According to dermatologists, mycoses, including fungi between the toes, develop against a background of weakened immunity. The skin of the feet, and especially between the toes, is sensitive to the negative influence of shoes and lack of personal hygiene. These factors make it vulnerable to fungal infections. Splits, microabrasions, abrasions, calluses, etc. predispose to the development of fungus on the toes. Sweaty feet play an important role in the onset of this unpleasant disease, which is important for young people. In older people, fungi develop between the toes for reasons related to diseases of the extremities, metabolic disorders, etc. Overweight people are particularly susceptible to leg mycosis.
Symptoms of fungus between the toes
Mycosis of the lower extremities begins with an interdigital fungus, which then spreads to other areas. Symptoms of fungus between the toes vary. The number of signs of the disease depends on its stage. In the first phase there are few signals. They manifest themselves as redness between the toes and itching. Then, if the infection is not stopped, symptoms develop further. Bubbles appear, burst and form cracks. They can get wet and cause pain. When bacterial flora accumulates at the site of cracks, weeping ulcers appear. The fungus between the toes is characterized by severe itching. When the blisters are scratched, the infection spreads further. This is what toenail fungus between your toes looks like.
Interdigital fungus on the toes is almost always combined with onychomycosis, a nail fungus. The fungus progresses slowly but steadily into healthy areas of the skin on the foot. The acute form without adequate and timely treatment becomes chronic. The surface of the foot and the spaces between the toes become rough and acquire a yellowish-dirty color.
Diagnosis of interdigital fungus
Before determining how to treat toenail fungus between your toes, you need to diagnose it. Identifying mycosis of the legs is not difficult for a specialist. Just examine the skin between the toes and see the characteristic signs of this disease. To find out how to treat fungi between the toes and what kind of fungal flora lives on the patient's skin, a scraping is taken from the affected areas and sent to the laboratory. Inoculation of fungal spores allows you to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease and thus select the most effective methods and means for future treatment.
Treatment
Treatment of fungus between toes and other areas should be carried out in a complex manner. It includes the following types of treatment:
- Local;
- anti-inflammatory;
- antibacterial;
- systemic.
Local therapy
Local therapy is effective in the initial stages of the disease. First, the doctor selects antifungal drugs. They are effective when the infection has not yet spread beyond the interdigital space. Today the market for such drugs is quite large, which allows effective treatment of fungi between the toes. But self-medicating an illness even in its initial phase is risky, due to the wrong choice of remedy, which may not solve the problem, but may even aggravate it. Only a dermatologist can select and prescribe local antifungals. Well-proven dosage forms are ointments and creams. They should be applied in a thin layer in the interdigital space, covering cracks and ulcers. It is mandatory to treat areas not affected by the fungus to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Which dosage form is better: ointment or cream? It is best to use the ointment on dry, scaly areas. It is convenient to use it under a bandage for better penetration into the underlying layers of the dermis. The cream is recommended for use in the phase of the most pronounced symptoms of the disease. It is used for weeping and erosive ulcers between the toes. Both ointments and creams are usually prescribed. The ointment is applied to the affected areas at night. It is better to use the cream during the day.
Before using ointments and creams, feet should be prepared, washed thoroughly with antibacterial soap and dried.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Inflammatory phenomena in the affected areas can be treated with foot baths. Baths with a slightly pink manganese solution give a good effect. Such baths dry weeping ulcers and relieve inflammation around them. After the bath, ointments with glucocorticosteroids are applied to the legs.
Treatment for bacterial infection
An unpleasant odor from the feet indicates a layer of bacterial and fungal infection between the toes. Treatment of a complicated form of foot fungus involves prescribing drugs combined with antibiotics.
Systemic treatment of fungi with tablets
In patients with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the blood vessels of the legs, and in those who have taken antibiotics for a long time, treatment with local drugs may be ineffective. In these cases, systemic therapy is used. Most often these are drugs from the triazole group.
These drugs are prescribed strictly by a medical specialist for serious indications. They have limitations, since their use is associated with side effects in the form of dysbiosis, dyspeptic disorders, impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver, etc. The course of systemic therapy prescribed by the doctor cannot be stopped without sufficient reasons. Discontinuation of treatment can lead to resistance to numerous drugs, mainly antibiotics.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine is also used to treat foot fungus. They can give a good effect in the initial stage of the disease, relieve symptoms such as itching and redness.
One of the proven remedies is kombucha.
Kombucha treatment
Its effectiveness is explained by the wide composition of the substances contained in it and the vinegar. Grind a small piece of old kombucha, rinse it well in water and rub it into the interdigital space. You can use kombucha for a month. Repeat the course of treatment as prophylaxis after two weeks.
Propolis tincture
Another popular remedy in folk medicine is propolis tincture. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal effects. A cotton ball or bandage swab moistened with propolis tincture is wrung out and placed between the fingers. You should wear cotton socks on top and leave them on all night. The course of treatment is 15-20 days. Since the tincture is alcohol-based, you should lubricate your feet with a nourishing cream after removing the lotion.
Celandine juice
A powerful remedy for the initial stage of the fungus between the toes is the juice of flowering celandine. To obtain it, simply crush the green parts of the plant and squeeze the juice. It is used as an independent remedy that can simply be used to lubricate skin areas damaged by fungi. With daily use of celandine juice, the uninfected fungus disappears within 2 weeks.
Foot baths
Apple cider vinegar baths have a good healing effect. Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to 2 liters of warm water. And keep your feet in the bathtub for 25-30 minutes. After bathing, remove dead skin between the fingers and apply medicinal ointment.
Vinegar baths can be alternated with celandine baths.
Prevention of fungus on the feet between the toes
Although fungal infections are common, they can be avoided. Following simple recommendations will help prevent fungal infections:
- observe the rules of personal hygiene. Washing your feet every day with antibacterial soap helps prevent excessive sweating. To prevent your feet from burning, you should not wear tight, uncomfortable shoes. From time to time it is necessary to disinfect your shoes;
- When visiting saunas, baths and public swimming pools, it is necessary to wear special shoes;
- keep the bathroom clean by disinfecting it regularly with cleaning products and hot water;
- Personal hygiene items – wipes and sponges – should be regularly treated with disinfectant solutions. Never use someone else's wipes and sponges;
- monitor the condition of your feet. For treatment, use special creams that contain components that prevent the development of fungal infections.
And, of course, we must not forget about strengthening the immune system. After all, fungal infections, including fungi between the toes, occur in those people whose immunity cannot cope with the fungi, the spores of which are constantly around us. And only people with a weakened immune system develop fungal diseases.