foot fungus or mycosis

Foot fungus is the common name for several dermatophytes, which vary in the location and type of fungi. There are four main categories of foot fungal diseases:

• The skin of the spaces between the fingers;
• toe;
• toenails (onychomycosis);
• Skin of lower limbs.

What is foot fungus?

If you believe statistics, nearly twenty percent of the population in our country is diagnosed with foot fungus. Fungal infections live freely in the environment, and we sometimes don't even realize we may be carriers of the disease.Under certain favorable conditions, some of the nearly five hundred species of fungi found in nature experience "revival moments. "They multiply rapidly, forming large colonies and spreading the spores to new areas of the skin.

Fungal waste is toxic. Due to intoxication, the entire body is affected.

Foot mycosis is caused by tiny fungi:

• dermatophytes;
• yeast;
• moldy;
• Candida.

Prerequisites for the development of foot fungus:

• Going to swimming pools, saunas, bathhouses, gyms and other places that require barefoot activities may also put you at risk of getting sick while working;
• using someone else’s shoes;
• Dermatological diseases (neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema);
• Chronic organic diseases;
• Diabetes (diabetic foot) and other endocrine disorders;
• Flat feet with deformity of the big toe;
• Increased sweating of the skin on the feet (hyperhidrosis);
• Decreased body defenses, especially in people with onychomycosis (onychomycosis);
• Uncontrolled use of antibiotics, hormones, and anti-allergy medications;
• Damages such as cracks, corns, and calluses appear on the skin of the feet.

What does foot fungus look like?

The manifestations of this disease depend on the type of fungus that "infects" the skin of the feet and its exact location.Very often, the symptoms of this disease (peeling, scaly layering, severe itching) are accompanied by an inflammatory process caused by scratching.Fungal infections of the skin and nails of the feet come in two forms: acute and chronic. In the acute form, recovery usually occurs within a few days (taking into account the adequacy of prescribed medications). The chronic form is not completely cured; it alternates between relapses and remissions. Her treatment is designed to relieve symptoms of the disease.

important! See your doctor immediately at the first sign of foot fungus you suspect! Do not self-medicate to slow the spread of infection. The longer you put off seeing a specialist, the longer treatment will take.

foot fungus between toes

Usually, the infection first affects the interdigital folds (especially the tightest of them - between the ring and ring fingers).Symptoms of interdigital foot fungus:

• The skin becomes thick and dry;
• Wrinkles and even calluses form;
• Cracked and peeling skin on feet;
• Pain and debilitating itching occur.

The fungus is hidden and only becomes apparent when small cracks form between the fingers, minor peeling, and mild itching. The patient does not seek help from a doctor for a long time and only begins to worry when he cries.

The exudative (wet) forms of foot fungus are:

• intertriginous, which occurs like diaper rash;
• Difficulty sweating - appearance of blisters;
• Mixed - Interstitial - Difficulty sweating.

The most dangerous form of fungal infection is considered to be vesicular foot fungus or hyperhidrosis mycosis.It is characterized by the formation of painful blisters (macrovesicles) that fuse together and form large areas of erosion without any skin coverage. As erosion develops, the amount of erosion continues to increase. The fluid inside the blister is highly contagious. You can infect all family members at once.Feet have almost no skin and are at risk of "getting" a serious suppurative infection. Recovery is delayed by at least three to four months. The location is usually the skin on the top of the foot, less commonly the skin between the toes, and even more rarely the skin on the surface of the heel.

fungus on toes

Untreated fungus "crawls" from the interdigital space to the nearest finger. In principle, all symptoms of fungal infection of the interdigital folds are also inherent to the skin of the toes - severe itching, etc. They cause a lot of inconvenience.The skin on the fingers becomes thickened, inflamed, and bright red from the endless scratching. Persistent swelling, pustules, and blisters occur. Impetigo usually develops due to bacterial infection.

The process that occurs on the skin of or between the fingers almost always spreads to the nails.

Onychomycosis or onychomycosis

The main causative agents of the disease are dermatophytes and, at least, fungi of the genus Candida. The look of your nails and the feeling of onychomycosis are not the most pleasant.Signs of illness:

• Nail deformation and separation;
• pain when walking;
• Nails appear cloudy and yellowish;
• The deck is significantly thickened;
• Nail damage.

important! Onychomycosis can cause any fungal disease to turn into a chronic condition. Don't delay seeing a doctor, as fungal spores can spread further to the extremities: calves, thighs, and even buttocks, abdomen and chest.

Foot Fungus: Causes and Symptoms of Disease in Children

There are several reasons why fungus appears on children’s feet:

• Endocrine disorders;
• Uncomfortable, ill-fitting fake leather shoes;
• Abnormal gastrointestinal function;
• Dirty, untrimmed toenails;
• Neglecting personal hygiene when going to bathhouses and gyms;
• flatfoot.

Most commonly, the fungus affects the skin between children's fingers. Symptoms: Peeling and thickening of nail plate tissue, severe itching. Small erosions, ulcers, and inflammation appear on the skin of the feet.

