Skin mycoses are a common group of diseases.
Patients do not always take them seriously enough, which leads to advanced forms of pathology that are difficult to treat. Fortunately, there are many ways to get rid of fungal infections on your feet and get rid of the nasty disease like fungal infections of your toes and feet.
Skin mycosis between the fingers - how does the disease occur?
Skin mycosis is an infectious disease that is caused by fungi parasitizing the skin. They can appear anywhere on the body. But more often than not, they choose skin folds. The spaces between the toes are their favorite place. This is due to the fact that the legs often sweat, and in tight shoes the moisture does not have time to evaporate. Therefore, it is often wet and damp in the spaces between the fingers. And these conditions are just what the fungus needs for reproduction. It is not uncommon for the fungus to enter the indentations between the fingers from infected nails.
Contribute to the development of skin disease:
- insufficient hygiene of the feet, their overheating or hypothermia;
- predisposition to increased sweating;
- poor blood circulation in the foot associated with heart disease, smoking, diabetes mellitus;
- stress;
- calluses and cuts on the skin of the feet;
- lack of vitamins and minerals (primarily zinc) in the body;
- trophic ulcers on the leg;
- hormonal imbalance and thyroid disease;
- overweight;
- excessively dry skin.
However, in most cases, fungus between the toes does not develop if the person has healthy immunity.
The disease is more common in men, due to the more frequent wearing of tight shoes. Fungus on the legs can appear not only in adults, but also in children.
Skin mycoses between the toes in 90% of cases are caused by the activity of three types of fungi from the group of dermatomycetes - Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton. Also, often the skin in the interdigital spaces is affected by fungi of the genus Candida.
Most often, the infection initially develops in the cavity between the two smallest toes. However, other interdigital spaces may also be affected. Once on the skin, the fungus actively multiplies on it. The remains of the stratum corneum of the skin serve as food for microorganisms.
A skin infection can be spread from person to person. For this, a simple contact of the skin of the feet with surfaces containing the fungus is sufficient. The transmission of the pathogen can occur with the help of someone else's shoes, socks, shared towels, and a wet floor in the shower room. It is necessary to carefully monitor personal hygiene, use only personal belongings. In swimming pools, showers, baths and saunas, personal or disposable slippers and flip-flops should be used.
Often, a skin disease is transmitted from one family member to another, using the same shoes, pedicure, socks, towels, walking around the house barefoot, etc.
Symptoms of a fungal infection on the skin of the feet.
Symptoms of mycosis of the feet at an early stage:
- itching and burning, worse at night;
- dryness;
- peeling of the skin;
- small cracks.
With the development of the disease, the symptoms intensify, itching and burning become unbearable, lead to scratching and irritation of the skin, cracks become deeper. The skin of the feet becomes rough. Pains appear, an unpleasant odor that does not pass even after washing, edema and hyperemia, and epidermis detachment is observed.
Then blisters filled with serous fluid appear. After their opening, non-healing festering ulcers remain on the skin. The bacterial one joins the mycotic infection.
Peeling of nails, abscesses may appear. A complication of mycosis of the feet can be the penetration of the fungus into the bloodstream and the spread of the infection throughout the body. At the same time, the body temperature rises. Gangrenous lesions of the feet may also develop. Cardiovascular diseases, immunodeficiency states, and diabetes mellitus complicate the course of skin disease.
To diagnose mycosis of the feet, it may not be enough for a doctor to examine the skin. It is often necessary to analyze the composition of the skin microflora. For this, a scraping is taken from the affected surface. The fungus can be found on the skin even if there are no visible symptoms of infection.
There is also a popular method for determining the presence of a fungus on the leg. To do this, you need to place your foot in a potassium permanganate bath. If there is no fungus on the skin, then it will turn pink, and the affected areas will turn white.
How to remove fungus between toes?
Getting an infection on your skin is very easy, but getting rid of it is much more difficult. Mycoses of the skin are always treated at home, but this does not mean that the patient will definitely be helped by completely independent treatment. In any case, a doctor's consultation is required.
There are many antimycotic drugs that effectively kill the fungus. However, the success of treatment largely depends on the stage of the disease. If she has gone too far, it will be difficult to get rid of the infection. At the initial stage, external antifungal drugs are used. If the disease is already running, then doctors recommend treating with systemic means. Most often, terbinafine, itraconazole, fluconazole are prescribed in the form of tablets.
Popular antifungal agents:
- nystatin,
- fluconazole,
- ketoconazole,
- clotrimazole,
- terbinafine,
- naftifine,
- miconazole,
- itraconazole,
- natamycin.
Some antifungal ointments also contain anti-inflammatory ingredients.
The method of application of all ointments is the same - they must be regularly applied to the affected areas of the skin with a thin layer. Some ointments are sufficient to use once a day, others require more frequent application. Antifungal sprays that can be sprayed onto the affected area are even more convenient than ointments.
