One fifth of the European population suffers from fungal infection of the legs.
These are data from a study carried out in all European countries. The 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 leg - narrow interdigital spaces, diabetic foot, flat feet (15%);
- trauma to skin, nails and fingers from tight shoes, sports injuries, sharp edged pedicure.
Preferred place of occurrence of mycosis of the legs - the narrowest spaces between the 3, 4, 5 toes. From there, the fungus affects all the interdigital folds, the skin of the sole with side edges, the back of the foot, the nails
How to recognize the fungus of the foot? Symptoms of toe fungus
- A crack or funnel appears between the toes, the edges of which are covered with whitish or greenish scaly skin (scaly);
- The crack may be oozing with exudate;
- A circular diaper rash with peeling skin appears under and between the fingers (intertriginous symptoms);
- With the discharge cleared between the toes, the cracks are barely noticeable, but the coat takes on a flour-like character (the skin looks like it is dusted with flour - these are its affected scales). Symptoms are particularly common in children;
- There is a slight itch between the fingers, but there is no great discomfort.
In a "dormant", erased state, the fungus between the toes can remain indefinitely, hiding the symptoms. But the processes will develop. Gradually, the skin looks more and more dry, rough, rough, scaly, acquires a dirty yellow-gray color, horns to calcification, cracks in especially rough places.
Simultaneously or sequentially, the stage of onychomycosis occurs - lesions of the nails that change color, thicken, exfoliate and crumble. They come to such an end in the later stages, when the symptoms clearly indicate long-term neglect of health.
The second way of development of the fungus between the fingers is rarer (about 8%). It is a "wet", vesicular or oozing fungus, in which there are bursting vesicular vesicles and ulcers after them. Such a wet mycosis between the toes affects people with severe stress, with long hikes, wearing bad shoes, tight and unventilated, with improper fungal treatment, 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 disgusting, the nail looks like crumbling dust or laundry soap. It can also take on or develop in the appearance of a "vulture's claw". And an ingrown toenail is also a painful treatment.
How to cure interdigital fungi?
Even though all of these symptoms occur after many years, you should start treating the fungus between your fingers right away, as it is a highly contagious and intractable infection.
We go to the dermatologist. Before treating, he scrapes it with his fingers and examines it by microscopy, culture or DNA analysis. Microscopy reveals filaments or spores of mycelium.
Systemic treatment consists of taking tablets or capsules with antimycotics. These accumulate in the horny tissue, enter the bloodstream and destroy the fungus for many weeks after taking the medicine.
The downside is that the systemic drugs are moderately hepatoxic (they have a bad effect on a weak liver), and therefore the treatment cannot be applied to people with a diseased liver, pregnant women, lactating women, youngand elderly. The type of drug depends on the nature of the pathogen. If the symptoms are not clear and the type is not established, treatment with a broad-spectrum drug is prescribed. The use of systemic drugs is always a risk; at an advanced stage, they must be treated for a long time.
You can also treat with local medicines applied to the lesions. These drugs often have a wide range of effects and kill both fungi and bacteria. The treatment is long and intense, so you should tell your doctor immediately if your funds are limited.
Home therapy and prevention of fungal infections. You do not need to treat the fungus yourself. The information allows us to talk about its exceptional survival capacity and its strong recurring potential.
Prevention is an effective remedy.
- Check family members for fungal symptoms. Intra-familial contamination is common. All must be treated;
- Do not use someone else's shoes, socks, pedicure kit, do not wipe yourself with an ordinary towel;
- Not all fungi die even at 100 degrees Celsius, but an important part - yes, then wash bedding and bath linen at 90 degrees;
- Disinfect shoes with antimycotin spray once a month, bathroom surfaces once a week;
- In public places, do not go barefoot and do pedicures in well-sanitized salons;
- For the prevention of fungus, you can use antimycotic ointment, which is applied to clean, dry feet;
- Do not put on your shoes until your feet are dry.
Dermatologists also advise 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 beware than cure later.
In the clinic, you can undergo an examination and consultation with a dermatovenerologist.