Diagnosis of foot fungus

The correct treatment of foot mycosis and its diagnosis can only be done by a dermatologist.What should a doctor do when diagnosing foot fungus:

• Examine the patient's feet in detail;
• Collect medical history (investigation of disease symptoms and presence of chronic diseases, genetics);
• Scrape the affected skin or cut off a deformed nail;
• Special tests to confirm the presence of fungal infections throughout the body;
• Sow the material on a nutrient medium (if necessary);
• Skin biopsy (cutting out a small piece of affected skin) for examination under a microscope (done in special cases);
• General and biochemical blood tests.

To test correctly you need:

• Do not use antifungal medications without a doctor's prescription;
• Do not handle the affected skin with anything for at least three days before the test;
• It is recommended to only use additive-free baby soap;
• Do not remove nails for a week;
• Do not take medications;
• If possible, don’t smoke;
• Do not drink coffee, lemonade, or alcohol before taking a blood test.

How and what to use to treat foot fungus

Treatment options prescribed by doctors are often complex and include pills and local products (creams, ointments, sprays). Treating foot fungus with folk remedies should not be ignored. They will be able to speed up the healing process of the lesions. It is impossible to name one effective therapy for the treatment of foot fungus, since during treatment it is important to obtain an antifungal effect, eliminate accompanying conditions and improve the blood supply to the feet.The following have excellent therapeutic effects:

• Broad-spectrum antifungals are excellent treatments for foot fungus. It is the basis of many antifungal medications. For local use only. Effective as ointment, cream, lotion, aerosol. The ointment should be applied in a thin layer three times daily to clean, dry soles of feet. The effect will be better if used one or two months after treatment.
• Products (lotions) used to repair and protect the nail plate from fungal infections. This spray has been proven effective against foot fungus. Mainly used to prevent fungal diseases. Contains undecylenic acid, which creates immunity against fungal nail diseases. The spray is very easy to apply. Used to disinfect the inner surface of shoes. But patients with onychomycosis not only need to use this drug, but also need to be treated with other antifungal drugs.
• Antifungal drugs for systemic use."to the ground "kills a variety of fungi. It is used in the form of tablets, creams, sprays, and oral solutions. For adults, the course of tablets is two weeks, taken twice daily. Apply fungus cream to the skin of the feetDamaged areas, twice a day. The duration of treatment can vary from one week to one and a half months.
• Antifungal antibiotics. This medicine inhibits the growth of fungi. Available in tablet, oral suspension and ointment forms. This ointment is only suitable for use on nails that are not affected by Candida fungi.These pills are to be taken for three months. The first month - once a day, the second and third months - once every other day. Dosage is prescribed by your doctor. The medication ends when healthy nails grow back.
• Antifungals. It is highly active against all fungal organisms that may cause foot fungus. It is available in suppository and tablet form, but is used to treat fungal infections of the intestines and female reproductive organs. It is recommended to apply the ointment once or twice a day for a month.

How to Treat Foot Fungus at Home

Treatment of fungal "infections" at home is possible and necessary, but only after consulting a doctor and bringing with you test results and an individually selected set of special drugs. Traditional medicine also treats foot fungus, but usually only as an add-on treatment:Baking soda can be used as a foot fungus softener (for sore nails). Soak your feet in a solution of soda (one teaspoon per liter of warm water) for 7-9 minutes. We use cotton pads to create a plate corresponding to the size of the nail. Soak a cotton pad in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and place it on your soft nails. Wrap the compress in plastic wrap or place it on your fingertips. Leave the swab on your nail for 45-60 minutes. We repeated this twice a day. If a burning sensation occurs, rinse your fingers with water. You will see the effectiveness of this program within four days.Treating foot fungus with wine vinegar is a simple and inexpensive remedy. At night, wash your feet with warm, soap-free water and place them in a basin of strong wine-vinegar solution. After five minutes, wipe your feet and put on the socks that were previously soaked in this solution. This process has a disinfecting effect. An easy way to treat it at home is to take a bath with instant coffee. Make strong coffee with the required amount of water. Let the drink cool slightly, then place your feet in it to steam. Use it regularly twice a day to eliminate bad smells from your feet and "evict" fungal diseases.Rules for taking care of personal belongings while sick:

• The toes and heels of slippers must be closed;
• You cannot walk barefoot;
• Shoes should be treated with an antifungal agent twice a day, such as a 40% acetic acid solution;
• Wash personal belongings separately from other belongings;
• Clean bathtubs, basins, and showers with disinfectant after use;
• Apartments need to be wet cleaned daily and rooms ventilated;
• Change socks every day;
• After you recover, throw away old underwear, shoes, and medications.

Prevent foot and nail fungus

The answer to the question "How not to get sick? " is simple:

• maintain personal hygiene;
• Adhere to a dairy-vegetable diet and eat more vegetables and fruits;
• Get rid of bad habits;
• Control your emotional state and guard against stress;
• Play sports in fresh air.