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Stages of nail fungus
Fungus is not a harmless disease at all. It not only spoils the appearance of the legs, but also undermines the health of a person, exhausts his immune system. There are usually two stages of toenail fungus.
At the beginning it is easy to miss. The first signs of problems are usually:
- small white dots on the nails;
- change in the shape of the nail;
- the appearance of white stripes;
- fragility of the nail;
- surface change, it can become hard and ribbed.
The skin around the affected nail is often red and flaky.
In the advanced stage, the color of the nail plate changes, it becomes rougher and thicker, the nail begins to crumble. Gradually, the fungus can spread to neighboring nails.
– According to statistics, 15% of the population suffers from fungal diseases or is its carrier. Most often, nail fungus infection occurs where a person is washing, but transmission through household items cannot be ruled out: slippers, socks, shoes, – says dermatologist Alexei Khairutdinov. – Diseases such as diabetes mellitus, vascular disease of the legs, injuries of the nail plates, immunodeficiency states, HIV aggravate the course of a fungal disease.
Young people rarely suffer from toenail fungus, as the metabolic processes in their body are fast, but older people are at risk.
Nail fungus treatment
Toenail fungus is treated by a dermatologist. At the initial stage of the disease, external treatment may be sufficient, but if the moment is missed and the fungi have sprouted in the bed of the nail plate, more serious therapy will be required. In this case, the process of treating nail fungus will take 3-6 months and will be accompanied by the use of special agents – antimycotics.
Which drug to prescribe, the dermatologist will determine based on the tests. Toenail problems can be caused by different types of fungus and treatment approaches will vary depending on the causative agent of the fungus. It is determined using the cultural method, or sowing.
Effective medicines and ointments
Advertising convinces us that it is possible to cure toenail fungus with the help of varnishes and ointments, but doctors do not guarantee success from such self-treatment. Firstly, they can help out in the initial stages, and secondly, provided that you come across exactly the ointment that is effective against your pathogen.
External antifungal agents include drugs such as:
- Clotrimazole;
- Terbinafine;
- Miconazole;
- Ciclopirox.
For the treatment of toenail fungus in the advanced stage, systemic drugs will be required, for example:
- Terbinafine;
- Itraconazole;
- Fluconazole.
– Before using creams and ointments against the fungus, I advise you to carry out hygienic washing. Make a foot bath with soda solution: 1 tablespoon in 3 cups of water. The temperature should be comfortable, but not exceed 36°C. You need to steam the feet – 25-30 minutes. Then carefully wipe and dry the skin and nails. Before applying the cream, make a “frame” around the affected nail using a coil patch. This is necessary so that the product gets exactly on the coarsened layer of the nail plate, and not on the delicate skin, on which irritation appears, – explains dermatologist, doctor of the highest category Alexey Khairetdinov.
Folk remedies
– In my practice, the treatment of nail fungus with the use of propolis has been quite successful. The patient was prescribed a systemic antimycotic and an alcoholic 15% propolis tincture for external use. It has a beneficial effect on the immune system and the action of antimiotics. After a three-month treatment, the skin was completely restored, – says dermatologist Alexey Khairetdinov.
But a preliminary conversation with a doctor is necessary, since the same remedy can help someone, and cause dermatitis in another.
What to do if the fungus does not go away?
It happens that several months of treatment of the fungus do not give any effect: the disease remains, and healthy nails grow too slowly. Then the experts will first of all recommend changing the drugs to antimycotics of another group and prescribe medications that stimulate the growth of the nail plate.
If neither external nor systemic therapy, nor a change in drugs helps, this is a serious reason for hospitalization.
In rare cases, when a bacterial infection is observed, an operation to remove the nail plate may be indicated.
Prevention of nail fungus at home
Prevention of toenail fungus primarily comes down to personal hygiene. If the legs are not washed for a long time, let them sweat, the risk of developing a fungus will increase significantly. Most often, this disease is picked up in public baths: baths, saunas, shower fitness centers. Experts advise to play it safe and put on slippers in such places and apply the Barrier cream.
The penetration of fungi into the skin is facilitated by abrasions, cracks on the feet, as well as insufficiently thorough drying of the legs after water procedures, so the condition of the feet must be carefully monitored.
If you have already experienced toenail fungus and overcome it, there is a risk of recurrence. A few more rules will help reduce it:
- wipe the skin every two to three weeks with products containing antifungal drugs, salicylic alcohol, or water acidified with vinegar or lemon juice;
- disinfect clothes, bedding, they can be boiled or ironed with a hot iron;
- less likely to wear synthetic clothing;
- change personal hygiene items more often, such as washcloths and sponges.