Treatment with antifungal ointments can be lengthy. Certain types of ointments can get rid of the infection after 2 weeks. But with severe damage, the duration of treatment can take up to 3 months. Doctors advise to apply the ointment at least 2 weeks after the visible symptoms of the disease have passed. And once every six months, it is necessary to lubricate the toes with ointments for preventive purposes.
Also, in case of severe infection, systemic antifungal drugs can be used. However, they have a large list of contraindications and side effects. In particular, pills for fungi are contraindicated in pregnant women. Also, many skin ointments are prohibited during pregnancy. If there is a need to use such topical preparations, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. Not all drugs are allowed in childhood. Therefore, you need to look at the instructions for the selected tool. Some medicines can be used from 2 years of age, others from 12.
A specialist should select the right drug. Incorrect use of antimycotic drugs not only will not relieve the patient of pathogenic microorganisms, but can also lead to the development of resistance in them (especially in conditions when the patient is constantly re-infected). Toxins secreted by many fungi suppress local immunity, which further contributes to the development of infection.
Additionally, vitamin and mineral complexes are taken. If the disease is complicated by a bacterial infection, the doctor prescribes antibiotics, but if there are signs of allergy, antihistamines are prescribed. Treatment can be supplemented with anti-inflammatory ointments, salicylic, sulfuric, ichthyol and zinc ointments.
Salicylic ointment:
- has antiseptic properties,
- prevents keratinization of the skin,
- promotes the restoration of the epidermis,
- prevents the spread of infection.
The zinc ointment contains lanolin, menthol, zinc oxide. Zinc ointment has disinfecting properties, promotes skin regeneration, relieves itching and burning.
Sulfur ointment has anti-inflammatory, emollient and disinfecting properties. Ichthyol ointment has a keratolytic, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal effect. Also, ichthyol ointment promotes tissue regeneration.
Don't forget about foot hygiene as well. It is necessary to give up tight, uncomfortable shoes, synthetic socks and stockings, and regularly change insoles. Shoes must be disinfected with antimycotic sprays. After all, the treatment will not have any effect if the patient's skin is continually infected with new portions of the fungus that lives in the shoes.
Fungus between the toes: treatment with folk remedies at home
Treatment with pharmaceutical preparations does not always bring the desired effect. Therefore, people turn to folk remedies. This approach is also understandable because many synthetic antimycotic ointments and sprays are by no means cheap. Treatment with folk remedies can be carried out as an adjunct to treatment with pharmacy skin ointments.
The simplest folk remedies for getting rid of the fungus are salt and soda baths. To prepare the trays, you will need 2-3 tablespoons of salt or soda per 5 liters. water. Water temperature - + 40-45 ° C. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes.
One of the best home remedies is a herbal bath with antiseptic properties. It can be chamomile, sage, calendula, nettle, St. John's wort. To prepare the bath, you need 2-3 tbsp. plant raw materials (you can take a mixture of various herbs) insist in a glass of boiling water, strain and add to a 5-liter container with water for a bath. The water should be warm, but not burn the skin of the feet. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes.
Many people in the presence of fungus on the skin of the feet are also helped by baths with a solution of potassium permanganate. To prepare a light pink solution, only a few grains of potassium permanganate are needed. You can also moisten pieces of cotton wool with a solution of potassium permanganate and stick them between your fingers.
Boric acid is also effective in treating the disease. You can use both liquid boric acid and powder. Acid can be added to baths and treated with affected areas.
For trays, you can also use a slightly warmed 9% solution of table apple cider vinegar. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. You can also make vinegar lotions.
Another recipe is iodine baths. To prepare the solution, it is enough to dilute 20 drops in 3 liters of warm water. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, the course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
After the end of water procedures, it is necessary to cleanse the skin from keratinized and flaky tissues. Baths are recommended to be done at least once a day, preferably at night.
Also, for the treatment of mycosis of the feet, you can use ointment with garlic, pharmacy shampoos for dandruff with antifungal components, lotions with chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide.
Prevention of cutaneous mycoses of the toes
The disease occurs as a result of non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. Therefore, it is necessary:
- do not use other people's pedicure tools, towels, slippers, socks and shoes, do not allow strangers to use their shoes, socks, hygiene items;
- observe foot hygiene, wash the skin daily with soap, carefully treating the interdigital spaces;
- trim toenails regularly;
- wear comfortable shoes and socks made of breathable fabric;
- regularly change socks, put on socks washed at a temperature of at least + 40 ° С;
- exercise to improve blood circulation in your legs.
What is the fastest treatment?
It is impossible to say unequivocally which remedy is the fastest and best. After all, the effectiveness of therapy for a skin fungal disease depends on many circumstances - the severity of the pathology, the level of immunity, the presence of concomitant diseases. Some patients are helped by traditional methods, others - by pharmaceutical ointments. It is important not to start the disease and start treatment at the first sign of it. It is also important to identify the type of pathogen. To do this, you need to see a doctor. Perhaps he will be able to find the best option for the drug.