According to dermatologists, mycoses, especially fungus 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 mycotic infections. Cracks, micro-abrasions, abrasions, calluses, etc. predispose to the development of fungus on the toes. Sweaty feet play an important role in the occurrence of this unpleasant and significant disease in young people. In older people, fungus develops between the toes for reasons related to extremity diseases, metabolic disorders, etc. Overweight people are particularly susceptible to leg fungus.
Symptoms of fungus between the toes
Mycoses of the lower extremities start with an interdigital fungus, which then spreads to other areas. Symptoms of toe fungus vary. The number of signs of the disease depends on its stage. At first, there are few signs. They appear as redness between the fingers 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 the cracks, oozing 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 looks like between your toes.
Interdigital toe fungus is almost always associated with onychomycosis, a fungus of the nail plates. The fungus progresses slowly but steadily into healthy areas of the skin of the foot. Acute form without appropriate 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 nail fungus between the toes, it is necessary to diagnose it. Identifying leg fungus is not difficult for a specialist. It is enough to examine the skin between the toes and notice the characteristic signs of this disease. To find out how to treat fungus between the toes and what kind of fungal flora lives on the patient's skin, 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 then select the most effective methods and means of future treatment.
Treatment
Treatment of fungus between the toes, as well as in 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 early stages of the disease. First of all, the doctor selects antimycotic drugs. They are effective when the infection has not yet spread beyond the interdigital space. Today the market for these drugs is quite wide, which allows effective treatment of fungus between the toes. But self-medication of a disease, even at its initial stage, is risky, due to the wrong choice of remedy, which may not solve the problem, but aggravate it. Only a dermatologist can select and prescribe local antimycotics. Proven dosage forms are ointments and creams. They should be applied in a thin layer to the interdigital space, covering cracks and ulcers. It is mandatory to treat areas not affected by the fungus in order to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Which dosage form is better: ointment or cream? It is best to use the ointment on flaky and dry 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 at the stage of more pronounced symptoms of the disease. It is used for oozing and erosive ulcers between the fingers. Typically, ointments and creams are prescribed. The ointment is applied at night to the affected areas. It is best to use the cream during the day.
Before using ointments and creams, the feet must be prepared - thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap and dried.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Inflammatory phenomena in the affected areas can be treated with foot baths. Baths with a slightly pinkish solution of manganese give a good effect. Such baths dry out oozing ulcers and relieve inflammation around them. After bathing, glucocorticoid ointments are applied to the legs.
Treatment of bacterial infection
An unpleasant odor coming from the feet indicates a layer of bacterial infection and fungus between the toes. Treatment of a complicated form of foot fungus involves the prescription of drugs combined with antibiotics.
Systemic treatment of fungi with tablets
In patients with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the blood vessels of the legs and those who have been taking antibiotics for a long time, treatment with local drugs may turn out to be ineffective. In such cases, systemic therapy is used. These are most often drugs from the triazole group.
These medications are prescribed strictly by a specialist doctor for serious indications. They have limitations, since their use is associated with side effects in the form of dysbiosis, dyspeptic disorders, impaired kidney and liver function, etc. The course of systemic treatment prescribed by the doctor cannot be interrupted without sufficient reason. Interrupted treatment can lead to resistance to a number of drugs, primarily antibiotics.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine is also used to treat foot fungus. They can give a beneficial effect at 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 important composition of the substances it contains and the vinegar. Grind a small piece of old kombucha, rinsed well with water, and rub it into the interdigital space. You can use kombucha for a month. Repeat the treatment as a prophylactic measure after two weeks.
Propolis tincture
Another popular remedy in traditional medicine is propolis tincture. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal effects. A cotton swab or bandage soaked in propolis tincture is wrung out and placed between the fingers. You need to put cotton socks on top and leave them on overnight. The duration of treatment is 15 to 20 days. Since the tincture is alcohol-based, you need to lubricate your feet with a nourishing cream after removing the lotion.
Celandine juice
Juice of blooming celandine is a powerful remedy for the initial stage of fungus between the toes. To obtain it, simply crush the green parts of the plant and extract the juice. It is used as an independent remedy that can simply be used to lubricate skin areas damaged by fungus. With daily use of celandine juice, 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 bath for 25 to 30 minutes. After bathing, remove dead skin between your 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 are preventable. Following simple recommendations will help prevent fungal infections:
- respect the rules of personal hygiene. Washing your feet daily with antibacterial soap will help prevent excessive sweating. To prevent your feet from burning, you should not wear tight and uncomfortable shoes. From time to time it is necessary to disinfect shoes;
- When visiting public saunas, baths and swimming pools, you must wear special shoes;
- keep the bath clean by disinfecting it regularly with cleaning products and hot water;
- Personal hygiene items – washcloths and sponges – should be regularly treated with disinfectant solutions. Never use someone else’s washcloths and sponges;
- monitor the condition of your feet. For care use special creams containing components that prevent the development of fungal infections.
And of course, we must not forget about strengthening the immune system. After all, mycotic infections, including fungus on the toes between the toes, occur in people whose immunity cannot cope with the fungi, the spores of which are constantly around us. And only people with weakened immune systems develop fungal diseases.