The prevalence of mycoid diseases has made them recognizable and easily treatable ailments in their early stages. But the signs of foot fungus themselves, which indicate the onset of an infection, are not familiar to all people. After all, there are only about fifty varieties of mushrooms. But there is also a broad category of skin diseases: epidermycosis. Therefore, in order to prevent the disease from developing to a state dangerous for the health of the body, it is necessary to study its characteristics.
General signs
Fungal skin infections occupy first place among ailments that affect the epidermis. Its signs are quite recognizable. The main difficulty in the diagnostic process is establishing the exact type of fungal infection. This is necessary because each of them is resistant to a certain group of antifungal drugs. Therefore, in order to carry out the treatment, a mandatory visit to the doctor is necessary. Accurate identification of the mycoid group is impossible without special biological research.
The following signs may be a reason to contact a specialist:
- Cracks in the epidermis between the toes. It is this area that is considered to be at greatest risk for fungal infection. Additional evidence of infection may include excessive dry skin, peeling of the feet, and pain.
- Noticeable thickening and roughness of the skin layer. Similar symptoms are seen when a callus or dry callus forms. But in some cases, the cause of this change is a fungus.
- Destruction of the skin, blisters. These injuries are usually diagnosed first on one leg and then appear on the other.
- Redness of the epidermis, itching or burning sensation. This set of symptoms is considered one of the main signs confirming a fungal infection. The difficulty of diagnosis in this case lies in the fact that each type of mycoid causes a set of symptoms.
- Change in color of the nail plate.
- The appearance of an unpleasant odor in the infected area.
It is important to detect the first signs of fungus in time, since the disease is very difficult to treat and it is easy to become infected.
Mycoid infection quite easily penetrates the body and infects internal organs and systems. This explains the frequent relapses of the disease in the complete absence of external provoking factors.
Medical classification
Mycosis fungoides is classified according to its characteristic features into four main forms.
For each form of foot fungus, the symptoms vary depending on what it is:
- Scaly.
- Dyshidrotic.
- Intertriginous.
- "Classic" onychomycosis.
The scaly or scaly form of fungal infection is considered one of the initial stages of infection. The skin lesions in this case are first observed on one foot. Over time, a second infection occurs. The main symptom of the scaly form is redness of the skin, which subsequently turns into keratinization of inflamed tissue areas. Without treatment, the scaly form becomes a Dyshidrotic form.
The Dyshidrotic form of mycoid infection has a pronounced characteristic feature - the appearance of small bubbles in the affected area. After opening, the blisters become inflamed and form a stable focus of erosion of the upper layers of the skin. The patient usually experiences intense itching, which in quite advanced cases gives way to pain. The skin begins to peel off and erosions form regularly. This form of the disease can develop into the first scaly form without any system. Therefore, some experts believe that the aforementioned forms of mycosis fungoides are two forms of the same type of infection.
The intertriginous form of infectious fungal infection is the most common. Manifestations of the disease include the appearance of cracks on the skin of the feet, visible to the naked eye, and the formation of exfoliated areas of white skin at their edges. For the interdigital zone, a characteristic sign of the intertriginous form is the formation of suppurating spots and erosion of the epidermis. The patient experiences constant itching in the infected area. The treatment of this form of infection is complex and prolonged, since the disease usually acquires a chronic form.
Onychomycosis is an infectious infection, the symptoms of which require special attention. Depending on the characteristics of the pathology, the type of damage to the nail plate and the type of disease change. There are three main types of onychomycosis:
- Hypertrophic - the nail plate gradually collapses, its color changes to yellowish, and characteristic spots appear. Pain in the affected area appears after the deformation of the nail.
- Normotrophic: there is no destruction or change in the shape of the nail plate, yellowish and white spots or lines appear.
- Atrophic is the most dangerous form for the nail plate, in which it is severely destroyed, deformed and often detached from the nail bed.
Each form of onychomycosis has its own general treatment regimen. But in order to completely get rid of the infection without consequences for the body and exclude a relapse, it is recommended to carry out treatment on the recommendation and under the supervision of a doctor.
Treatment methods
In most cases, it is possible to completely get rid of a timely detected disease in a maximum of a month. This is a very important point in treatment, since the itching, tissue damage and other manifestations disappear, the patient sometimes suspends treatment, believing that the disease has been defeated. But remnants of the infection can easily cause a relapse.
Treatment should be stopped only with the permission of the doctor and after passing the necessary tests. This is especially true in advanced forms of the disease. The fungus is firmly "fixed" in the body and sometimes it can take at least six months to get rid of it. But the external manifestation of foot fungus in the form of various damage to the skin or nails disappears much earlier, creating the illusion of health. By stopping therapy in this case, the patient will almost certainly cause a relapse.
Treatment of feet with mycoid infection is carried out comprehensively. To get rid of the disease, local antifungal drugs and tablets are used to eliminate the infectious agent that has penetrated the body. To eliminate itching, pain, brittle nails and accelerate tissue regeneration, certain medications can be prescribed. It is not recommended to combine them independently with the main therapeutic group, so as not to provoke an allergic reaction or poisoning of the body due to the simultaneous use of incompatible drugs.
Curing foot fungus at an early stage is quite simple. Two weeks of therapy are usually sufficient to eliminate the symptoms of mycoid infection.
Treatment duration
Combined infection of the skin and nail plate requires rehabilitation therapy for one to three months. These terms are considered standard for the most medically effective pharmaceutical products.
Pregnancy requires a mandatory visit to the doctor to choose a method to get rid of mycoid infection. Strong medications and therapies that require the use of similar medications are prescribed only under the supervision of a doctor and with strict dosages. Many antibacterial pills that effectively destroy fungi can cause noticeable harm to the fetus. Therefore, whenever possible, during pregnancy, it is recommended that patients be treated with traditional medicine recipes. Many of them allow you to cope with the disease, but provided that the disease has not reached a complex stage. Only classical medicine can help deal with the advanced form.
Modern medications allow you to completely restore the health of your legs within two weeks, provided that signs of infection are detected in time.
Precautionary measures
Preventing a disease is always easier and safer for health than treating it, even using the gentlest method. In the case of a fungal infection, prevention is one of the mandatory rules of life, since it is very easy to get infected. Therefore, to reduce the risk of contracting the disease, it is recommended to follow some simple rules:
- try to eat well, eating healthy foods whenever possible;
- do not use other people's things or personal hygiene products;
- use basic protective equipment in public places, such as spare shoes and hygienic antibacterial agents;
- wash your feet and change socks regularly;
- lead a healthy lifestyle;
- Take regular baths to improve foot health;
- Periodically disinfect shoes.
Preventing fungal infection is important not only to prevent it, but also if the disease occurs. In this situation, compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules helps to accelerate healing and prevent infection of other people with the fungus.