What does onychomycosis look like on your toes?

In order to detect pathological changes in the skin of the nails and feet promptly and to start treatment as soon as possible, it is important to know what nail plate fungus looks like. The sooner you take steps to eliminate the disease, the more likely you are to prevent damage to the nail plate and restore its normal appearance. Learn how the fungus behaves in its different stages and what are the hallmarks of the disease process.

What does onychomycosis look like?

To know if your nail plate has a fungal infection (onychomycosis), you need to know what healthy nails look like. Normally, nails are smooth pale pink cuticles that are smooth and have no dents, bumps, or delaminations. Healthy nails are strong and flexible, not thickened. However, changes in its appearance can predict many pathological processes in the body, so it is necessary to recognize the specific symptoms inherent to onychomycosis. They may vary depending on the form of the disease.

1. Nutrition is normal.This is the initial stage of onychomycosis. The cuticles become discolored, develop yellowish-white spots and streaks, and emit an unpleasant odor. This is the initial stage of the disease, so the nails maintain a normal thickness and a relatively healthy appearance. This phase begins at the end of the incubation period.
2. Hypertrophic type:The color changes more, the plate starts to thicken and the shine disappears. Shape changes and partial destruction of the plate along its edges can be observed.
3. Atrophic:The affected nail separates from the nail bed.

Another classification also depends on the appearance of onychomycosis. It involves classifying infections into several types based on which part of the nail is affected by the fungus:

1. remote.The edges of the plate appear delamination and yellowing, and the nail bed becomes keratinized. In some cases, the nail may be affected entirely, and its root (matrix) may also become infected. Thinning of the board may occur.
2. surface.The fungus affects the upper portion of the cuticle, causing white streaks and spots that turn yellow and increase in size over time. They can be easily removed by scraping. The board structure is loose. This type is special: This is how toenail fungus appears.
3. near end.The fungus occurs under the nail and causes damage to the matrix and tissue surrounding the nail plate. Cuticle rejection may occur. Deep grooves and irregularities appear on the nails.
4. All of them.The nails are grayish-yellow, become very thick, and flake. The board suffered complete or partial damage.

foot skin fungus

Often, fungus on your toenails spreads to the skin of your feet. What does fungus on the skin of feet look like?

In the first stage, the infection appears as redness, swelling, and small cracks in the skin.

Most commonly, changes occur between the toes and heels.The next symptom of foot fungus is the appearance of spots on the skin, which will soon begin to itch and peel. Over time, these spots increase in size and the area of skin involved in the fungal infection process becomes larger and larger. Even without shoes, your feet can smell bad. If not treated properly or promptly, foot fungus can progress to an extensive form, forming deep cracks at the base of the toes, between the toes, arches, and heels. Additionally, this stage is characterized by severe separation of the skin.

Diagnosis of fungal nail infection

Anyone who is far from medical knowledge and who knows at least a little bit about the disease can suspect a nail or foot fungal infection. However, only a qualified expert can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan based on external examination, patient surveys, and microscopic study data of the affected nail. In this case, you need to contact a dermatologist.To determine if a patient actually has a fungal infection, a scraper is taken from the affected nail in the laboratory, the material is placed in an alkaline environment, and then examined under a microscope for the presence of fungal mycelium. If such a special structure is found, the diagnosis is absolutely certain. Additional research may be needed to determine the specific type of fungus; this is necessary to select the most effective anti-infective drug.Onychomycosis not only ruins the appearance of your hands and feet, it can also lead to negative consequences, including complete loss of the nail plate and the invasion of fungal infections into the body. Additionally, onychomycosis and foot fungus are contagious diseases, so you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible once symptoms appear to protect your loved ones. The incubation period of the fungus can take several weeks, so the disease does not appear immediately. The sooner you seek expert help and accurately diagnose the disease, the quicker treatment will be and the less money you will spend on expensive drugs with antifungal effects.