Foot fungus is one of the most common skin diseases that does not threaten human life, but is accompanied by many unpleasant symptoms. For the treatment of mycosis of the legs, antifungal agents and folk healing methods are used.
Varieties of foot fungus
The treatment method is largely determined by the type of fungal infection.
- Candidiasis - a pathogenic agent is the fungus Candida, which is present on the skin of any person, but is activated only under favorable environmental conditions (viral diseases, deterioration of the immune system). This type of fungus enters the body through direct contact with contaminated food and objects.
- Trichophytosis is a fairly common form that can be contracted through the sharing of shoes, hygiene items, etc. This disease is most often diagnosed in older men.
Causes of fungal infection
Mycosis of the feetobserved after a fungal infection, which begins to manifest itself under favorable conditions with unpleasant symptoms. The pathogenesis of this pathology is as follows:
- corns, abrasions, cuts and other damage are formed on the skin, which can be caused by injuries or cosmetic manipulations performed;
- improper care of the skin of the extremities;
- poor immunity;
- the use of antibiotics that have a beneficial effect on the development of fungi;
- heavy perspiration.
Symptoms of mycosis
How does mycosis of toenails manifest itself? A fungal infection is characterized by the following unpleasant symptoms:
- bad foot odor;
- severe burning and itching;
- flaking;
- appearance of a white coating similar to s alt;
- heavy perspiration;
- change in the shape and color of the nail, brittleness and dryness, separation of the nail plate.
If the case is advanced, small purulent blisters may appear on the foot.
Diagnosis
The doctor must carefully examine the surface of the patient's feet to compare the signs and correlate them with any fungal form. In addition, the following questions are usually asked to the patient:
- time of first symptoms;
- deterioration cases;
- initial manifestation of symptoms and later signs;
- the presence of bad habits and other factors that could provoke the developmentdiseases – diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular pathologies;
- frequency of medical examination;
- place of pedicure procedure - in the salon or at home;
- implementation of preventive measures when visiting beaches, public baths, swimming pools and saunas.
To determine the specific type of mycosis of the toenails, it is necessary to remove a skin fragment from the patient with a slight scratch. Additionally, nail plate samples are also required. Often, examinations are carried out by other doctors to determine the state of the patient's immunity.
Treatment of interdigital mycosis on the legs
To get rid of the hated fungus once and for all, you need to visit a doctor like a dermatologist. You can eliminate the symptoms at home, but you won’t be able to remove the fungus from the body right away, because it will reappear. That is why oral preparations and antifungal agents are prescribed to get rid of the fungus.
However, even such formulations cannot be used without consulting a specialist, since each person has different manifestations of mycosis. Before prescribing the drug, the specialist conducts the necessary laboratory manipulations: they take scrapings in the inflamed area, urine and blood tests that will help determine the cause of the pathology and establish the type of fungus.
It is worth noting that the disappearance of unpleasant symptoms is not a complete cure. It may take severalmonths. It depends on the degree and stage of mycosis of the legs. If the fungus is not completely cured, the disease may reappear after some time.
Many people wonder how to treat mycosis of the toenails.
External products
As a cure for toenail fungus, solutions, creams and ointments are used to help eliminate unpleasant symptoms. If you need to treat the foot, it is advisable to give preference to ointments. With the defeat of the space between the fingers - solutions. To treat nails, it is recommended to use special creams or varnishes.
As ways of external therapy of the fungus can be used:
- "Bifanazol" - a solution that removes the fungus from the body;
- "Exoderil" - a solution or ointment - one of the most popular remedies for nail and foot fungus, which destroys the fungus and also has a bactericidal effect;
- "Lamisil" spray or cream - actively eliminates the fungus, does not dry the epidermis, a positive result is noted after five days;
- "Mikozon" nail files and serum - a set through which you can effectively get rid of nail fungus;
- "Clotrimazole" (ointment) - disrupts the occurrence of fungal enzymes.
You need to take into account the fact that any of these drugs can become addictive, and therefore the drugs need to be changed from time to time. If mycosis of the legs is in an advanced stage, local remedies must be combined with systemic ones - Fluconazole,Itraconazole, Ketoconazole and Griseofulvin.
Home ways to deal with fungus
Before applying any drug to the surface of the legs, you need to make preparatory manipulations:
- wash feet with soap;
- clean the soles and nails from the keratinized skin layer, for which baths with liquid soap and soda (softening components) will be good;
- then the sole should be treated with a pumice stone, nails with a nail file;
- feet are washed with clean water and dried;
- medication is applied.
It is very important to remember that all tools used should be stored away from others and treated with disinfectants before each use.
