One fifth of the European population suffers from mycosis of the legs.
These are the data from a study conducted in all European countries. Fungus on the feet most often begins with interdigital folds, for the following reasons:
- vascular diseases of the legs (21%);
- obesity (17%);
- pathology of the legs - narrow interdigital spaces, diabetic foot, flat feet (15%);
- trauma to the skin, nails and fingers due to tight shoes, sports injuries, pedicure with edges.
Favorite place of occurrence of mycosis of the legs: the narrowest spaces between the 3, 4, 5 toes. From there, the fungus affects all interdigital folds, the skin of the sole with side edges, the back of the foot, nails
How to recognize foot mycosis? Toe Fungus Symptoms
- A crack or funnel appears between the toes, the edges of which are covered with whitish or greenish scaly (scaly) skin;
- The crack may cry from exudate;
- Circular diaper rash with peeling skin (intertriginous symptoms) appears under and between the toes;
- With the erased flow between the fingers, the cracks are barely noticeable, but the peeling takes on a flour-like character (the skin seems to be sprinkled with flour - these are its affected scales). Symptoms are especially common in children;
- There is a slight itch between the fingers, but there is no great discomfort.
In a "dormant", cleared state, the fungus between the toes can remain indefinitely, hiding the symptoms. But the processes will grow. Gradually, the skin appears more and more dry, rough, rough, scaly, acquires a dirty yellow-gray color, horns up to calcification, cracks in particularly rough places.
Simultaneously or sequentially, the stage of onychomycosis occurs: nail lesions that change color, thicken, exfoliate and crumble. They reach such a milestone in the later stages, when symptoms clearly indicate a long-term neglect of health.
The second path of development of the fungus between the fingers is rarer (about 8%). This is a "wet", vesicular or exudative fungus, in which there are vesicular vesicles that burst and ulcerations after them. Such wet mycosis between the toes affects people with high stress, with long hikes, wearing bad, tight and unventilated shoes, with improper fungal therapy, with self-treatment with antimycosis and corticosteroids.
If you sabotage the treatment of the fungus between the toes, 80-100% of patients will be affected by the toenails, 20% on the hands. The look is sad and repulsive, the nail looks like crumbling dust or laundry soap. It can also take on the appearance of a "vulture's claw" or grow. And an ingrown toenail is also a painful treatment.
How to cure interdigital fungus?
Even if all these symptoms appear after many years, it is necessary to start treating the fungus between the fingers right away, because it is a highly contagious and intractable infection.
Let's go to the dermatologist. Before treatment, he scratches his fingers and examines it using microscopy, culture or DNA analysis. Microscopy reveals mycelium filaments or spores.
Systemic treatment consists of taking tablets or capsules with antifungals. Those build up in the horny tissues, penetrate through the blood and destroy the fungus for many weeks after taking the drug
The disadvantage is that systemic drugs are moderately hepatoxic (they have a negative effect on a weak liver), and therefore the treatment cannot be applied to people with a sick liver, pregnant women, nursing women, young and old. The type of drug depends on the nature of the pathogen. If the symptoms are unclear and the type is not established, treatment with a broad-spectrum drug is prescribed. The use of systemic drugs is still a risk; in the advanced stages, they need to be treated for a long time.
You can also treat with local medications that are applied to the lesions. Such drugs often have a wide range of effects and kill both fungi and bacteria. The treatment is long and intense, so you should immediately inform your doctor if your funds are limited.
Home therapy and prevention of fungal infections. It is useless to cure the fungus on your own. The information allows us to talk about its exceptional survivability and high recurring potential.
Prevention is an effective remedy.
- Check family members for fungal symptoms. Intrafamilial contamination is common. Everyone must be treated;
- Do not use someone else's shoes, socks, pedicure sets, do not dry yourself with an ordinary towel;
- Not all mushrooms die even at 100 degrees Celsius, but a significant part - yes, so wash bed linen and towels at 90 degrees;
- Disinfect shoes with an antifungal spray once a month, bathroom surfaces once a week;
- In public places, do not go barefoot and do pedicures in well-disinfected salons;
- For the prevention of fungus, you can use antifungal ointment, which is applied to clean and dry feet;
- Do not put on shoes until your feet are dry.
Dermatologists also recommend doing a pedicure at least once a month and a half, removing dead tissue. It is in them that the fungus likes to settle. Better to be careful than cure later.
In the clinic, you can undergo examination and consultation with a dermatovenerologist.