This article will focus on such an unpleasant, but, alas, quite common phenomenon, such as toenail fungus. The symptoms and causes of this disease are known to medical science and can be easily diagnosed at all stages. However, it can only be detected with a careful attitude to one's health. How to identify toenail fungus? How to treat it? Are the advertised ointments effective?
What are the causes of nail fungus?
Nail fungus is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads with particular success in places with a temperate and tropical climate, that is, where it is humid and hot. However, paradoxically, residents of cold countries very often get sick with nail fungus. This is due to the fact that in severe climates, you have to constantly wear warm shoes with socks. The foot sweats, the sock gets wet and the person is forced to remain in this state for a long time without the possibility of changing shoes. This is the best way to promote the formation of nail fungus. Before we talk about how to identify toenail fungus, let's find out who is most susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
At risk are people whose feet cannot breathe during the day due to tight shoes. These are miners, power plant workers, gardeners and representatives of other occupational specialties. The mushroom can be "harvested" by working in the laundry, swimming pool, hotel, restaurant.
What diseases can serve as a prerequisite
Often, not only representatives of the above professions suffer from this ailment, but also people who have type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, deformity of the feet, varicose veins can be a prerequisite for the formation of the fungusof the nails. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nail nutrition due to blockage or obstruction of blood vessels. That is why the creams advertised today, as well as the glazes supposedly designed to protect against fungi, will be completely useless in the fight against disease. After all, it is often caused by internal ailments, and external influences will not eliminate the problems.
Who is at risk?
Several decades ago, nail fungus was diagnosed in most cases in older people. However, every year the number of patients suffering from nail fungus increases, and the disease itself is becoming younger.
Official data show that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. At the same time, it is women who turn to a dermatologist much more often with this problem. The fair sex is more concerned about their own health and does not find anything shameful in consulting a doctor.
Next, we will consider why getting fungus treatment advice from a dermatologist is so important, and we will also talk about how to determine the fungus on the nails and what symptoms it has at each stage of its development.
What does nail fungus look like?
This disease is not fatal, but, of course, it is necessary to get rid of it. Fortunately, recognizing the onset of a disease is easy for anyone. How to identify the fungus on the feet? See below for suggestions. First of all, take a closer look at your nails.
The first thing to pay attention to is this nail color. The nail affected by the fungus becomes dull and dull yellow. Depending on the stage of the disease, the affected person can be the edge of the nail plate, the base or the entire nail.
Pay attention to the thickness of the nail
Answering the question of how to determine nail fungus, changes in the nail plate should also be mentioned. Despite the fact that due to the disease, the nail becomes thinner, visually and by sensations it seems to become thicker and swollen.
How to identify nail fungus? To detect the presence of an infection, a visual examination of the nail plate is not sufficient. Mix potassium permanganate and water in a ratio of 1 to 5, soak your nails in the resulting solution for half a minute. The healthy nail will be colored and brown. Part of the affected plaque will remain white.
Stages of the disease
The disease proceeds in four stages. The earlier you start treatment, the more likely you are to get rid of nail fungus permanently.
The first stage is characterized by damage to the edge of the nail. As mentioned above, the color of the plate changes, bulges appear. The nail grows of poor quality, hollow and then breaks and crumbles.
An increase in the area of the lesion will become a sign of the second stage. Also, it should be noted that sometimes the second stage can begin as bypassing the first. The defeat of the nail plate will begin not from the edge, but at the base of the nail. It will be more problematic to recover from nail fungus in the second stage than in the first.
How to identify toenail fungus 3? In medicine, it is called a superficial white fungus and it appears that the entire plate is affected. It has a dense white color, strongly crumbles at the edges.
The fourth stage is called total dystrophic fungus. The nail has a yellowish-gray color, gives off a peculiar unpleasant smell and strongly crumbles. In the fourth stage, you can often see the exposed part of the skin under the broken nail, as it has grown due to the fungus, in most cases it breaks.
The reason for contacting a dermatologist is often the independent identification of the fourth stage of the nail fungus. Do not search forums or the Internet for advice on how to effectively treat nail fungus. It is best to consult a specialist at the first symptoms of the disease.
What to expect from a visit to the doctor?
Probably, in each of us there is a fear of doctors. However, don't be afraid to contact a dermatologist if you suspect you have nail fungus. The specialist will carry out an external examination and also take a scraping of the upper horny layer of the nail to send it to the laboratory for diagnosis. A detailed analysis will reveal what has become the causative agent of the disease, determine the type of fungus, and also tell the doctor what kind of treatment should be prescribed.
The treatment of a nail fungus takes a long time. It can last anywhere from a month to three. After the course of treatment, it will be necessary to repeat the tests, even if the above symptoms are not observed.
A few words about effective treatment
So, now we know how to identify toenail fungus. The methods are given above. Now it is worth saying a few words about the treatment that you can do on your own. The drug Naftifine proved to be quite effective. However, it is not necessary to use an ointment, but a solution. This drug can also be used in case of foot fungus infection.
How is Naftifin used? If you have a fungus in the first stage of the disease, lubricate the affected nail surface twice a day. Keep your nails dry and well washed. In the later stages of the disease, you cannot do without taking pills. However, in this case, the use of Naftifin should not be stopped - this will increase the effect of the effects of drugs.
Before applying the product, carefully clean the affected nail surface with a manicure device. However, you need to be extremely careful when doing this. After perfect manipulations, it is necessary to apply Naftifin solution on the cleaned area. Repeat twice a day.
summing up
The article provides an answer to the question of how to identify toenail fungus. However, it is worth remembering that self-medication does not always lead to complete recovery. If the thickness or color of your nails changes, you should see a doctor.
According to the degree of damage to the nail plate, the fungus can be divided into four stages. If at the first stage the disease does not cause alarm, as it does not greatly deform the nail plate, at the fourth stage you can easily lose your nails. Don't hesitate to contact a dermatologist.
Self-medication is strongly discouraged, succumbing to advertising exhortations about the effectiveness of a particular drug. Cream or any other agent applied to the nail plate from the outside will not eliminate the causative agent of the disease and, therefore, will be ineffective. As a result, you will only delay the treatment process, masking the manifestation of the disease. It is also worth not forgetting that the nail fungus not only looks unsightly, but is also a kind of beacon, which indicates the presence of ailments in the body.