In many people, the nails and skin are affected by the fungus, which doesn't look very nice. It is important to understand that this is not just an aesthetic problem, but mainly a medical one.
In some cases, fungal skin lesions can be a harbinger of serious illnesses such as diabetes. Do not initiate the disease, as the treatment process takes on average a year or more.
How can you get skin and nail fungus?
More than 40 species of various parasitic fungi (dermatophytes) that can affect the skin and nails are known. The most common are representatives of the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. For growth and reproduction, they use a special substrate - keratin, which consists of the top layer of the skin (epidermis), hair and nails. Penetrating the epidermis or nail plate, the fungus settles there, begins to grow and multiply.
You can get infected from a sick person, through objects (towels, wooden shelves in bathhouse, sauna, rugs, benches in public swimming pools, manicure/pedicure tools) and contact with the ground if you like to walk barefoot in nature.
Groups of risk
The most common types of fungal diseases include ringworm of the skin of the feet and onychomycosis of the nail plates. From the time of infection to the appearance of the first clinical symptoms, it takes from several weeks to several months.
More often than others, men suffer from fungal diseases. Among women, those who constantly wear pointy shoes, especially high heels, are more likely to develop the condition. In this case, the toes are constantly flattened, which leads to friction, small wounds, abrasions, which are the gateway to infection.
You can also "catch" a fungus in a regular salon during a pedicure procedure if the master uses incorrectly processed tools. To remove mold spores and fragments from the metal surfaces of tweezers, scissors and tweezers, the tools must be sterilized in a dry heat cabinet. Not all salons have such equipment, so they are limited to "soaking" in a disinfectant solution and "drying" in ultraviolet boxes. This treatment does not fully protect against infection.
Frequent adherence of a fungal infection can signal the development of diabetes. According to statistics, diabetics are three times more susceptible to ringworm. The fungus can also appear with allergic skin lesions (itching, inflammation, crying), combing insect bites, while taking antibacterial drugs, corticosteroid hormones, antidepressants.
Athlete's foot symptoms
- Dry skin, cracks, peeling in the interdigital folds.
- Itch.
- Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin of the feet).
- Enlargement of lesions.
- In some cases, a staphylococcal infection joins the fungal infection, which is quite difficult to cure.
Symptoms of onychomycosis (nail fungus)
Among all nail diseases, onychomycosis accounts for up to 40%. Dermatophytes are responsible for up to 90% of all fungal nail infections. The most common pathogens are fungi of the genus Trichophyton.
The appearance of the fungus in this case may be preceded by injury to the nail or constant softening of the nail plate due to high humidity. This, for example, is possible when wearing the same pair of shoes/sneakers every day.
As the infection progresses, the color of the nail changes - part of the nail turns yellow, grayish, or whitish. Over time, the stain grows, and the nail itself thickens - the development of subungual hyperkeratosis occurs.
Diagnosis of fungal diseases
For the diagnosis of fungal infections and onychomycosis, special tests are used to detect fungi. Biomaterial (hair fragments, nail plates, skin particles) is analyzed under a microscope. If infection has occurred and strands of mycelium (the body of the fungus) are visible, the diagnosis is confirmed.
If microscopic examinations give an ambiguous answer, then a bacteriological examination is carried out - sowing the material in fungi. The test makes it possible not only to identify the infection, but also to determine the sensitivity to antifungal agents, which is necessary for the selection of effective treatments.
How to protect yourself from fungi
- Dry your feet after bathing or showering, especially between the toes.
- If you wear closed shoes, change your socks/socks daily.
- Change shoes every two or three days, don't wear the same pair every day.
- Do not walk barefoot in public places (swimming pool, bath, sauna, gym).
- If someone in your family has a fungal disease, provide them with a separate set of towels and sheets. Wash them separately at the highest temperature.
- If you have fungus on the same foot or nails, use two different manicure/pedicure sets to avoid spreading the infection to healthy areas.
- If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar levels. "High sugar" reduces the rate of healing of skin wounds ("diabetic foot"), which makes it easier for a fungal infection to reach.
Be healthy!