In many people, the nails and skin are affected by the fungus, which doesn't look very nice. It is important to understand that this is not just a cosmetic problem, but primarily a medical problem.
In some cases, fungal skin lesions can lead to serious diseases, such as diabetes. Do not start the disease, because the treatment process takes on average a year or more.
How can you get skin and nail fungus?
More than 40 species of various parasitic fungi (dermatophytes) are known that can affect the skin and nails. The most common are representatives of the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. For growth and reproduction, they use a special substrate - keratin, which consists of the upper layer of the skin (epidermis), hair and nails. Penetrating into the epidermis or nail plate, the fungus settles there, begins to grow and multiply.
You can get infected with a sick person, through objects (towels, wooden shelves in a bathhouse, sauna, carpets, benches in public swimming pools, manicure / pedicure tools) and contact with the ground if you like walking barefoot in nature .
Groups at risk
The most common types of fungal diseases include mycosis of the skin of the feet and onychomycosis of the nails. From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first clinical symptoms, it takes from a few weeks to several months.
More often than others, men suffer from fungal diseases. Among women, those who constantly wear pointy shoes, especially high heels, are more likely to develop the disease. In this case, the toes are constantly flattened, which leads to friction, small wounds, abrasions, which are the entrance gate for infection.
You can also "catch" a mushroom in a regular beauty salon during a pedicure procedure if the master used improperly elaborate tools. To remove spores and fragments of fungi from the metal surfaces of wire cutters, scissors and tweezers, the tools must be sterilized in a dry heat hood. Not all salons have such equipment, so they just "soak" in a disinfectant solution and "dry" in ultraviolet boxes. This treatment does not fully protect against infections.
Frequent accession of a fungal infection can signal the development of diabetes. According to statistics, diabetics are three times more susceptible to mycosis. The fungus can also appear with allergic skin lesions (itching, inflammation, crying), combing of insect bites, when taking antibacterial drugs, corticosteroid hormones, antidepressants.
The symptoms of athlete's foot
- Dry skin, cracking, peeling in the interdigital folds.
- Itching.
- Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin on the feet).
- Enlargement of the lesions.
- In some cases, a staph infection joins the fungal infection, which is quite difficult to cure.
Symptoms of onychomycosis (nail fungus)
Of all nail diseases, nail fungus accounts for up to 40%. Dermatophytes account for up to 90% of all fungal nail infections. The most common pathogens are fungi of the genus Trichophyton.
The appearance of the fungus in this case can be preceded by injuries to the nail or the constant softening of the nail plate due to high humidity. This, for example, is possible by wearing the same pair of shoes / sneakers every day.
As the infection progresses, the color of the nail changes: part of the nail becomes yellow, grayish or whitish. Over time, the spot grows and the nail itself thickens - the development of subungual hyperkeratosis occurs.
Diagnosis of fungal diseases
For the diagnosis of fungal infections and onychomycosis, special tests for the detection of fungi are used. The biomaterial (hair fragments, nails, skin particles) is analyzed under the microscope. If the infection has occurred and the threads of the mycelium (the body of the fungus) are visible, the diagnosis is confirmed.
If microscopic examinations give an ambiguous answer, a bacteriological examination is performed, sowing the material on the fungi. The test allows not only to identify the infection, but also to determine the sensitivity to antifungal drugs, which is necessary for the selection of effective treatments.
How to protect yourself from fungi
- Dry your feet after a bath or shower, especially between the toes.
- If you wear closed shoes, change your socks / socks every day.
- Change your shoes every two or three days, don't wear the same pair every day.
- Do not walk barefoot in public places (swimming pool, bathroom, sauna, fitness club).
- If someone in your family has a fungal disease, provide them with a separate set of towels and sheets. Wash them separately at the maximum temperature.
- If you have fungus on the same foot or nails, use two different manicure / pedicure sets to avoid spreading the infection to healthy areas.
- If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar levels. "High sugar" reduces the healing rate of wounds on the skin ("diabetic foot"), which makes it easier for a fungal infection to enter.
Be healthy!