Fungal infection of hands and feet is perceived by people only as a cosmetic defect. However, few people know that a long-term fungal infection adversely affects immunity and the body as a whole.
Special attention should be paid to the nail fungus: the disease is initially unobtrusive, and the lack of timely treatment is fraught with protracted antifungal therapy. Here you will learn: how is the treatment of nail fungus and what drugs are inexpensive, but effective. This information will allow you to save money and as quickly as possible to achieve full recovery.
Contents
- 1 What is a nail fungus and how to recognize it?
- 1.1 Causes of
- 1.2 Symptoms of nail fungus infection, developmental stage
- 2 Nail fungus treatment, effective preparations
- 3 Prevention of infection with fungus
What is nail fungus and how to recognize it?
Nail fungus, in medicine called onychomycosis, is a contagious fungal disease. Often, the defeat of nails occurs against the background of the fungus of the skin of the feet, hands. Initially, almost unnoticeable lesion of the nail plate seems harmless.
However, the further development of infection leads to an unattractive appearance of the nail and causes psychological discomfort in society. Frequent questions "What do you have on your arm / leg?", "And is it contagious?" And the fastidious attitude of surrounding people makes a person go to extremes.
The patient uses "instant and effective" ways of treating the fungus, tested by friends and Internet users, often simply burns tissues and exacerbates the already complex condition. That's why everyone should know:
- Recognition of the nail fungus at home: when you immerse your feet / hands in a solution of potassium permanganate for several minutes, healthy nails are colored brown, and the foci affected by the fungus remain white.
- Even an unobtrusive nail fungus does not heal itself.
- There are no quick ways to treat onychomycosis: you'll have to be patient.
- Only regular repetition of procedures( application of varnish, treatment with solutions) will yield a curative result.
- A long-lasting fungal infection threatens not only aesthetic discomfort and threatens to spread, but also has a toxic effect on internal organs.
Causes of
As a fungal lesion of the skin, nail fungal infection is a contagious infection. Onychomycosis is caused by several types of fungus.
You can get infected:
- in bathhouses, swimming pools, locker rooms of gyms( the fungus loves a moist warm environment);
- when wearing someone else's shoes( even short-term wearing slippers at a party is not so harmless ritual) and gloves;
- through a towel, which was used by a person with a fungal lesion of the skin, nails.
The risk of infection increases manifold if a person:
- does not observe hygiene( dirty hands and feet);
- suffers from excessive sweating;
- does not change daily socks;
- uses gloves without the use of gloves( many of them cause microdamaging of the skin).
Decreased immunity, old age, thyroid pathology, intestinal, liver and stomach diseases also increase the risk of developing onychomycosis.
It should be noted that children with strong immunity rarely suffer from a fungus of nails: baby sweat reliably protects the skin from the introduction of pathogens.
Symptoms of nail fungus infection, stage of development of
Nail mycosis develops gradually.
- Initial stage
On one or more nails appears barely discernible whitish spots - strips, often located in the corner of the nail along the edge of the cut.
No thickening of the nail, and the rest of the nail plate remains absolutely normal. At this stage, antifungal agents are used in the form of solutions, varnishes. Effective and popular means.
- Development of fungus
The spot gradually increases in size, reaching the base of the nail. This changes its color: from white and yellowish to brown, with a green tinge and even black. The lesion is less than half the nail plate.
Gradually the fungus affects the nail bed: the nail in the lesion focuses thicker, a loose structure forms under it. The layering of the nail plate becomes more pronounced.
Treatment is longer, but at this stage it is still possible to do without systemic antifungal drugs in tablets.
- Severe onychomycosis
The lack of treatment or the use of ineffective agents leads to the defeat of the entire nail. The dirty gray or yellow nail plate is markedly thickened, the nail leaving the base can cling to the socks, causing painful sensations.
The nail becomes brittle and crumbles easily, the skin around it itches. For the treatment of nail fungus in neglected form, on the legs and hands, fungicidal action drugs in tablets and local antifungal agents are used. Often there is a need to remove the sick nail.
Treatment of nail fungus, effective preparations
Antifungal ointments are not suitable for the treatment of nail fungus. Their fatty base does not allow deep penetration into the dense tissue of the nail. Therefore, ointments and creams with an antifungal component are used in onychomycosis combined with a skin fungus.
Therapeutic tactic involves regular cutting of the nail with a nail file and accurate( without trauma!) Scraping of a loose structure.
Local antimycotic drugs
The pharmaceutical market is saturated with various fungicidal solutions and varnishes. However, the optimal ratio of price and effectiveness is important for the patient. The treatment of nail fungus with medical preparations lasts from several months to a year, depending on the extent of the infection and the prevalence of fungal infection.
Fungicidal varnishes and solutions( the main advantage is imperceptible):
- Mycosis - complete with nail file.
- Batrafen is not a very convenient tool, as it is used according to a certain scheme and it is possible to get bogged down when the solution is used for a long time.
- Lotseril - it is necessary to apply only twice a week, the course - 6-12 months.
- The on-plastic is inexpensive, but comparable in efficiency to imported varnishes.
- Exoderil - there is a convenient dispensing nozzle on the bottle. It is applied daily in the morning / evening to washed and dried feet, quickly absorbed. The bottle lasts for 2 months.
- Candid( Clotrimazole) - the solution is not highly effective.
Keratolytic means - inexpensive painless alternative to the hardware removal of the nail
- Nogtite;
- Nogtimycin.
Keratolytic agents are used with a significant( more than 40%) nail damage. However, they must be used carefully, observing all the rules specified in the instructions.
For deeper penetration, a preliminary steaming is necessary, and the nail plate is scratched with a nail file. Treatment of the affected nail with subsequent gluing of the patch is performed every 3-4 days.
Antifungal tablets
Ideal option for common nail damage, - an appeal to a dermatologist.
Antifungal tablets have a lot of contraindications and are quite toxic, their independent reception is fraught with negative consequences, especially for the liver. The doctor includes the following preparations in the complex treatment of the nail fungus on the legs: tablets
- Fluconazole - identical, but more expensive drugs Flucostat, Diflucan, Mycosyst.
- Terbinafine - the advertised brand Lamisil, an expensive analogue of Terbizil. Terbinafine tablets are the best ratio of effectiveness, safety and price.
- Ketoconazole is an expensive analogue of Nizoral. Highly effective, but toxic enough.
Folk remedies
- Smearing of the nail with iodine, Castellani fluid is effective only in the initial form of onychomycosis. It is possible to burn surrounding tissues.
- The recipe for dissolving eggs in acetic essences has a lot of positive feedback. Treatment is long.
- Chistel oil( chemist's) can be used to treat children.
Practical all antifungal folk remedies are based on cauterizing action of active substances, therefore their application is fraught with burns of a surrounding skin. At the same time, there is no loss of effect, so it is more appropriate to treat onychomycosis with medical preparations.
Prevention of infection with fungus
- Wearing only your shoes, even slippers.
- Do not walk barefoot in the swimming pools, locker rooms of the gym, sauna.
- Hand hygiene, feet.
- Daily change of socks.
- Treatment of sweating with decoction of oak bark, Teymurov paste, etc.
- Elimination of the greenhouse effect when wearing boots, boots - buying quality footwear from genuine leather, sprinkling baby powder, periodically washing the inside of shoes with soap and soap,airing on the balcony.
- During the treatment of the fungus - shoe processing 1% formalin 20 min.or chloramine to 40 minutes.
