Nail fungus-onychomycosis-is a common nail disease. According to several authors, one in five people suffers from this disease. In most cases, it affects the elderly, and its frequency increases about 2. 5 times in the age group with a difference of 10 years. This is not only an aesthetic defect, because in the case of a sharp decline in immunity and an increase in bacterial infections, serious complications, such as erysipelas, will occur. If you do not pay attention to this problem, the disease will become chronic, threatening all families with infection. member.
How to recognize onychomycosis: symptoms of fungus
A warm and humid environment is the best place for fungal infections. The climate does not have to be very hot; for example, you can create favorable conditions for fungus by wearing shoes that sweat your feet.
The source of infection is usually another person who is not involved in the treatment of onychomycosis, does not monitor the condition of the nails, or does not take treatment measures to fully recover. Approximately one-third of the patient's family members have such a patient. At the same time, according to statistics, men get sick two to three times more frequently than women, but they seek medical help less frequently.
As we have already said, the need to wear warm or uncomfortable shoes for long periods of time promotes the development of nail fungus-onychomycosis is common among miners, metallurgical workers and military personnel. The necessity of being barefoot in public places is also important. Therefore, one of the studies showed that professional swimmers had a higher prevalence of nail disease (onychomycosis) compared with the main population of the corresponding age, while the other study was for mosque tourists (you need not wear shoes)Place). The prevalence is higher.
In addition, people with diabetes, blood diseases, HIV, and long-term use of cytostatics, corticosteroids, and antibiotics are more likely to be infected with nail fungus. This is due to the reduced immunity of such patients and the imbalance of the microbial community (treatment with antibiotics).
In summary, the predisposing factors of onychomycosis can be distinguished as follows:
- Permanent damage to the nail plate and foot skin (mainly due to uncomfortable shoes);
- Frequent contact with water (especially in public places);
- Increased sweating, including due to the need to wear warm or synthetic shoes frequently;
- Foot deformities, including flat feet;
- Decreased nail growth rate-this is why onychomycosis is prevalent in the elderly: the older the age, the slower the nail growth.
At first, the fungus colonized only a part of the nail, invading from the foot or interdigital folds, but gradually spread to the entire nail plate. The fungus penetrates from the free edge side of the nail or from under the nail roller to under the nail plate. Based on the location and presentation of onychomycosis symptoms (from one or the other edge of the nail), dermatologists distinguish different forms of fungal infections and their stages.
- Discoloration of nails.Normal nails are pale pink, translucent, with white edges. Affected-complete loss of transparency, becoming white, gray, brown, green or black (depending on the neglect of the process and the type of fungal pathogen).
- Thickened nails.Due to the introduction of fungi, the stratum corneum grows excessively, and the nails become thick and uneven.
- Destruction of the nail plate (nail release).The nail is chipped and partially or completely peeled off.
At first, these manifestations may be subtle, but as the fungus develops, the nails become increasingly unsightly. This often causes patients to keep hiding their legs and walking in closed shoes even in hot weather, thereby exacerbating the problem.
Treatment of onychomycosis
The traditional methods of treating onychomycosis are extremely diverse. It is not recommended to lubricate long-suffering nails: vinegar, soda or saline solution, iodine, coffee, apricot gum, tea tree oil, etc. Unfortunately, most of these remedies are ineffective. First, most of the substances recommended for treatment do not have antifungal activity. Second, in order to infect the fungus, the drug must penetrate the thickness of the nail plate and under the nail, because the fungus is "alive" there rather than on the surface. In addition, the drug should penetrate the nail plate during the entire nail growth period, otherwise the fungal colonies will spread to the new surface.
Based on the above, pharmacologists have created remedies for the treatment of nail fungus. But it must be said here that the drugs for onychomycosis can be local or systemic. Systemic medications are oral medications. In general, these drugs are the same as those used to treat fungal infections in other areas: thrush, extensive skin or intestinal lesions, and systemic fungal diseases. They are quite effective, but relatively toxic, and long-term use can adversely affect the entire body (it takes more than a month to treat nail fungus). Therefore, oral preparations have strict indications:
- More than half of nails are damaged;
- Proximal spread of the fungus (from the side of the nail fold);
- Damage more than two nails;
- Combined with skin or hair damage;
- Local treatment was unsuccessful.
Medications for systemic treatment of fungal infections are sold only on doctor's prescription. He also prescribes a course of treatment, because the drug must be taken multiple times according to a specific plan to maintain the required concentration of active substances in the nail plate.
Local remedies take many forms: varnish, ointment, spray, solution. However, lacquer can only be used in the initial stages of the disease, otherwise they will be ineffective. Ointments and sprays are more suitable for treating fungal skin infections than nails. So the best topical medicine is liquid medicine. These solutions allow you to produce higher concentrations of active substances where fungal infections accumulate, rather than on the surface of the nail.
Therefore, the treatment of onychomycosis is a long process and requires accuracy and patience. However, modern drugs and treatment programs can completely get rid of onychomycosis and prevent its recurrence. You should not ignore this issue, because in this case, not only the patient's health and quality of life, but also the people he loves are at risk.