If a person has a foot fungus, then the question of how to treat it arises for him. Among the many forms of this infection, the fungus that affects the feet is one of the most common. The cause is the pathogenic fungal microflora of the Trichophyton species, which, with increased sweating, can affect both the skin of the legs and the nail plates of the fingers. The birthplace of the microorganism is Southeast Asia, where nature itself has created the ideal conditions for its development: a hot and humid climate plus a dense population. In recent years, it has spread to Europe and America. Currently, more than 20% of the world population suffers from skin fungus.
forms of infection
The most common ways of infection with fungal spores are contact. In most cases, this happens in the conditions of joint residence or work of a sick and healthy person.
Among the common routes of transmission of the fungus of the skin of the feet and nails are:
- common household items that come in direct contact with skin and toenails (bedding, socks, shoes, pedicure supplies);
- public toilets and showers - as a rule, they are used by people working in dusty and dirty types of production (mines, factories), as well as athletes, conscripts who often have to sweat;
- hammocks, loungers and mattresses on the beaches.
To prevent the fungus, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene, trying to avoid situations in which infection is possible.
The probability of infection increases with sweaty feet, if it is not possible to wash them in a timely manner, change socks and shoes and treat them with antiseptic agents. Therefore, outbreaks of the disease most often occur in field conditions, when during long transitions from sweating of the legs, favorable conditions are created for the reproduction of the fungus.
In addition to sweaty feet, a weak immune status increases the risk of infection. Currently, due to the deterioration of the environmental situation throughout the world and the growth of diseases such as diabetes, this factor stands out among the causes of the spread of this pathology.
Symptoms and diagnosis
The signs of foot fungus are widely known.
Among them:
- irritation, redness, severe itching and rashes on the skin;
- exfoliation of scales from its surface;
- cracks, diaper rash in the interdigital region;
- nail deformity.
Such a pathology on the legs causes a lot of trouble and causes the victims not only physical, but also moral discomfort:
- the foot becomes inflamed and swollen;
- an unpleasant odor emanates from the affected skin, even if there is no sweating on the legs;
- nails change color, exfoliate and crumble.
But the symptoms reach this stage of development gradually, if the disease is not fought. Therefore, at its first signs, you should not look for an effective foot fungus remedy on your own, but contact a dermatologist; he will have to decide which antifungal agents should be used to defeat the pathogen as quickly as possible. With the current level of development of pharmacology and compliance with the recommendations of specialists, it is possible to cure the fungus on the legs quickly enough.
Arriving at the dermatologist's office with such complaints, patients first undergo a diagnostic procedure. It is necessary to clarify the diagnosis, since it directly depends on how to treat foot fungus.
To determine the type of fungal spores, the following methods are used:
- Irradiation with a special lamp makes the area of the lesion especially visual, since the skin in this place under its rays stands out against the general background and becomes purple-red.
- Bacterial seeding based on skin scrapings allows, by placing samples in a nutritive medium, multiplying them for the purpose of external observation and elucidation of the type of pathogen that caused the development of the disease.
- The PCR technique is the most modern method to date, helping to make a diagnosis with almost one hundred percent certainty, since it is based on the analysis of fungal DNA.
After receiving the results of the research, choosing the most effective remedy against the fungus, the doctor offers the patient certain drugs and specifies the scheme for their use. To choose the most effective remedy for the fungus, you take into account factors such as age, state of health, concomitant diseases.
pharmacological arsenal
And yet, choosing a super-effective and inexpensive remedy for a fungus that develops on the legs, among a fairly large number of elements, is not an easy task. It can be not only an external medicine, but also an oral preparation, if the external forms are powerless. And yet, as a rule, treatment begins with them.
The main active ingredient of the drugs is terbinafine, a proven remedy against fungus on the legs, capable of quickly destroying fungal spores. Both the cream, the ointment, and the fungus spray are applied directly to the skin of the legs, previously washed and dried, while the ointment and cream forms should be rubbed lightly on the affected area. In people who have "catch" mycosis of the foot, the skin often takes on a rough, dense, thickened appearance, which is especially characteristic of the soles and heels. The remedy for the fungus cannot penetrate through such a "shield", therefore, before starting treatment, the skin must be moistened in a hot soapy solution to soften the stratum corneum and remove it with a pumice stone and a special file. .
