sweat excessively. This discomfort is a congenital pathology or the result 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 harmful fungal disease rubrophytosis. Due to its small size, it immediately settles in the stratum corneum or granular layer 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. Puffy with a dense crust.
2. The appearance of pustules and swelling.
3. Severe skin erosion.
4. The appearance of scales and crusts on the skin, causing pain.
5. The process of yellowing and deformation of the nail plate.

In addition, severe itching and the development of pain when walking cannot be ruled out. During the clinical examination, the specialist draws an overview and describes the symptoms while examining the scraper.

If the disease progresses rapidly and worsens, the patient may be given 0. 25% silver nitrate, 1% resorcinol and 10% calcium. Antihistamines are used to combat allergic manifestations. In severe cases, anti-fungal drugs are very effective in combating the symptoms of rubrophytosis.

Foot candidiasis

Candidiasis of the feet is rare. The causative agent of this disease is a dangerous fungus of the genus Candida, which exists peacefully in any organism, but is conditionally dangerous and does not pose a great threat. But if the number of microorganisms begins to increase, it leads to discomfort and serious health consequences. Additional factors contribute to this, including the 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 skin layers from each other.
2. Accidents at home or at work.
3. Using shoes with the wrong size or material.

Manifestations of onychomycosis

When trying to find out what the fungus on the toe looks like, you need to learn about another type of dangerous pathology - onychomycosis. Its development is accompanied by fungal infections of the nails after water procedures in regular swimming pools, showers and saunas. In terms of prevalence, this disease is not inferior to mycosis, because scales with dangerous parasites quickly separate from the nail plate and are then found on the surface of cloth, benches or carpets. If there is high humidity in the environment, the parasite not only finds itself in a comfortable situation, but also begins to work to reproduce the colony.

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

The possibility of encountering pathology increases many times with nail injuries, unbalanced blood circulation and the presence of complex diseases, including diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases.

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

1. Normotropic. As it develops, the nail color becomes yellowish brown. The thickness and shape of the nails remain the same.
2. Hypertrophic. This causes the final change in color, loss of shine and deformation of the nail shape. This type of onychomycosis causes pain and does not allow the patient to move freely. The problem can be made worse by wearing uncomfortable shoes.
3. Onycholytic. Pathology leads to a change in the shade of the nails, causing them to become brown. In addition, the plate loses its normal strength and begins to delaminate. A deformed layer appears in exposed areas of the nail bed.

Effective treatment

To treat this disease, using local antifungal drugs is practically useless, which is explained by the deep penetration of microorganisms under the nails. Before you start fighting the pathology, it is necessary to localize the fungus. To do this, the specialist prescribes keratolytic drugs or patches to the patient. Sometimes the problem is solved mechanically, by cutting the deformed and dead area of the nail plate with a special file or clamp. When doing this procedure, you need to make sure 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 patches, nail files and special ointments. At the end of the nail removal procedure, it is necessary to use a systemic antifungal drug.

People's recovery

It is quite possible to get rid of a foot fungus infection without the help of a specialist. However, the drugs themselves must be treated with special responsibility, understanding that such a process can take 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 drug or folk remedies. Home remedies, if used incorrectly, can only make the problem worse by helping to detect parasites.

In order to prevent the development of such events and successfully destroy fungal colonies, it is necessary to combine proper cleansing of the skin with the cleansing of the body of pathogenic microorganisms and the thorough restoration of the epidermal layer. For this purpose, it is advisable to use a bath and wipe your feet and palms with an antiseptic every day. The most effective folk remedies for bathing are:

• boric acid;
• apple cider vinegar;
• hydrogen peroxide.

To prepare a bath, you need to take 20 grams of one of the compounds above and dissolve it in a liter of boiled water. After this, the feet are placed in the solution for 20-40 minutes. To see a significant improvement in the condition of your nails, it is enough to carry out such a procedure regularly for several weeks.

To clear the skin from redness, itching and burning, it is recommended to wipe your feet every day with a mixture of soda with added salt. A good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory scrub can be a mixture of equal amounts of minerals and essential oils. The selected components are mixed and the affected area is 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 area and washed off after 5 minutes. The course of treatment with this soap takes two weeks. At the end of the procedure, the skin is treated with zinc cream or ointment.

Hardware solution

If the problem of nail fungus worsens, and any folk or official medicine practically does not produce results, you can use an innovative solution - hardware treatment. This method is very effective and can be the only safety in cases where other drugs do not work.

Among the available techniques, laser treatment with an erbium laser is the most common. Treats the mycelium and allows you to get rid of the visible symptoms of nail fungus. In addition, this technology allows you to clean the skin around the nails, between the toes and on the feet, restoring its former elasticity and attractiveness.

If you follow the basic rules of skin care for foot fungus, it is very possible to destroy this dangerous pathology. It is important not to delay treatment for the future and immediately take appropriate measures if the symptoms in question appear.