Fungus on the feet: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Fungus on the feet is considered to be a fairly common disease. Everyone is prone to mycosis. Infection occurs by touching an infected area of the skin or a damaged nail particle. A doctor should treat the fungus on the feet. He will choose an effective remedy that will quickly eliminate the disease.

Causes of the fungus

Fungus on the legs, which should be treated by an experienced specialist, can occur for the following reasons:

1. Pool water, shower or sauna are breeding grounds for various infections. When visiting these places, you must bring your own shoes. Walking barefoot on the floor is not recommended.
2. A humid environment is ideal for rapid growth and multiplication of the fungus.
3. Dried mushroom particles can exist for several years. As soon as they enter a favorable environment, they will begin to actively develop.
4. This disease is often caused by metabolic disorders or endocrine system problems.
5. Often, the disease occurs in those people whose foot is deformed or blood circulation is impaired.

Symptoms of fungi

Symptoms of the disease are determined by its type. There are several forms:

• scaly;
• dyshidrotic;
• intertrigue;
• onychomycosis of the feet;
• candidiasis.

Scaly form

At first, the disease manifests itself on one leg. If you don't start the treatment in time, move on to the second foot. Symptoms of the disease should be considered:

• the appearance of redness on the skin;
• peeling of the lining;
• itching (not always associated with the disease).

Often, a person who is sick with scaly infection does not bother at anything. Therefore, with this form, a doctor is only consulted when the infection has spread to both legs.

Dyshidrotic form

This disease is characterized by the appearance of small bubbles (2 to 8 mm in diameter) on the arch of the foot. As a rule, they are formed in the place where the leg does not touch the floor when walking. After a while, the small fires merge into the large ones and open. The result is skin erosion.

The process spreads from the arch to the inner side of the leg. At the site of the opening of the bubbles, a large erosion focus occurs, and then diaper rash. Often, a person feels itching and pain in the places where blisters form.

After the erosion heals and dries, peeling will occur in this place. If you don't start treatment in time, the dyshidrotic form of the disease will develop into scaly.

Intertrigue form

This disease can manifest itself on its own or against the background of the scaly form of the fungus. Typically, the process begins with cracks in the skin between the fourth and fifth toes.

Symptoms of the disease should be considered:

• the appearance of a white border resulting from exfoliation of the epidermis;
• the occurrence of weeping wounds between the fingers;
• burning sensation and pain;
• constant itching.

The interreligious form of fungal infection of the legs has a chronic course. In winter, the disease subsides, and in summer it gets worse. Lack of proper treatment contributes to the loss of the protective properties of the skin and the penetration of streptococcal infection into the body. As a result, a pustular inflammatory process develops.

Onychomycosis of the feet

This disease is a platinum nail lesion. The disease develops starting from the free edge of the nail. First, yellow spots and streaks appear on the plate.

With hypertrophic onychomycosis, the nail becomes thicker and turns yellow. It crumbles and flakes easily. The underlying skin is thickened.

In the atrophic form of the disease, the nail plate becomes thinner and gradually collapses. Under it, a keratinized layer of skin is formed.

Candida lesion

In this form, the lesions are often found between the third and fourth, as well as between the fourth and fifth toes. Symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• the skin is edematous and red in color;
• abscesses or blisters appear near the focus;
• a border of the exfoliated upper layer of the skin forms around the redness.

You should visit your doctor as soon as you notice the first signs. They can be itchy, burning, painful or peeling of the skin. After an examination, a specialist will diagnose and prescribe treatment. If you ignore the symptoms, the infection will affect the entire foot, including the nail plate. In this case, it will be difficult to cure the fungus on the legs. Therefore, it is not worth starting the disease.

How to treat foot fungus

A doctor can choose an effective course. It is necessary to consult a specialist and give voice to the symptoms that bother you. An experienced specialist will quickly determine how to treat a foot fungus.

Medicines

Many different products can be found in pharmacies.

Special drugs are antifungal agents that inhibit the growth of the fungus. They are available in the form of tablets and capsules, ointments and gels, suspension, syrup and solution. The dosage, dosage regimen and duration of treatment are determined by the attending physician.

Folk remedies

Fungal diseases are chronic and do not pose a great danger to human health.

Traditional treatment methods are effective only in the early stages. During this period, the symptoms of the disease have not yet been observed, it can be difficult to recognize the fungus. That is why folk remedies are best used in addition to drug treatment.

The most common method of getting rid of fungus is with a vinegar bath. It has a surprising antiseptic effect. The bath is done like this:

1. Wash your feet in warm water and dry them with a towel.
2. Pour a solution of wine vinegar into a basin.
3. Lower your legs and hold your pelvis for 3-5 minutes.
4. Take your legs out and put on your socks dipped in a vinegar solution.

Treatment is best done before bedtime. Then the socks should be removed in the morning.

Baking soda and sea salt baths are also effective for treating the feet. They are made like this:

1. Dissolve a tablespoon of salt and soda in a sufficient volume of water.
2. Lower your feet into the solution.
3. After 15 minutes, wash your feet with warm water.

It is better to wash the feet with a decoction of herbs. For this, calendula, medicinal verbena, oak bark are suitable. The broth is made as follows:

1. The ingredients are mixed in equal quantities.
2. 3 tablespoons of the mixture are poured into a glass of water.
3. The container is put on a small fire.
4. Heats up within 20 minutes.
5. The solution is filtered and cooled.
6. The broth is used for rinsing the feet and for lotions.

You can prepare an ointment for the affected areas of the feet. For this, pork fat and sifted ash are taken. The ingredients are mixed until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. The ointment is applied to the cleansed skin of the feet in the morning and evening.

Disease prevention

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, avoid wearing closed shoes all the time. Excessive sweating of the feet often leads to the development of fungal diseases.

It should be borne in mind that the mushroom easily tolerates low temperatures. After entering a normal environment, it becomes active and begins to develop rapidly. Therefore, freezing is not a prophylaxis or a method of fighting bacteria.

Boiling can kill the fungus. To prevent disease, it is necessary to wash clothes at a high temperature and then iron them.

To avoid fungal infection, you need to use only your own things and shoes, thoroughly sterilize tools for pedicure and manicure. By adhering to simple rules, you can protect yourself from such a difficult disease to cure.