Healing baths
Among home recipes to help eliminate athlete's foot, the following are distinguished:
- Wine vinegar. To prepare such a bath, you need to take a glass of vinegar and a liter of water. The procedure may vary in time, usually it is performed while the composition is still warm. After that, cotton socks are put on, which are also soaked in a solution of vinegar. After two days, the fungus disappears, the appearance of the legs improves.
- S alt and soda. It is necessary to dissolve one tablespoon of each component in a liter of water and lower the feet for fifteen minutes, then rinse and wipe dry. The result will be noticeable after two procedures.
- Foot fungus can be treated with herbs such as oak bark, calendula, verbena, and dried blackberries. Take one tablespoon of all herbs,pour a glass of water. The resulting mixture is put on fire and boiled for fifteen minutes. After that, the broth must be cooled, then filtered and applied with a moistened bandage on the affected areas for 20-25 minutes.
- Insoluble coffee. Strong coffee is brewed, mixed with a liter of water. You need to lower your feet there for fifteen minutes, rinse, wipe your feet dry.
- Spurge. Take 0.5 cups of fresh grass, pour a liter of boiled water. The solution is insisted for some time, then filtered and poured into a basin. Legs should be lowered there for fifteen minutes. Such steaming must be done every day for two weeks.
Treatment of athlete's foot is often done with special creams.
Foot fungus: effective creams
At home, the patient can make special creams, through which the skin areas affected by the fungus must be treated.
- Wood ash (sift) and pork fat (one teaspoon each) mix well. The cream is applied to clean skin every twelve hours.
- Copper sulfate, goose fat and yellow sulfur are carefully mixed one tablespoon at a time. All ingredients are put in a container, put on fire, bring to a boil. The mass must be allowed to cool, it is applied to the affected area once a day.
Treatment of athlete's foot with folk remedies can be very effective.
Masks and compresses
The most effective methods of fighting the fungus are:
- Mask fromgarlic and onion: one head of both ingredients should be passed through a meat grinder. The finished mixture is applied to the inflamed area, wrapped in polyethylene, warm socks are put on top. A similar compress is done twice a day, morning and evening.
- To treat the nail plate, you can use a mixture of medical alcohol, glycerin and vinegar. All components are taken in 1 tsp, mixed thoroughly, applied a few drops to the nails. This should be done every day until the fungus disappears.
Other methods of getting rid of the fungus
The following remedies can help eliminate interdigital mycosis on the legs: hydrogen peroxide, iodine, dried or fresh celandine, soda and apple cider vinegar. But it should be noted that these components can dry out the skin, it begins to peel off.
Iodine
This remedy affects the protein fungal compounds and disinfects the epidermis, so that the reproduction of the pathology stops.
Iodine can be used as follows:
- In the form of foot baths. It will take five liters of warm water, in which to dissolve 3 tablespoons of iodine. Keep your feet in this solution for twenty minutes. A similar procedure is repeated every other day.
- Iodine and alcohol are mixed in a teaspoon. The finished mixture is applied with a cotton pad before going to bed on the skin. The procedure is repeated for 7-10 days.
You need to know that iodine cannot be used for thyroid diseases and individual intolerance. A photo of mycosis on the legs is presented in the article.
Hydrogen peroxide
This remedy can be used daily as a compress. For this purpose, peroxide is required at a concentration of 3%, gauze is wetted in it and applied to the inflamed area for 30 minutes. The procedure is repeated twice a day for a week. Thanks to peroxide, the likelihood of spreading the infection is reduced. It is an antiseptic and reduces the unpleasant smell of the lower extremities.
Another way to treat athlete's foot?
Celandine
This plant is poisonous, but is used in the treatment of various kinds of dermatological pathologies. To do this, you need to take both fresh and dry flowers of celandine. The healing solution can be prepared according to several recipes, which are given below:
- Three tablespoons of dried flowers should be poured into a glass of water, boiled for ten minutes. It is advisable to keep your feet in the solution every day for half an hour.
- The same decoction is used as a compress. A well-moistened cotton pad is also applied to the inflamed area for half an hour.
- Pustules and cracks in the affected area can be treated with the juice of this plant.
Apple cider vinegar
Everyone is familiar and quite popular remedy for mycosis of toenails. Can be used in the form of compresses or baths. To prepare it, you need to take five liters of water and three tablespoons of vinegar, mix and treat the affected areas. The procedure is carried out for about half an hour a day. Water and vinegar for compressmixed in equal amounts. Then gauze is wetted in this composition and applied to the foot for 30 minutes. Do this every day.
Preventive measures
To avoid a new infection, follow the simplest recommendations:
- carefully observe hygiene;
- wear cotton socks and good quality comfortable shoes;
- eat a balanced and he althy diet;
- do not visit places with a high probability of infection (saunas, public baths, etc.).
In the treatment of a fungus, there should be an integrated approach, so you can’t do without medical help.
