With a fungal infection of the nail plates or onychomycosis, you need to contact a dermatologist or mycologist. The first doctor specializes in any skin problem. In the competition of it are allergic, bacterial, viral and fungal lesions of the epidermis. A mycologist is a narrowly qualified specialist. He understands all types of fungi, treats fungal lesions of any localization, conducts research and collects statistical information.
When you need medical help
A person becomes infected with a fungus when its spores come into contact with the skin or nail plates. You can "catch" pathogenic microorganisms in public places (sauna, swimming pool, beauty salon), from members of your own family, in a shoe store. Fungi are very fond of moist and warm environments. They are able to reproduce in shoes. Most often, this happens if a person suffers from sweaty feet, ignores this fact, or neglects the rules of personal hygiene.
When in contact with fungi, a person does not always get infected. This is preceded by a decrease in immunity. Normally, the body successfully copes with the attack of billions of microbes on a daily basis. If the defenses wear down, you can expect trouble.
Onychomycosis is a serious infectious disease. With it, a person is in contact with pathogenic fungi for a long time. Mycotoxins with toxic properties enter your body. It also negatively affects the immune system. Get rid of nail fungus ASAP. The longer a person lives with an infection, the more difficult and longer its treatment is. Launched onychomycosis is difficult to cure, it becomes chronic, recurs, requires the use of prophylactic agents for life.
It is necessary to contact doctors when the first signs of nail mycosis appear, namely:
- if they are covered with small spots, dots, streaks, pale inclusions;
- if the color of the nail plate has changed, it has become yellow, brown, grayish or greenish;
- if the plaque grows, then improper trimming of the nails creates a "gateway" for infection;
- if the nails exfoliate - a sign of the progress of onychomycosis;
- If a person suffers from ringworm, the fungus easily spreads to the nails from the skin;
- if among family members there are people with onychomycosis;
- if the nails have lost their shine, they become dull, heterogeneous.
Direct reasons for visiting a doctor are itching, sweating, dry skin on the feet. Excessive sweating and unpleasant foot odor can indicate a developing fungus.
who to go first
Having decided to see a doctor, you must first make an appointment with a dermatologist. There are skin specialists in all free and paid hospitals. You can get an appointment with a dermatologist at the skin care center at the place of residence for free.
The dermatologist will conduct a visual examination: he will identify signs of fungal development, examine the skin for other symptoms of fungal lesions of the body. As a rule, the doctor prescribes tests (scraping of nails or skin) that confirm or refute a fungal disease.
If the suspicions of the specialist are confirmed, additional tests may be prescribed: a general and biochemical study of blood, urine and liver tests. Additional information is needed to identify the cause of the infection, to detect all possible comorbidities. Diseases of the blood and liver impose restrictions on the use of certain drugs.
In advanced cases, a referral is issued for a consultation with a mycologist: if all toenails are damaged by onychomycosis, the process of onycholysis (destruction of the plates) has begun, some nails are already missing, the patient has self-authorized previously without success. medicatingA narrow-profile specialist will prescribe additional tests to identify the type of pathogen. Specific medications will be more effective for a particular type of fungus.
General principles for the elimination of onychomycosis
For the treatment of nail mycosis, specialists prescribe several drugs at once. Among them:
- systemic antifungal agents;
- locally acting dosage forms;
- vitamin preparations;
- immunostimulants.
The doctor individually assesses the patient's lifestyle and hygiene culture. If necessary, she gives appropriate recommendations necessary to reduce the duration of therapy.
Medical treatment must be carried out very scrupulously. The patient must take the drugs orally on time, exactly adhere to the terms of treatment recommended by the doctor. Local remedies are used until the problem is completely eliminated. As a general rule, the use is continued for 1-2 months after the symptoms of onychomycosis disappear. The following are prescribed as topical preparations:
- varnishes;
- gels;
- ointments;
- solutions
As auxiliary methods, water and salt baths are recommended, removal of plaques with the help of special softening ointments, surgical assistance is occasionally required.
Immunostimulants and vitamins are selected according to the results of biochemical analyzes. In some cases, nail fungus is the first sign of serious diseases of the internal organs or the hematopoietic system.
Don't throw away the doctor's phone number immediately after the first consultation. The success of onychomycosis therapy depends on the control of the healing process. Medical consultations and tests will be repeated several times during the therapeutic course (up to 1 year). They will need to be taken again immediately after the regrowth of the modified nail plate, one month after full recovery. In order not to complicate the treatment process, the patient should refuse decorative varnish, nail extensions.