Fungus on the feet: what it looks like, type of pathology and degree of damage, treatment

One of the most unpleasant skin diseases is fungal disease. Depending on the degree of damage, diseases can be divided into two categories: dermatomycoses and onychomycoses. In the first case, the skin is affected, in the second, the nails. To successfully get rid of harmful microorganisms, you need to understand what foot fungus looks like and how to fight it.

Main types

Experts in the field of dermatology have identified several types of foot fungus that vary in the nature of their effects and causative factors. As for the pathogenic microorganisms that cause the occurrence of fungal diseases, they can be:

• moldy;
• yeast;
• Dermatophytes.

Exposure to these parasites can lead to a dangerous condition called erythromycosis, which involves the skin of the feet. Additionally, the clinical presentation of the disease may vary and may be membranous, moccasin-like, or vesicular.Fungal growth can lead to oversaturated blood vessels and dry and flaky skin. Furthermore, the process itself is slow and there are no noticeable symptoms. The initial itching or burning sensation only occurs after a serious injury to the foot. Soon the nail will begin to deform, leading to blisters, scabs, plaques and pustules.

If the necessary measures are not taken, the scale of the damage will be enormous and the process of walking will be accompanied by pain. By understanding what foot fungus looks like and how it manifests, patients can seek expert help promptly and avoid dangerous consequences.

When it comes to treatment, it's important to know the type of disease. The solution to the problem can only be determined after a thorough examination under the microscope and a clinical picture. Various exfoliating products can be used to clear rashes from the skin. These include ointments and creams containing salicylic acid. Complex treatment also includes antifungal drugs.

If the damage is too severe, use high-efficiency dressings and emollients. Success in fighting the disease depends on the patient's sense of responsibility and willingness to start treatment on time.

Mode of infection

There are many causes and factors that determine the damage of nails due to fungal diseases. In most cases, this happens directly - when the nail plate comes into contact with soil or vegetation, a patient or an animal. As for indirect paths, they look like this:

1. If a person uses items and personal belongings that are carriers of the fungus.
2. If a person comes into contact with items used to care for pets.

There are also many predetermined factors that increase the risk of developing fungal diseases. These include age-related characteristics, as young children are more susceptible to the disease due to their thin skin and lack of necessary protective functions in their bodies. In addition, fungal infections can attack patients whose immune status has deteriorated. If the immune system is weakened, it is unable to fight these manifestations, leading to a destructive process.Other factors include:

1. Inadequate functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems. Therefore, the protective mechanism is weakened.
2. The development of chronic infectious diseases can have a negative impact on the immune system and increase the likelihood of fungal emergence.
3. Excessive sweating of feet. This discomfort is the result of a congenital condition or wearing uncomfortable shoes.
4. Changes in sweat composition. This process creates a breeding ground for fungal microorganisms, causing them to become activated.

Symptoms of erythrophytosis

A parasite called Tr. Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the main causative agent of the dangerous fungal disease erythrophytosis. Due to its small size, it is immediately deposited in the stratum corneum or granular layer of the skin, causing allergies and other unpleasant processes. In most cases, the life activities of parasites are accompanied by the following reactions:

1. Abdominal distension with a dense crust.
2. Pustules and swelling appear.
3. Severely corrosive to skin.
4. Scales and scabs appear on the skin, causing pain.
5. The process of yellowing and deformation of the nail plate.

In addition, the possibility of severe itching and pain when walking cannot be ruled out. During the clinical examination, the expert draws the overall picture and describes the symptoms while examining the scraper.If the condition progresses rapidly and worsens, the patient may be prescribed 0. 25% silver nitrate, 1% resorcinol, and 10% calcium. Antihistamines are used to combat allergy symptoms. In severe cases, highly effective antifungal medications can combat the symptoms of erythrophyllosis.

Candidiasis of the feet

Candidiasis of the feet is rare. The causative agent of the disease is a dangerous fungus of the genus Candida, which exists peacefully in any organism, but is conditionally dangerous and does not pose a great threat. But if microbial populations begin to increase, discomfort and serious health consequences can result. Other factors can contribute to the condition, including a worsened immune system, frequent hypothermia, stress and an unhealthy lifestyle. As for external factors, they include:

1. Prolonged exposure to water can cause the skin layers to massively separate from each other.
2. An accident occurs at home or at work.
3. Using shoes of the wrong size or material.

