According to dermatologists, mycoses, including fungus between the toes, develop against a background of weakened immunity. The skin on the feet, and especially between the toes, is susceptible to the negative influence of shoes and lack of personal hygiene. These factors make you vulnerable to mycotic infection. Cracks, microabrasions, abrasions, calluses, etc. predispose to the development of fungus on the toes. Sweaty feet play an important role in the occurrence of this unpleasant disease, which is important for young people. In the elderly, the fungus develops between the toes for reasons related to diseases of the extremities, metabolic disorders, etc. Overweight people are especially susceptible to leg fungus.
Symptoms of fungus between the toes
Mycoses of the lower extremities begin with an interdigital fungus, which then spreads to other areas. Symptoms of toe fungus vary. The number of signs of the disease depends on its stage. In the first phase there are few signs. They manifest as redness between the fingers and itching. Then, if the infection is not stopped, the symptoms develop further. Bubbles appear, burst and form cracks. They can get wet and cause pain. When bacterial flora accumulates at the site of cracks, weeping ulcers appear. The fungus between the toes is characterized by intense itching. When the blisters are scratched, the infection spreads further. This is what nail fungus looks like between your toes.
Interdigital fungus on the toes is almost always associated with onychomycosis, a fungus of the nail plates. The fungus progresses slowly but steadily on healthy areas of the foot skin. The acute form without adequate and timely treatment becomes chronic. The surface of the foot and the spaces between the toes become rough and turn a dirty yellowish color.
Diagnosis of interdigital fungus
Before determining how to treat nail fungus between the toes, it is necessary to diagnose it. Identifying leg mycosis is not difficult for a specialist. Just examine the skin between your toes and see the characteristic signs of this disease. To find out how to treat the fungus between the toes and what type of fungal flora lives on the patient's skin, a scraping is taken from the affected areas and sent to the laboratory. Inoculation of fungal spores makes it possible to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease and then select the most effective methods and means of future treatment.
Treatment
Treatment of fungus between the toes, as well as other areas, must be carried out in a complex manner. Includes the following types of treatment:
- local;
- anti-inflammatory;
- anti-bacterial;
- systemic.
Local therapy
Local therapy is effective in the early stages of the disease. First, the doctor selects antimycotic drugs. They are effective when the infection has not yet spread beyond the interdigital space. Today, the market for these drugs is quite wide, which allows effective treatment of fungus between the toes. But self-medicating a disease at an early stage is risky, due to the wrong choice of medicine, which may not solve the problem, but may worsen it. Only a dermatologist can select and prescribe local antimycotics. Proven dosage forms are ointments and creams. They must be applied in a thin layer in the interdigital space, covering fissures and ulcers. It is mandatory to treat areas not affected by the fungus to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Which dosage form is better - ointment or cream? It is preferable to use the ointment on dry, scaly areas. It is convenient to use under a bandage for better penetration into the underlying layers of the dermis. The cream is recommended for use in the phase of more pronounced symptoms of the disease. It is used for weeping and erosive ulcers between the fingers. As a rule, ointments and creams are prescribed. The ointment is applied to the affected areas at night. It is best to use the cream during the day.
Before using ointments and creams, feet must be prepared - thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap and dried.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Inflammatory phenomena in the affected areas can be treated with foot baths. Baths with a slightly pink manganese solution give a good effect. These baths dry out weeping ulcers and relieve inflammation around them. After bathing, glucocorticosteroid ointments are applied to the legs.
Treatment for bacterial infection
An unpleasant foot odor indicates a layer of bacterial infection and fungus between the toes. Treatment of a complicated form of foot fungus involves prescribing medications combined with antibiotics.
Systemic treatment of fungus with tablets
In patients with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the blood vessels of the legs and in those who have been taking antibiotics for a long time, treatment with local medications may be ineffective. In such cases, systemic therapy is used. Most often, these are drugs from the triazole group.
These medicines are prescribed strictly by a specialist doctor for serious indications. They have limitations, as their use is associated with side effects in the form of dysbiosis, dyspeptic disorders, impaired kidney and liver function, etc. The course of systemic therapy prescribed by the doctor cannot be interrupted without sufficient reasons. Discontinuation of treatment can lead to resistance to several medications, especially antibiotics.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine is also used to treat foot fungus. They can give a good effect in the initial stage of the disease, relieve symptoms such as itching and redness.
One of the proven remedies is kombucha.
Kombucha Treatment
Its effectiveness is explained by the great composition of the substances it contains and the vinegar. Grind a small piece of old kombucha, rinsed well in water, and rub it into the interdigital space. You can use kombucha for a month. Repeat the course of treatment as prophylaxis after two weeks.
Propolis tincture
Another popular remedy in folk medicine is propolis tincture. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal effects. A cotton swab or bandage moistened with propolis tincture is wrung out and placed between the fingers. You should put cotton socks on top and leave it overnight. The course of treatment is 15-20 days. Since the tincture is alcohol-based, you should lubricate your feet with a nourishing cream after removing the lotion.
Celandine juice
A powerful remedy for the initial stage of fungus between the toes is the juice of flowering celandine. To obtain it, simply crush the green parts of the plant and squeeze the juice. It is used as an independent remedy that can simply be used to lubricate areas of the skin damaged by fungus. With daily use of celandine juice, uninfected fungus disappears within 2 weeks.
Footbath
Apple cider vinegar baths have a good healing effect. Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to 2 liters of warm water. And keep your feet in the bathtub for 25 to 30 minutes. After bathing, remove the dead skin between your fingers and apply a medicated ointment.
Baths with vinegar can be alternated with baths with celandine.
Preventing foot fungus between the toes
Although yeast infections are common, they can be prevented. Following simple recommendations will help prevent fungal infections:
- observe the rules of personal hygiene. Washing your feet daily with antibacterial soap will help prevent excessive sweating. To avoid burning your feet, you should not wear tight, uncomfortable shoes. From time to time it is necessary to disinfect your shoes;
- When visiting public saunas, baths and swimming pools, you must wear special shoes;
- keep the bathtub clean by disinfecting it regularly with cleaning products and hot water;
- Personal hygiene items – cloths and sponges – must be treated regularly with disinfectant solutions. Never use someone else's cloths and sponges;
- monitor the condition of your feet. For care, use special creams that contain components that prevent the development of fungal infections.
And of course, we must not forget about strengthening the immune system. After all, mycotic infections, including toe fungus, occur in those people whose immunity cannot cope with fungi, the spores of which are constantly around us. And only people with weakened immune systems develop fungal diseases.