One of the most contagious diseases from antiquity to the present is mycosis, or fungus. Immunity to it does not exist, so the only prevention is the observance of hygiene rules. Despite the fact that over the past 50 years the incidence rate has decreased slightly, many people still suffer from the fungus. Athletes and those who frequent the pool and the beach are especially susceptible to the disease.
In recent years, new drugs for the fungus have appeared, so it has become easier to cure. But for this you need to use the drugs correctly and follow the doctor's recommendations.
Features of the disease
Mycoses develop when microorganisms get on the skin. There are more than 400 species of fungi that can parasitize the human body. They are highly contagious and can survive on things for a long time. The fungus thrives best on damp surfaces. And it takes root in an organism weakened by any disease, especially diabetes, or with low immunity.
Fungal diseases are very difficult to treat, most often due to the fact that the patient does not pay due attention to compliance with all doctor's prescriptions. Irregular or earlydiscontinued treatment leads to drug-resistant forms of the fungus. Also, re-infection occurs very often if preventive measures are not followed.
How do you know you're having a problem?
It is very important to recognize in time that a fungus is developing. The sooner treatment is started, the easier it is to get rid of the disease. What signs can be used to determine the onset of the disease? Among them are the following:
- on the foot, the skin coarsens, cracks, scales exfoliate from it, burning and itching appear;
- spots or stripes appear on the nails;
- nails thicken and fade;
- the skin on the fingers is inflamed and red;
- in the last stages of the disease, the nail exfoliates, deforms, and may even die off.
Most often affected by the fungus of the feet, the surface between the fingers and nails. Only in advanced cases can it spread throughout the body, such as the hands or scalp.
How to properly eliminate the fungus
1. The most important condition for successful treatment is a correct diagnosis. Therefore, before choosing a drug, you need to consult a doctor and take tests.
2. Fungal medicines work best when used in the early stages of the disease. Otherwise, treatment may be delayed for a long time - more than a year.
3. The fungus is very difficult to be affected by drugs, developing a protective reaction against many of them. Therefore, treatment must becomplex. It is quite difficult to cope with the disease with local remedies alone, and the fungus often develops resistance to them.
4. It is very important to strictly follow all the doctor's prescriptions and follow the recommended treatment regimen. Even the best medicine for nail fungus will not help if applied incorrectly and irregularly.
5. Before applying the product, thoroughly wash your feet with soap and soda solution and dry them well. Nails should be cut short, and the affected area should be slightly cleaned with a nail file to make the surface rough.
6. In order for the fungus remedy to work better, it is recommended to first soften the skin and nails in a potassium permanganate bath or with salicylic vaseline and pumice. After that, it is desirable to remove rough skin and affected nails if possible.
7. After the disappearance of mycosis, antifungal agents should not be used for prophylactic purposes, as forms of microorganisms resistant to any drugs may appear.
External remedies
1. Nail polish "Lotseril" is used if the fungus has not yet managed to spread to the entire nail. Many patients like it because it needs to be applied once every 7 days. It penetrates through the nail plate, so it effectively affects the fungus.
2. "Mycospor" (or its synonym "Bifonazole") is available as a solution, ointment or cream. Used in complex treatmentfungal nail infections.
3. "Batrafen" has a wide spectrum of action against most microorganisms. You can apply it as an ointment or nail polish. Many patients believe that this is the best cure for foot fungus.
4. "Canison" is a fairly effective drug in the form of an ointment.
5. One of the most popular antifungal agents is Exoderil cream, sometimes found as a solution.
System-wide drugs
If the disease affects a very large surface or local preparations are ineffective, tablets should be used. And only a doctor can advise which ones. The medicine for fungi often has side effects and not everyone can use it. What is the most commonly prescribed?
- "Itraconazole", analogues: "Irunin", "Orungal" or "Rumikoz".
- "Terbinafine", "Lamisil" or "Fungoterbin". These drugs are very effective against nail fungus, but toxic to the liver.
