After visiting a swimming pool or relaxing on the beach, you may encounter onychomycosis (fungus).
The symptoms of this disease are as follows: redness, itching and discomfort between the toes, yellowing and cracking of the nails.
The problem is quite common and does not go away on its own. If you do not consult a doctor, the fungus will develop, which can harm your body. From the article you will learn what to do in such a situation and which specialist to contact with this problem.
What should you do if you find out you have ringworm?
If you notice one of the signs of fungus, for example, your toenails have changed color -Contact your doctor quickly!Don't allow the ringworm process to progress so you don't have to deal with treatment for years. Fungal spores, when released into human blood, cause a toxic reaction.
With this problemYou should first consult a dermatologist, this specialist is available in a clinic, in a hospital, in any paid medical institution and in a skin and venous dispensary (you can go there for free).
Which specialist should I contact, who does this?
Nail and foot fungus is a skin disease andA dermatologist deals with these problems. You meet him at the district clinic, he makes the first consultation, examines the patient, diagnoses onychomycosis and prescribes the necessary treatment.
If the disease is advanced or the doctor considers your case to be complex, the dermatologist will refer you to a mycologist (this specialist deals more in depth with the treatment of fungal diseases). The difficulty in contacting this doctor is that it is not always possible to find a specialist in the field in a simple clinic.
Price issue
Mycologist services in public and private clinics are mainly paid. The consultation price may vary depending on the following indicators:
- area of the affected area;
- disease severity;
- number of laboratory tests required;
- doctor qualifications.
The most expensive would be a consultation with a mycologist with a doctorate, and the cheapest would be a consultation with a lower category doctor. Private clinics charge for each examination and prescription of an individual treatment plan.
What is a consultation with a mycologist like?
At the first medical consultation, the patient is interviewed to identify specific skin and nail complaints.
The mycologist will also ask questions about your lifestyle and perform an initial examination of the affected areas. But it is impossible to visually determine the type of fungus, so scraping of dead scales from the skin and nails is carried out.
All samples are sent for laboratory analysis. The materials are examined under a microscope and some of them are placed in a nutrient medium. The analysis, which will determine the exact presence of mushrooms, takes only 3-5 minutes. And to identify a specific type of fungus will take up to 2 weeks.
At the next appointment, the mycologist prescribes treatment, medications are prescribed taking into account the tests carried out and the patient's condition as a whole.
More visits to a mycologist are needed to monitor the healing process, sometimes this takes a long time. The disease may subside in one area of the skin and worsen in another.
The difference between a mycologist and a dermatologist
Specialist in all types ofskin problems – dermatologist.It is used for viral and infectious skin lesions, rashes, eczema, inflammation of the sweat glands, dermatitis and fungal skin diseases.
The first examination is carried out by a dermatologist, who can prescribe the treatment himself or refer you to a mycologist. A mycologist is also a dermatologist who deals in depth with the treatment of skin, hair and nails due to fungal infections.. But it is not always possible to find this doctor in a clinic, and not every city has one.
What tests are prescribed?
- shave the skin on the feet and between the toes;
- analysis of the infected nail plate (its fragment);
- blood tests for allergens and antibodies to ringworm.
Important!
If the studies described above do not bring the desired results, histology is performed to ensure that the patient does not have fungus. In this case, consider the option of mechanically damaging your nails.
External signs of fungus sometimes coincide with signs of other nail damage. Therefore, laboratory tests must show whether there is a fungal infection. Calluses on the nail plate, bruising, changes in the color and shape of the nail may have nothing to do with ringworm.
How is the treatment performed?
The treatment methods used before are no longer effective today, because the medicines do not completely deal with the microorganisms. Doctors select special treatment complexes.
There is no medicine that cures fungus, you need to combine 2 or 3 products. Creams, tablets, solutions, vitamins, droppers, special varnishes and products that dissolve the nail for subsequent removal are widely used in medicine.
Important!
Medicines for the treatment of fungus have a large number of side effects, self-medication should not be allowed! The lesion may move to another location and the disease may become more advanced. Be sure to consult a specialist to deal with the disease as quickly and safely as possible.
Systemic therapy
Mycologists prescribe systemic treatment to their patients to achieve faster recovery.
What can be prescribed to a patient with ringworm? Systemic therapy includes the following measures:
- Oral medications (tablets).
- Local preparations (in the form of creams, ointments, etc. )
- Nail removal through surgery.
Removing the nail plate
The nail can be removed in several ways: surgically and with special means.
Non-surgical removal method does not cause pain, and you won't have to worry about visiting a surgeon. A few days - and a new, uninfected nail will begin to grow.
If the obvious symptoms disappear, the treatment is considered complete, but you need to make sure of this by doing repeated tests, twice.
Tests are performed once at the end of treatment and again after a month from the date of the patient's recovery.
The mycologist must not only prescribe a treatment, but also monitor how it progresses and what results it brings. Even after complete recovery, it is necessary to consult a doctor and take preventive measures to avoid relapses.
laser treatment
Laser treatment is a type of physical therapy. Exposure to a laser beam is not used as a separate method of treatment.
For maximum positive effectlaser therapy is combined with other medications. It improves blood circulation and has a beneficial effect on nourishing the nail plate.
Thus, antimycotic medications penetrate deeper into the infected area. But it is impossible to kill the infection with laser alone. However, there are no contraindications for the procedure, as it reduces the likelihood of reinfection. This is a painless and completely safe method of treating a disease such as onychomycosis.
Therapeutic pedicure
Therapeutic pedicure for nail fungus is performed with the aim of having a healing effect on the nails and skin of the feet.
This procedure prevents the development of the disease and the spread of fungal spores.During a pedicure, the affected areas of skin on the feet and nails are removed..
Therapeutic pedicure is especially important for patients who:
- they often have ingrown nails;
- have many calluses on the feet, calluses, warts on the feet;
- has a thin and weak nail plate.
The main objective of the procedure is disinfection. Therapeutic pedicure helps to remove yellowness, irregularities and swelling from the nails. Before applying varnish, ask your doctor if this is acceptable.
Important!
Be careful and careful when choosing a specialist. Make sure you are qualified and that your pedicure tools have been processed properly.
Prevention of mycosis on the legs
To avoid such an unpleasant disease, you just need to be careful and periodically carry out fungal prevention. A trip to the beach, swimming pool, gym or locker room can result in big problems. The fact is that fungal pathogens are very resistant to external influences. Fungal spores tolerate heating, drying and freezing.
There are several main causes of infection. Follow the rules below to avoid illness:
- do not walk on the beach barefoot;
- in the bathhouse and sauna, wear closed rubber shoes that protect against splashes;
- after bathing, dry your feet well, paying special attention to the folds between your toes, also use a special antifungal powder or cream;
- do not wear someone else's shoes;
- Wear clean socks or tights every day.
Conclusion
When the immune system is strong and functioning normally, leg ringworm does not harm the body even after infection, thanks to the protective capabilities of the immune system. If the fungus begins to spread through the nails, contact a dermatologist or mycologist as soon as possible, who will prescribe the optimal treatment regimen.