Summer offers wonderful opportunities for relaxation and beauty. After all, when, if not in the summer, can we afford a fashion show in gorgeous open-toed shoes, showing others our impeccable pedicures and beautiful legs? And how much pleasure we have walking barefoot on the warm, soft sand!
Unfortunately, all these summer charms can end sadly for our feet and nails, because by opening them we run the risk of contracting such an unpleasant and extremely insidious disease as a fungus. And most of the time it's our nails and feet that are affected. Also, you can get infected with nail fungus not just on the beach or in a public shower.
You can catch this disease even on public transport, or just walking down the street with open shoes: flip-flops or sandals.
Unfortunately, the consequences of a fungal infection for the nails, and indeed for the entire human body, are quite serious, so you should not start this disease.
Therefore, it is important to know the symptoms of the infection and start treatment in a timely manner. And for that you need to find out what constitutes a toenail fungus.
what is onychomycosis
Mushrooms, as a class, belong to lower plants that form filaments of mycelium and spores. It is with the help of spores that fungi reproduce and also spread in the external environment. You will be surprised, but scientists know more than 300, 000 varieties of fungi, and about 100 species of them can cause skin and nail diseases in humans.
As they also reproduce by spores, any crumb of a diseased nail or a bit of skin from the heel or foot of a sick person is enough to infect with these fungi.
Fungal nail infections (onychomycosis) can be caused by several types of fungi. So, the signs of infection will be different and the means of getting rid of them too.
dermatophytes
If you notice that small yellow spots or streaks appear on your toenails, streaks of a lighter white or gray tone appear on your nails, and the edge of the nail pulls away and turns yellow - you have most likely been infected with dermatophytes.
The degree of dermatophyte infection can easily be determined by the same stripes and spots: the brighter they are and the closer to the center of the nail they are located, the stronger the infection. Therefore, if these stripes and spots are located closer to the edges of the nails, then the infection has not progressed very far, and the disease can be stopped in time. But in no case should you delay! After all, if left untreated, not only the toenails are affected, but also the skin around them, and the nail plate will eventually turn completely yellow and dull.
yeast fungi
If your toenails become uneven, grooves and "waves" appear on them, if at the same time the nail gradually turns yellow and loses its density, becomes very brittle, thin, begins to lag behind the nail bed - most likely, you have become infected with yeast. In this case, the degree of infection is determined by the color of the nail: the more yellowish and even brownish it becomes, the more the lesion progresses.
Defeat of yeast toenails usually starts with a slight thickening of the nail folds, which eventually swell and turn red. Pressing on these inflamed rollers is quite painful. Later, pus may appear on them, which, if it comes into contact with the skin, can cause further infection. If no measures are taken, over time, the nail may gradually bend and change color, shallow brown grooves will appear on it.
mold
If a person's nails, like his entire body, were weakened for a long time by a long illness, and then quickly changed color - they became yellow, blue, green, brown or black, or dark spots or spots, or even blackheads appeared on the nails - most likely there was a mold fungal infection.
Such an infection, fortunately, does not penetrate very deeply into the structure of the nail plate itself, and compared to the above types of fungi, it is treated quickly: from one to two months.
Consequences of the disease
However, all these are just external signs of the disease and if no measures are taken, nail fungus can spread throughout the body, especially when it comes to dermatophytes or fungi. Over a year, and sometimes several years, the fungus slowly destroys the nail plate, fills the entire nail and penetrates the nail bed, and after a while it spreads from the feet to the hands, affecting first the thumbs and then all of them. the others.
Spreading and taking root in the human body, the fungus significantly weakens the immune system, thus contributing to the appearance of various allergic reactions and exacerbation of chronic diseases.
If a person does not start treatment at this stage, the internal organs are damaged. Particularly susceptible to this infection are people who have a bad habit of biting their nails.
Therefore, it is extremely important to recognize the disease in a timely manner and initiate timely and appropriate treatment. Of course, only a specialist can prescribe it, who will carry out the necessary examination and prescribe the appropriate drugs that affect exactly the fungus that affects your body.
self diagnosis
You can try to diagnose your own nail fungus if you suspect something is wrong with your appearance, feel itchy and dry skin.
To do this, you will need the most common potassium permanganate. You need to make it an aqueous solution and lower your legs into it. After a few minutes, your nails will turn brown, but the fungal lesions will remain mild.
In this case, you definitely cannot do without consulting a doctor. And it's better not to delay!