There are a huge number of fungi in the world, but only a few of them can infect the human body. Diseases caused by these microorganisms are called mycoses. People call these diseases fungi. The skin of the feet is most often affected. According to medical research, mycosis is the second most common skin disease. You need to start fighting foot fungus as early as possible. By timely seeking medical help, a person will not only quickly get rid of the problem, but also protect his loved ones from infection.
Signs of athlete's foot (symptoms)
At an early stage of the disease, the patient may not worry about anything. People attribute slight discomfort on the skin of their feet to many other reasons and do not rush to seek medical help. The first obvious symptoms appear when the fungus has spread significantly. The patient experiences:
- redness of the skin of the legs;
- unpleasant smell from the feet;
- itching and burning;
- peeling of the skin.
The signs of the disease can vary significantly depending on its form. The most common is the intertriginous type. It causes the following symptoms of foot fungus:
- burning sensation in the legs;
- the appearance of cracks on the skin;
- peeling of the epidermis.
At the site of deep cracks, erosion zones may appear. They cause severe discomfort to the patient, as they cause severe pain when walking. Subsequently, the skin of the legs becomes very loose, which leads to a significant decrease in local immunity. As a result, secondary infections are added to the fungal infection, which causes:
- extensive inflammation of the skin of the feet;
- suppuration of the affected areas;
- swelling and pain in the legs.
Fungi can also affect the nails. This type of disease is called onychomycosis. Its appearance will be indicated by a change in the color of the plate, its thickening or thinning. If left untreated, the fungus leads to damage to all nails or their complete loss.
Causes of the disease
The disease is caused by several types of parasitic fungi. Most often, the disease manifests itself when it is affected by dermatophytes or red trichophyton. It is possible to determine how to treat foot fungus only after identifying the causative agent. They all do very well and multiply quickly in a moist and warm environment. In this regard, you can become infected when visiting the following public places:
- saunas;
- swimming pools;
- soul;
- bathrooms
Contagion can also happen through contact with a sick person or his personal belongings. For example, people who use strangers are at risk of developing athlete's foot:
- towels;
- pumice stone;
- towels for washing;
- socks;
- manicure scissors.
Another factor that affects the rapid spread of the disease is the lack of proper foot hygiene. People who wear wet shoes or socks often suffer from fungus. High sensitivity to mycoses is observed in those who suffer from:
- increased sweating of the feet;
- endocrine diseases;
- lowered immunity;
- diabetes;
- varicose veins.
Which doctor should I contact?
It is very difficult to cope with the disease alone. A patient with such a problem needs the help of a qualified specialist. The dermatovenerologist will tell you how to cure foot fungus.
At the first appointment, the specialists will carefully examine the affected areas of the foot. An experienced physician will only need a visual assessment of the skin to make a diagnosis. But the doctor also needs to know how the disease appeared. To do this, he will have a conversation with the patient. The patient must answer the following questions:
- How long ago did the first signs of foot fungus appear?
- Has this problem bothered you before?
- Are there any chronic diseases?
- Has the person had contact with sick people?
- Have you visited saunas, steam baths or swimming pools?
- Do your loved ones have fungal infections of the feet?
Based on the information received from the patient, the doctor can determine the true causes of the disease. To understand how to deal with a disease, you need to know exactly what is causing it. The review helps with that. The patient is prescribed scraping of the skin from the affected area of the leg. After laboratory tests, specialists accurately determine the cause of the disease.
How to treat the disease?
The faster a person seeks help, the faster the therapy will be for him. The doctor determines how to treat foot fungus after receiving the results of a diagnostic test. Experts suggest fighting the disease with drugs. Antifungal drugs are prescribed to the patient, which:
- stop the development of pathogens;
- destroy fungi;
- have an anti-inflammatory effect;
- relief of unpleasant symptoms.
Such products are available in the form of ointment, gel, spray, tablets or suspension for oral administration. For toenail fungus, special varnishes or patches can be used, which also have an antifungal effect. The specialist selects drugs for the patient on a strictly individual basis, since many of them have a number of contraindications. It is forbidden to take certain medicines for:
- pregnant women;
- nursing mothers;
- children.
To achieve a quick recovery, it is very important to strengthen the immune system. For this, patients are prescribed vitamin-mineral complexes and immunostimulants. In advanced cases, when secondary infection is associated with fungal infections, patients are prescribed antibiotics.
How to cure foot fungus forever?
Many patients complain that the disease returns some time after completing the course of treatment. The reason for this is an incompletely cured primary infection. A common mistake that many people make is stopping therapy when improvements occur. It is very important to continue using the medicine for the entire period prescribed by your doctor. Even if the disease is not manifested externally, it is not a fact that the entire infection has already been defeated. To prevent re-injury to your feet, you should:
- Follow the specialist's recommendations strictly.
- Do not replace medicines with analogues yourself.
- Apply the products regularly, without interruption.
During treatment, the patient should wear closed slippers at home. Do not allow other family members to wear them, as infection can be transmitted through them. When treating foot fungus, it is also forbidden to walk barefoot on the floor, share towels, pumice stones or other bathroom accessories with other people. During therapy it is very important:
- Wash the patient's clothes separately from others.
- Do wet cleaning of the house daily.
- Treat the patient's shoes with antifungal agents.
You should also take foot hygiene seriously. They should be washed at least twice a day. At the same time, they should be treated with hot water. It is important to change your socks often and wear comfortable, not tight shoes. After recovery, you should definitely throw away the slippers, towels, towels and socks that the person used during the illness.
Prevention
By knowing what causes foot fungus, you can easily prevent it. To avoid this disease, you just need to adhere to the following prevention rules:
- When visiting baths, saunas or pools, use only disposable or personal slippers.
- Do not wear wet or damp shoes.
- If there is a sick person in the house, use only personal bathroom accessories.
Certain diseases also increase the risk of fungus. Therefore, by eliminating them in a timely manner, the occurrence of the disease can be avoided. People who suffer from:
- flat feet;
- corns;
- hyperhidrosis of the legs.
It is important for people to know that at low temperatures, fungi can be preserved for a long time. Therefore, freezing is not scary for him. However, the pathogen dies when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, boiling can be used for preventive purposes. If you treat the patient's clothes and shoes in this way, the fungus in them will die.