A fifth of the European population is sick with ringworm in the legs.
These are data from a study carried out in all European countries. Foot fungus most often begins with interdigital folds, for the following reasons:
- vascular diseases of the legs (21%);
- obesity (17%);
- pathology of the leg - narrow interdigital spaces, diabetic foot, flat feet (15%);
- trauma to the skin, nails and fingers due to tight shoes, sports injuries, sharp pedicure.
Favorite spot of ringworm occurrence of the legs - the tightest spaces between the 3, 4, 5 fingers. From there, the fungus reaches all the interdigital folds, skin on the sole of the foot with lateral edges, instep, nails
How to recognize ringworm of the foot? Toe fungus symptoms
- A crack or funnel appears between the toes, the edges of which are covered by whitish or greenish (scaly) scaly skin;
- The crack may be weeping with exudate;
- Circular rash with peeling skin appears under and between the fingers (intertriginous symptoms);
- With the flow erased between the toes, the cracks are almost imperceptible, but the peeling takes on a floury character (the skin appears to be sprinkled with flour - these are its affected scales). Symptoms are especially common in children;
- There is a slight itch between the fingers, but there is not much discomfort.
In an unlit "dormant" state, the fungus between the toes can remain indefinitely, hiding symptoms. But the processes will grow. Gradually, the skin appears increasingly dry, rough, rough, scaly, acquires a dirty yellowish-gray color, horns until calcification, fissures in especially rough places.
Simultaneously or sequentially, the onychomycosis stage occurs - nail lesions that change color, thicken, exfoliate and crumble. They reach this end in the later stages, when symptoms clearly indicate a long-term neglect of health.
The second path of development of the fungus between the fingers is more rare (about 8%). It is a "damp", vesicular or exudative fungus, in which there is rupture of the vesicles of the vesicles and ulceration after them. This wet ringworm between the fingers affects people with severe stress, with long walks, bad shoes, tight, without ventilation, with inadequate fungal therapy, with self-treatment with antimycosis and corticosteroids.
If you sabotage the fungus treatment between the toes, 80-100% of patients will be affected by the toenails, 20% - on the hands. The look is sad and disgusting, the nail looks like powder or washing powder. It can also take on the appearance of a "vulture claw" or grow. And an ingrown nail is also a painful treatment.
How to cure interdigital fungi?
Even though all of these symptoms appear after many years, you need to start treating the fungus between your fingers right away, because it is a highly contagious and intractable infection.
Let's go to the dermatologist. Before treating, he scrapes his fingers and examines them under microscopy, culture or DNA analysis. Microscopy reveals mycelial filaments or spores.
Systemic treatment consists of taking pills or capsules with antimycotics. These accumulate in the horny tissues, entering the blood and destroying the fungus for many weeks after taking the medication.
The disadvantage is that systemic drugs are moderately hepatoxic (they have a negative effect on a weak liver) and, therefore, the treatment cannot be applied to people with liver disease, pregnant women, lactating women, young people and the elderly. The type of medication depends on the nature of the pathogen. If the symptoms are not clear and the type is not established, treatment with a broad spectrum drug is prescribed. The use of systemic drugs is still a risk, in advanced stages they need to be treated for a long time.
You can also treat with local medications that are applied to the lesions. These drugs usually have a wide range of effects and kill fungi and bacteria. The treatment is long and intense, so you should inform your doctor immediately if your funds are limited.
Home therapy and prevention of fungal infections. It is useless to treat the fungus alone. The information allows us to talk about its exceptional survivability and high recurring potential.
Prevention is an effective remedy.
- Check family members for fungus symptoms. Intra-family contamination is common. Everyone needs to be treated;
- Do not wear shoes, socks, someone else's pedicure kit, do not dry yourself with a regular towel;
- Not all fungi die even at 100 degrees Celsius, but a significant part - yes, so wash your bedding and bath at 90 degrees;
- Disinfect shoes with mycotoxin spray once a month, bathroom surfaces once a week;
- In public places, do not walk barefoot and do pedicures in well-disinfected salons;
- For the prevention of fungi, antimycotic ointment can be used, which is applied to clean and dry feet;
- Do not put your shoes on until your feet are dry.
Dermatologists also advise doing a pedicure at least once a month and a half, removing dead tissue. It is there that the fungus loves to settle. Better to be careful than cure later.
At the clinic, you can get tested and see a dermatologist.