- "Fluconazole", more commonly found in our pharmacies under the name "Flucostat" or "Diflucan". These are its more expensive counterparts, but the action is not much more effective.
- Ketoconazole, Nizoral.
- "Clotrimazole", more commonly used as a cream, but also taken orally.
These anti-fungal medicines come in tablet or capsule form. Applythey are simple, but they are quite toxic, and you can not drink such drugs without a doctor's prescription. Usually the course of treatment is intermittent, with weekly breaks to give the liver a rest. Some of these medicines are also available in the form of an ointment, cream, solution or shampoo, which makes it easier to choose the methods of complex treatment.
Contraindications and side effects
In no case should you use any medication for the fungus without consulting a doctor, especially those who have some kind of he alth disorder. Contraindications for taking all such drugs include:
- pregnancy and lactation;
- liver and kidney disease;
- under 5 years of age.
All antifungal drugs can have side effects. Especially a lot of them in tablets. Most often they have a negative effect on the liver, but some of them can cause allergic reactions, even anaphylactic shock. The most harmless side effects of such drugs are nausea, diarrhea and headaches.
Folk remedies
- One of the most famous tips is to apply apple cider vinegar. Cotton pads soaked in this product are applied to the affected areas for several hours.
- Well softens the affected nail and prevents the spread of the fungus jellyfish. It is better known as kombucha. By tying a piece of it, best of all strongly sour, to the nail for the night, you can overcome the fungus in some time.
- Mycosis is cured very quickly with the help of tar soap. It is necessary to lather the affected area well andsprinkle with s alt. Bandage all this and leave for several hours, preferably at night.
- A long-known remedy for foot fungus is fresh onion juice. You need to crush the onion, bandage the gruel to the nail.
- Crushed garlic, mixed with alcohol in equal parts, also helps. But such a solution must be half diluted with water.
- A little-known but effective remedy for foot fungus is strong coffee beans. You need to take baths in its warm solution at night.
The best cure for fungus
Preparations for mycosis must be selected strictly individually. And it's not even that they are toxic and have contraindications. What worked for one may not work for another. But there are drugs that are popular with most doctors and patients. One of them is Lamisil cream.
It has been used for a long time to fight fungus, but it is still considered the best cure for toenail fungus. The drug is popular due to its high efficiency, even though it is quite expensive - more than 1,500 rubles per course. "Lamisil" helps even in advanced cases, when more than two-thirds of the nail is affected. Usually the cream is enough to apply 2-3 weeks, while most other antifungal agents are used much longer. But the patient needs to remember that only a doctor can prescribe treatment. And the choice of funds for the fungus should be strictly individual.
Infection prevention
In order not to catch the fungus,you should follow the simplest rules of personal hygiene: wear slippers in the pool and on the beach, do not wear someone else's shoes and regularly wash and dry your feet well, especially between the toes. If the fungus has already begun to develop, then it is quite difficult to eliminate it. Along with therapeutic agents, it is necessary to constantly carry out preventive measures:
- in order to prevent re-infection, you need to constantly wear socks, often changing them to clean ones;
- all old shoes must be disinfected with an acetic acid solution;
- everything that the patient has come into contact with is subject to processing: linen, personal items and even carpets.
You need to remember that the fungus breeds in a humid environment. It is necessary to ensure that the shoes are always clean and dry, and that dirt does not accumulate in the bathroom. Only if these rules are observed, medicines for nail fungus will never be required.
Treatment reviews
All doctors agree that it is best to prevent the appearance of the fungus. Its treatment is so complicated and lengthy that there are a lot of reviews from patients that it did not help. Not everyone can constantly control themselves and follow the doctor's recommendations. In addition, there are many opposing opinions about such expensive drugs as Loceryl or Lamisil. They helped some immediately, while others regret the wasted money.
The same can be said about any cure for foot fungus. Reviews about these funds are socontradictory that those who first encountered the disease are lost, not knowing what to believe. They can only be given one piece of advice: choose a good doctor and follow his recommendations. Only then will the treatment be successful.
