Nail fungus can not be confused with anything at an advanced stage, when it is almost impossible to cure. But if you know the earlier symptoms of nail fungus, then it will not be too late to start fighting the infection and nail loss can be avoided. But in different cases, the fungus looks different, so first you need to know a little about the nature and course of the disease.
General signs of the disease
Regardless of the type of fungus, variety, course of the disease and even stage, these symptoms will remain unchanged and will definitely indicate developing or already onychomycosis.
- The change in the color of the nail plate is a key sign from which the disease begins to develop. Shades can range from whitish to black, but the most common color of fungal nails is brownish-yellow.
- The unpleasant odor always accompanies onychomycosis, although it may not be very noticeable in the initial stages. It is true that you will hardly smell in your feet, and a specific odor will become noticeable at the stage of development of the disease.
- Stratification, disintegration and peeling of the nail plate do not start immediately, but it is these signs of nail fungus that cause most people to sound the alarm. If these symptoms are moderate and manifest locally, then there is still a chance to restore a healthy appearance of the nail.
- Painful sensations rarely occur in the initial stage and stage of development, but as the disease progresses, discomfort and pain cannot be avoided: in any case, they will occur either due to deformity, or due to destroyed nail plate, or due to the onset of inflammation with pus.
- Burning and itching of the skin should also not be neglected. In addition, in the initial stage, these symptoms can help to recognize the disease, as in some cases it passes to the nail plate from the skin of the lateral or posterior edges or cuticles.
By the way
Onychomycosis is much more common on the toenails, while the fungus gets on the hands much less often, most often after contact with the affected toenails.
Symptoms of fungus on the feet
It seems that you already know how to identify nail fungus, but this information is quite general, although it will help to accurately diagnose onychomycosis. The fact is that there are more than 50 types of fungi that can cause it, and about 10 of the course of the disease. It is better to know what awaits you in each of the possible scenarios in advance.
More than 90% of all cases of onychomycosis of the feet are due to dermatomycetes, slightly less than 10% - to yeast-like fungi, and only a small proportion - to mold fungi.
Different types of nail fungus have different symptoms.
- In normotrophic fungus, the nail plate itself is not deformed and the most noticeable manifestation of the disease is a change in the color of the plate on the side to yellowish-brown. At the same time, its thickness does not change, does not crumble and the natural shine does not disappear. If you do not treat normotrophic fungus, it will affect a growing area, the plaque will begin to flake off and may completely separate.
- The hypertrophic fungus provokes thickening of the nail plate, which leads to the formation of growths that look like nails. At an advanced stage, such a fungus causes discomfort and often pain when walking and, of course, nail damage is accompanied by a change in color to grayish or yellow. Such nails lose their natural shine and begin to crumble and exfoliate.
- If you are facing an atrophic fungus, then the risk of losing the plaque without proper treatment is extremely high. Such a fungus gradually destroys the nail plate, making it loose and exfoliating, resulting in its atrophy. In the initial stages it is difficult to distinguish atrophic course, as it is accompanied only by loss of luster and change in color of the plate to yellow, brown or gray.
Less characteristic are the lateral-distal mold with blackening of the nail plate, pain, suppuration and atrophy of the nail plate in an advanced stage; proximal fungus with white spots in the area of the growth zone and damage to the nail plate on the side of the cuticle, as well as white superficial fungus, which manifests itself in the form of small white spots on the nail, gradually growing and occupying more and more space.
By the way
The older a person is, the more susceptible he is to fungal nail diseases. Also, the appearance of the fungus can be influenced by climate, hygiene and gender.
Symptoms of fungus on the hands
On the hands, the main 3 variants of the course of the disease do not differ from those found on the feet, only the distribution of the causes is slightly different: approximately 30% and 45% are due to dermatomycetes and yeast. fungi, respectively, slightly less than 15% are molds, and also a small number of infections are caused by other fungal organisms.
The main symptoms are also the same for the plates on the arms and legs, and the affected areas look similar. The only difficult point may be the question of how to recognize nail fungus in less common cases, such as infection with rubromycosis or trichophyton, but this is more a task for qualified doctors.
Progression of the fungus
If in the initial stage the disease does not seem frightening and thoughts of serious treatment are rarely visited, increasingly replaced by folk methods, then in the advanced stage it will not be possible to do without long-term medical treatment. And even he will not be able to guarantee that the nail will stay with you.
- It would be ideal to start treatment at an early stage, but it is almost impossible to diagnose it outside the laboratory: all symptoms are barely noticeable. Although a few signs can still be seen. If you notice that something is wrong with the skin, for example, cracks, blisters or burning may occur, this is a clear harbinger of onychomycosis of the nails. If you see that the color of the nail plate has begun to change at the edges or at one end, this is also a cause for concern.
- The fungus usually becomes noticeable at the stage of development, and in order to notice it as early as possible, you should regularly do at least a simple pedicure and monitor the condition of the nails and skin of the feet. During this period, the nail plate looks unhealthy, loses its luster, begins a significant change in color and closer to the beginning of the advanced stage, the nail begins to deform, peel off and break.
- At an advanced stage, the nail will definitely actively collapse: it will stratify, break off, loosen until complete destruction of the nail plate and even damage to the nail bed. In order for the disease to progress to an advanced form, it must be neglected for a long time, enduring itching, discomfort, a disgusting appearance and an unpleasant odor, which people still do not often do. Therefore, this stage is characteristic of the rapid development of the fungus in old age or in the presence of certain diseases.
It is important to remember that untreated nail fungus can turn into foot fungus, and this disease is even more unpleasant and difficult to treat.
It is not so difficult to determine the presence of nail fungus at least at the stage of development, but it is better to entrust qualified specialists to determine the cause and type of stroke. Do not neglect the help of doctors and contact them at the first suspicion of disease.