If you have problems with nail plates, it is important to know which doctor treats toenail fungus so you can go to a specialist without expecting complications.It is difficult for a person who is faced with a fungal infection for the first time to understand the name of this specialist.Dermatologists and mycologists deal with the problems of fungal diseases, so it is not advisable to visit a therapist.
What is nail fungus?
A disease caused by parasitic microorganisms is called a pathogenic fungus.The disease affects the horny integument (nails) and the surrounding skin of the legs, develops rapidly and causes discomfort and inconvenience.Dangerous parasites living in the body poison it with toxins and can worsen the general condition.You can get infected if you wear someone else's shoes, don't maintain foot hygiene, or walk barefoot on the beach or in the pool.People with these types of problems need to know which doctor treats nail fungus to prevent complications and receive the appropriate treatment to eliminate this unpleasant disease.
Symptoms of the disease
The doctor who treats the symptoms of toenail fungus depends on the degree of destruction of the plate affected by the fungus and the nature of the lesion.The following characteristic signs of the appearance of a fungus are distinguished:
- normotrophic type: stripes, spots on the side parts of the nail of ocher-yellow or white color, ease of separation of the skin plate, a person suffers from itchy skin under healthy nails;
- hypertrophic: thickening of the plates, loss of gloss, crumbling, opacity, severe deformation, dark yellow or gray color;
- atrophic: grayish-brown color, loss of shine, pallor, necrosis and destruction of the nail bed of the toes;
- lateral and distal: loss of color, yellowish transverse grooves, crumbling, roughness, exposed nail beds of the fingers, swelling, redness, thickening, pain in the skin of the foot, advanced cases may be characterized by the appearance of pus;
- proximal: whitening, destruction;
- total: complete destruction of the toenail due to lack of therapy;
- Surface white: white spots, crumbling, delamination, pain.
Which doctor treats nail fungus?
Knowing which doctor takes care of your nails is helpful for all patients experiencing toenail fungus.In this case, a therapist will not help;it is necessary to visit a specialized specialist.This doctor is a dermatologist, he advises in the initial stages of the disease.In advanced cases, a consultation with a mycologist is required, a specialist who treats nail fungus very specifically.
dermatologist
This doctor will be able to prescribe the correct treatment and eliminate the nail fungus.Its qualifications allow you to eliminate skin problems, including viral and infectious lesions, dermatitis, eczema and parasitic diseases.The latter includes a fungal infection.If the case is not advanced, one should contact a dermatologist at a local clinic or dermatovenerological dispensary and sign up for the first examination.Depending on indications, the patient may be referred to a mycologist.
mycologist
In difficult cases, the answer to the question of which doctor treats toenails is to contact a mycologist.This is the name of the same dermatologist who treats only fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails.It is not available in all clinics or even in the city.Consultation with mycologists includes the treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: onychomycosis, candidiasis, microsporia, trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, mycosis of the foot.You should contact them after referral from a dermatologist.
How is the date going?
Once you know which doctor treats toenail fungus, don't hesitate to make an appointment.During the first visit, the nail specialist interviews the patient about how long ago the problem appeared, the sensations experienced, and the patient's lifestyle.After collecting information, a preliminary examination of the affected areas of the foot is performed, a diagnosis is made, and the stage of infection is determined.
External signs may not always indicate a species of fungus, so dead scales are scraped off for laboratory examination.The resulting medical material is examined under a microscope and seeded on nutrient media.It is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible to cure the fungus without consequences for the patient and his body.
repeated query
After receiving the laboratory tests, a second consultation is performed.A mycologist or dermatologist informs the cause of the growth, the presence of the fungus, its type and prescribes the correct treatment.Medicines are selected depending on the individual characteristics of the patient.The procedure for treating the disease is long, so it will be necessary to visit the specialist several more times to monitor the treatment and prevent infections of the patient's body.
Treatment options
After studying the etiology of the fungus that affected the nail plate of the toes, treatment is prescribed.It is not recommended to select medications yourself because there is a risk of side effects.The main antifungal drugs and treatment methods used:
- oral – tablets, capsules for a comprehensive effect on the parasite from the inside;
- local effects - applied externally, these include ointments, creams, compresses, drops, varnishes;
- special laser treatment: improves the penetration of agents into the interior and microcirculation of tissues;
- Surgical removal of the nail is recommended in extreme cases when recovery is impossible.
Popular effective drugs, divided into groups according to their effect on the fungal pathogen, are:
- Antifungal varnishes.
- Preparations to remove plaque (sometimes necessary to cure the fungus).
- Antifungal tablets.
- Creams, ointments, sprays.
- Other remedies: medicinal liquids, tea tree oil and others.