With increased dryness of the epidermis, the base of the antifungal agent should be as oily as possible. This requirement is met by ointments, which should be used in this case. In the interdigital area, where the skin is thinner and more delicate, a fungus spray or suspension is effective.
To combat fungus on the feet, or rather, toenails, special therapeutic varnishes are also used, which are applied to the surface of the nail.
Before application, it must be processed: irregularities are polished, affected areas are removed as much as possible to help the penetration of drugs into the nail tissue.
Sometimes it is necessary to resort to the help of a surgeon who will completely remove the affected nail plate.
If this is not done, even the most effective remedy for leg fungus will not be able to have a healing effect of the proper level.
In the most severe and advanced cases, foot mycosis is not only susceptible to external agents, since the harmful waste products of pathogens get into the bloodstream and begin to poison a person from the inside. Then the attending physician prescribes antifungal antibiotics for oral administration, which have a systemic inhibitory effect on pathogenic microorganisms.
It is impossible to use such powerful remedies for foot fungus without the direct indication of a specialist, since the consequences of uncontrolled intake can have very serious consequences. One of them is the development of immunity of fungal spores to these drugs and their components.
Home remedies
What helps better with foot fungus: pharmacology or folk pharmacy? Only a doctor is able to answer how to cure a foot fungus, but it will not hurt to consult with him about folk remedies.
The most reliable means to help get rid of the fungus on the legs have long been known:
- Washing soap from the fungus on the legs. With a fungus, foot baths with this component are useful, especially effective for excessive sweating of the feet. After grating 70% brown laundry soap without aromatic fragrances, take a tablespoon of the shavings and mix it with a tablespoon of club soda. Pour the mixture into water heated to 40 degrees, soak the feet in a solution of soap and soda for half an hour. Like steam, lather the skin between the fingers and rub the feet with a brush to improve the penetration of the components of the solution into the upper layers of the epidermis. At the end of the procedure, which should be carried out every other day, wash your feet with clean water and apply the external medicine recommended by the doctor to the skin.
- Table vinegar is also a good folk remedy for foot fungus, especially against the shape of the nails. Treat the nails carefully, being careful not to injure them, as this contributes to the deepening of the infection. After pouring hot water into a container, the temperature of which should be about 50 degrees, pour a glass of 9% vinegar into the same place. Soak your feet in a vinegar and water solution (there should be enough liquid to completely cover your feet) for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, without rinsing, dry your feet and put on clean socks. Repeat such foot baths for fungus 3-4 times a week.
- Another good remedy for foot fungus is iodine. An alcoholic solution of iodine should be applied with a cotton swab to the foci, after washing the feet and treating the nails. When using an iodine solution against foot fungus, it is important to be careful not to burn yourself, especially in the area between the toes.
- Fungus propolis is used in the form of applications that are applied to the nail and the surrounding skin, after steaming it in a hot soapy solution.
Herbal Recipes for Skin Fungus:
- Euphorbia is an effective remedy against foot fungus. The juice of the plant must be lubricated on sore nails with a cotton swab.
- Mushroom celandine - 3 tables. tablespoons of grass pour 1 liter of water, bring to a boil, cool to an acceptable temperature (40-46 degrees) and stir into the foot solution.
- Burdock - for the treatment of fungus on the feet, you need to wrap them with a well-beaten burdock leaf, put on clean socks and go to bed with such a compress.
- Tea tree oil from the fungus on the legs is effective only in the early stages of the disease.
Unfortunately, a remedy that can eliminate foot fungus in one application has not yet been invented. Therefore, when using pharmaceutical and folk drugs for fungus, it is imperative to consult a doctor and follow his recommendations. The best remedy for foot fungus is the one prescribed by your doctor.