This article will focus on such an unpleasant, but unfortunately quite common phenomenon like nail 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 own health. How to identify nail fungus? How to treat it? Are the advertised ointments effective?
What causes nail fungus?
Nail fungus is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads especially successfully in places with a temperate and tropical climate, that is, where it is humid and hot. However, paradoxically, people in cold countries most often get sick with nail fungus. This is due to the fact that in harsh climates you must constantly wear warm shoes with socks. The foot sweats, the sock becomes wet, and the person is forced to stay in this state for a long time without being able to change shoes. This is the best way to promote the formation of nail fungus. Before we talk about how to identify toenail fungus, let's see who is most susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
People whose feet cannot breathe during the day due to tight shoes are at risk. They are miners, power plant workers, gardeners and representatives of other specialties of work. The fungus can be "picked up" by working in the laundry room, in the swimming pool, in the hotel, in the restaurant.
What diseases can serve as a prerequisite
Often not only representatives of the above professions suffer from this disease, but also people with type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, deformation of the feet, varicose veins can be a prerequisite for the formation of mycosisnails. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nutrition of the nails due to blockage or obstruction of the blood vessels. That is why the creams announced today, as well as the nail polishes that are supposed to protect against fungus, will be completely useless in the fight against diseases. After all, it is often caused by internal ailments, and external influences will not eradicate the problems.
Who is at risk?
Many decades ago, nail fungus was diagnosed in the elderly in most cases. However, every year the number of patients suffering from nail fungus increases, and the disease itself is getting younger.
Official data shows that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. At the same time, it is women who much more often turn to a dermatologist with this problem. The fairer sex cares more about her health and finds nothing to be ashamed of in seeing a doctor.
Next, we will consider why it is so important to get recommendations on the treatment of the fungus from a dermatologist, as well as how you can determine the fungus on the nails and the symptoms that it presents 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, it is easy for anyone to recognize the onset of illness. How to identify the fungi on the feet? See below for tips. First of all, take a closer look at your nails.
The first thing to watch out for is this nail color. The nail affected by the fungus turns dull yellow and opaque. Depending on the stage of the disease, those affected may be the edge of the nail plate, the base, or the entire nail.
Pay attention to the thickness of the nail
To answer the question of how to determine nail fungus, it is also worth mentioning the changes in the nail plate. Despite the fact that due to the disease the nail becomes thinner, visually and by sensation it seems to become thicker and swell.
How to identify nail fungus? In order to detect the presence of 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 takes place in four stages. The sooner 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 in poor quality, hollow and therefore breaks and crumbles.
An increase in the area of the lesion will become a sign of the second stage. In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the second stage can start as if it bypassed the first. The defeat of the nail plate will not begin at 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 stage 3 toenail fungus? In medicine, it is called a fungus with a white surface and it looks like all the plaque 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, has a peculiar unpleasant odor and crumbles strongly. 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 peels off.
The reason for contacting a dermatologist is often the independent identification of the fourth stage of nail fungus. Do not search forums or the Internet for advice on how to effectively treat nail fungus. It is better to consult a specialist at the first symptoms of the disease.
What to expect from a visit to the doctor?
There is probably a fear of doctors in all of us. However, don't be afraid to contact a dermatologist if you think you have nail fungus. The specialist will perform an external examination and also scrape the top stratum corneum of the nail in order to send it to the laboratory for diagnosis. A detailed analysis will reveal what became the causative agent of the disease, determine the type of fungus, and also tell the doctor what kind of treatment to prescribe.
Treating nail fungus takes time. It can take anywhere from a month to three. After the treatment, you will need to retest, 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 has proven itself. However, you don't need to use an ointment, but a solution. This medicine can also be used in case of fungal infection of the foot.
How to use Naftifin? If you have a fungus in the first stage of the disease, lubricate the affected surface of the nail twice a day. Keep your nails dry and well washed. At the next stages of the disease, you can not 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 the drugs.
Before applying the product, thoroughly clean the affected surface of the nail with a manicure device. However, you must be extremely careful when doing this. After perfect manipulations, it is necessary to apply the Naftifin solution to the cleaned area. Repeat twice a day.
To summarize
The article provides an answer to the question of how to identify the nail fungus. However, it should be remembered that self-medication does not always lead to a full recovery. If the thickness or color of your nails changes, you should see a doctor.
Depending on 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 an alarm, because it does not significantly deform the nail plate, then at the fourth stage you can easily lose your nails. Do not hesitate to contact a dermatologist.
It is strongly recommended not to self-medicate, by succumbing to advertising exhortations on the effectiveness of a particular drug. Cream or any other agent applied to the nail plate from the outside will not get rid of the causative agent of the disease, and therefore ineffective. As a result, you will only delay the treatment process, masking the manifestation of the disease. It should also be remembered that nail fungus not only looks unsightly, but is also a kind of beacon, indicating the presence of disorders in the body.