Symptoms of onychomycosis

When trying to figure out what fungus on your toes looks like, you need to know about another dangerous type of pathology - onychomycosis. Its development is accompanied by a fungal infection of the nails after water treatment in ordinary swimming pools, showers and saunas. In terms of prevalence, this disease is not inferior to fungal diseases, since scales with dangerous parasites quickly fall off from the nail plate and are then found on fabric surfaces, benches or carpets. If the humidity of the environment is high, the parasites will not only find themselves in a comfortable environment, but they will also start to breed colonies.In the early stages, the pathogen affects the skin of the feet, causing itching. As a result, patients want to scratch their feet, but this only exacerbates the problem. Soon, the skin becomes covered with tiny cracks and scratches, and pathogens begin to settle under the nails and actively multiply.Due to nail injuries, imbalanced blood circulation, and the presence of complex diseases such as diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases, the likelihood of developing a disease increases many times.Onychomycosis is divided into three categories based on shape and extent of damage:

1. Nutrition is normal. As it progresses, the color of the nails turns yellow-brown. The thickness and shape of the nails remain unchanged.
2. Thick. This can lead to eventual changes in color, loss of shine and distortion of the nail shape. This type of onychomycosis causes pain and does not allow the patient to move freely. Wearing uncomfortable shoes can exacerbate this problem.
3. Nail stripper. The pathology can cause a change in nail color, causing the nails to turn brown. Additionally, the board will lose its usual strength and begin to delaminate. Deformed layers occur in exposed areas of the nail bed.

effective treatment

To treat this disease, the use of topical antifungal drugs is practically useless due to the penetration of microorganisms deep under the nails. Before starting to fight the pathology, it is necessary to localize the fungus. For this purpose, specialists will prescribe keratolytic medications or patches to patients. Sometimes the problem can be solved mechanically, by cutting out deformed and dead areas of the nail plate with a file or special pliers. You need to make sure the instrument is clean when performing this procedure.The most effective way to combat onychomycosis is a combination of patches and mechanical nail cleaning. As a keratolytic agent, you can use a set consisting of a patch, a nail file and a special ointment. After nail removal surgery, systemic antifungal medications are required.

folk remedies

It is possible to get rid of fungal foot infections without the help of an expert. However, self-medication must be treated with special responsibility, and with the understanding that such a process may require considerable time and effort. It must also be taken into account that different mushrooms have their own reactions to the effects of any medicinal or folk remedy. Home remedies, if used incorrectly, can only help detect parasites and make the problem worse.In order to avoid the development of the disease and successfully eliminate fungal colonies, it is necessary to combine proper skin cleansing with the removal of pathogenic microorganisms from the body and the comprehensive repair of the epidermis. For this purpose, it is recommended to take a daily bath and wipe the feet and palms with disinfectant. The most effective folk remedies for bathing are:

• boric acid;
• apple cider vinegar;
• hydrogen peroxide.

To prepare a bath, you need to take 20 grams of one of the above compounds and dilute it in a liter of boiling water. After that, place your feet in the solution for 20-40 minutes. To notice a significant improvement in the condition of the nails, it is enough to perform such procedures regularly for several weeks.In order to cleanse the skin and eliminate redness, itching and burning sensations, it is recommended to wipe the feet daily with a mixture of salt and soda. A good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory scrub can be a mixture of equal parts minerals and essential oils. Mix the selected ingredients and cover the affected area with the finished mixture.Tar soap is the enemy of fungi. It contains birch tar, which has long been considered one of the most powerful antibacterial substances. It should be applied to the affected area and washed off after 5 minutes. The treatment process with this soap takes two weeks. At the end of the procedure, treat the skin with zinc cream or ointment.

Hardware solutions

If the problem of onychomycosis becomes significantly more severe and any folk or official remedies are virtually ineffective, you can use an innovative solution - hardware treatment. This method is very effective and can be the only savior when other drugs fail.Of the available technologies, laser therapy with erbium lasers is the most common. Cauterizes the mycelium and eliminates visible symptoms of onychomycosis. Additionally, the technology cleans the skin around nails, between toes and feet, restoring its original elasticity and attractiveness.

If you follow the basic rules of skin care for foot mycosis, it is quite possible to eliminate this dangerous pathology. It is important not to delay future treatment and, if suspicious symptoms occur, to take appropriate measures immediately.