Nail fungus - onychomycosis - is a common nail disease, from which, according to various authors, a fifth of the population suffers. Often, this affects the elderly, and in the age group with a difference of 10 years, the frequency increases about 2. 5 times. This is not just a lack of aesthetics, because if there is a sharp decline in immunity and the addition of bacterial infections, serious complications can occur, for example, erysipelas, and if ignored this problem, the disease becomes chronic, threatening all family members with infection.
How to recognize onychomycosis: fungal symptoms
A hot and humid environment is the best place to catch a fungal infection. And the climate is not necessarily hot; for example, you can create good conditions for fungus by wearing sweaty shoes on your feet.
The cause of the infection is usually someone else who is not involved in the treatment of onychomycosis, is not monitoring the condition of the nail, or someone who has not taken treatment steps to complete recovery. About one-third of patients who see a doctor have such patients in their families. At the same time, according to statistics, men get sick two to three times more often than women, but more rarely seek medical help.
The development of nail fungus is facilitated, as we have said, by the need to keep wearing warm or uncomfortable shoes for long periods of time - onychomycosis is widespread among miners, metallurgical workers, and military personnel. The need to be barefoot in public is also important. Thus, one study showed a higher prevalence of nail disease (onychomycosis) among professional swimmers, and the other among mosque visitors (where you have to be without shoes), compared to the main age -appropriate population.
In addition, the likelihood of fungal nail infections increases in people suffering from diabetes mellitus, blood diseases, HIV, as well as in the long -term use of cytostatics, corticosteroids, antibiotics. This is due to a decrease in immunity in such patients and an imbalance of the microflora (with antibiotic therapy).
In summary, the following nail fungus predisposing factors can be distinguished:
- permanent injuries to the nail plates and skin of the feet (mainly due to uncomfortable shoes);
- frequent contact with water (especially in public places);
- increased sweating, including due to the need to always wear warm or synthetic shoes;
- foot deformities, including flat feet;
- reduction in nail growth rate - this is why onychomycosis occurs in the elderly: the older a person is, the slower the nails grow.
Initially, the fungus colonizes only part of the nail, getting there from the foot or from the interdigital folds, but gradually spreads to the rest of the nail plate. The fungus penetrates under the nail plate from the side of the free nail edge or from under the nail roller. Depending on the localization and manifestation of symptoms of onychomycosis (from one or the other tip of the nail), dermatovenerologists distinguish between various forms of fungal infection and their degree.
- Discoloration on nails.Normal nails are pale pink, translucent with white edges. Affected - completely loses its transparency, becomes white, gray, brown, green or black (depending on the neglect of the process and the type of fungal pathogen).
- Thickening of nails.Due to excessive growth of the stratum corneum in response to the introduction of the fungus, the nail becomes thick and uneven.
- Destruction of nail plates (onycholysis).The nails are crushed, partially or completely peeled off.
At first, this manifestation may be subtle, but as the fungus grows, the nail becomes less aesthetic. Often this makes the patient always hide his feet, walking with closed shoes even in hot conditions, which exacerbates the problem.
Treatment for onychomycosis
Traditional methods for treating onychomycosis are very diverse. What is not recommended to lubricate nails that have long suffered: vinegar, soda or salt solution, iodine, coffee, apricot kernel, tea tree oil and so on. Unfortunately, most of these medications are ineffective. First, the materials proposed for treatment largely have no antifungal activity. Second, to infect the fungus, the drug must penetrate into the thickness of the nail plate and under the nail, because it is there, and not on the surface, that the fungus "lives". Moreover, the drug should, as such, saturate the nail plate throughout the period of nail growth, otherwise the fungal colonies will spread to new surfaces.
Based on the previously mentioned, pharmacologists make drugs for the treatment of nail fungus. But here it must be said that drugs against onychomycosis can be local and systemic. Systemic medications are medications that are taken orally. Generally, these are the same medications prescribed for fungal infections from other areas: thrush, extensive skin or intestinal lesions, systemic mycosis. They are quite effective, but quite toxic and adversely affect the whole body with prolonged use (and nail fungus treatment requires more than a month). Therefore, oral agents have strict indications:
- damage to more than half of the nail;
- proximal fungal spread (from the side of the nail fold);
- damage to more than two nails;
- combination with wounds on the skin or hair;
- unsuccessful local treatment.
Medicines for systemic therapy of fungal infections are sold only with a doctor's prescription. He also prescribes treatment, as medications have to be taken several times according to a certain scheme to maintain the required concentration of active ingredients in the nail plate.
Local remedies are presented in various forms: varnishes, ointments, sprays, solutions. However, the treated varnish can be used only in the early stages of the disease, then it will not be effective. And ointments and sprays are more suitable for treating fungal infections on the skin than nails. So the best topical remedy is a liquid remedy. The solution allows you to create a higher concentration of the active substance at the site of the accumulated fungal infection, and not on the surface of the nail.
So, nail fungus treatment is a long process that requires precision and patience, however, modern medicines and treatment regimens allow you to completely get rid of onychomycosis and prevent its recurrence. You can not ignore the problem, because in this case, the health and quality of life of not only the sick person, but also the loved ones are at risk.