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 legs is most often affected. According to medical research, mycoses are the second most common skin disease. You need to start fighting foot fungus as early as possible. By seeking medical help in a timely manner, a person will not only quickly get rid of the problem, but also protect loved ones from infection.
Signs of foot fungus (symptoms)
At an early stage of the development of the disease, the patient may not be bothered by anything. People attribute slight discomfort on the skin of their legs to many other reasons and are in no hurry to seek medical help. The first obvious symptoms appear when the fungus has spread significantly. The patient experiences:
- redness of the skin of the feet;
- unpleasant odor from feet;
- itching and burning;
- peeling of the skin.
Signs of the disease can vary greatly depending on its form. The most common is the intertriginous type. It causes the following symptoms of foot fungus:
- burning sensation on the feet;
- the appearance of cracks in the skin;
- peeling of the epidermis.
At the site of deep cracks, erosive areas may appear. They bring severe discomfort to the patient, because while walking they provoke pronounced pain. Subsequently, the skin of the legs becomes very loose, which leads to a significant decrease in local immunity. As a result, secondary infections join the fungal infection, which causes:
- extensive inflammation of the skin of the feet;
- suppuration of the affected areas;
- swelling and pain in the legs.
The fungus 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 occurs when 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 reproduce quickly in a humid and warm environment. In this regard, you can become infected when visiting the following public places:
- saunas;
- swimming pools;
- soul;
- baths
Infection can also occur through contact with a sick person or his personal items. For example, people who use strangers are at risk of developing foot fungus:
- towels;
- pumice stones;
- washcloths;
- socks;
- manicure scissors.
Another factor influencing 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 susceptibility to mycoses is observed in those who suffer from:
- increased sweating of the feet;
- endocrine diseases;
- decreased immunity;
- diabetes mellitus;
- varicose veins.
Which doctor should I contact?
It is very difficult to cope with the disease on your own. A patient with such a problem requires the help of a qualified specialist. A dermatovenerologist will tell you how to cure foot fungus.
At the first appointment, specialists will carefully examine the affected areas of the foot. A doctor with extensive experience 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 conduct a conversation with the patient. The patient will need to 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 relatives have fungal infections of the feet?
Based on the information received from the patient, the doctor can determine the true causes of the disease. In order to understand how to deal with a disease, you need to know exactly what its causative agent is. An examination helps with this. The patient is prescribed a skin scraping from the affected area of the foot. After laboratory tests, specialists accurately determine the causative agent of the disease.
How to treat the disease?
The sooner 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 examination. Experts suggest fighting the disease with medication. The patient is prescribed antifungal drugs that:
- stop the development of pathogens;
- destroy fungi;
- have an anti-inflammatory effect;
- relieve unpleasant symptoms.
Such products are offered in the form of ointment, gel, spray, tablets or suspension for oral administration. For fungus on the toenails, special varnishes or plasters can be used, which also have an antifungal effect. The specialist selects medications for the patient on a strictly individual basis, since many of them have a number of contraindications. It is prohibited to take certain medications for:
- pregnant women;
- breastfeeding mothers;
- children.
To achieve a quick recovery, it is very important to strengthen the immune system. For this, patients are prescribed to take vitamin-mineral complexes and immunostimulants. In advanced cases, when a 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 therapy. The reason for this is an incompletely cured primary infection. A common mistake many people make is stopping therapy when improvements appear. It is very important to continue to apply the drug for the entire period prescribed by your doctor. Even if the disease does not appear externally, it is not a fact that the entire infection has already been defeated. To prevent recurrent damage to your legs you need to:
- Strictly follow the specialist's recommendations.
- Do not replace medications with analogues yourself.
- Apply products regularly, without breaks.
During treatment, the patient must wear closed slippers at home. You should not let other family members wear them, because infection can be transmitted through them. When treating foot fungus, it is also prohibited to walk on the floor barefoot, or share washcloths, pumice stones or other bath accessories with other people. It is very important during therapy:
- Wash the patient's clothes separately from others.
- Carry out wet cleaning of the house daily.
- Treat the sick person's shoes with antifungal agents.
You also need to take foot hygiene seriously. They must be washed at least 2 times a day. At the same time, they should be treated with hot water. It is important to change your socks frequently and wear comfortable, non-tight shoes. After recovery, you must definitely throw away the slippers, towels, washcloths, and socks that the person used during the illness.
Prevention
Knowing what causes foot fungus, you can easily prevent it. To avoid this disease, you just need to adhere to the following rules of prevention:
- When visiting baths, saunas or swimming 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 bath accessories.
Some 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;
- foot hyperhidrosis.
It is important for people to know that in low temperatures the fungus persists 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 prevention purposes. If you treat the patient’s clothes and shoes in this way, the fungus in them will die.