Doctors note that the symptoms of toenail fungus are more of interest to women than men. It is not surprising - after all, a parasitic fungus that affects the nail plate makes the skin cracked and flaky, and the nail itself yellow and dull. However, the main problem is that these, of course, unpleasant external signs hide a very serious disease behind them. As a rule, the disease primarily affects the skin on the feet, then spreads to the interdigital folds. Symptoms of toenail fungus include flaking, severe itching, and burning. A person complains that his legs are constantly itchy. However, in most cases, this is just the beginning. If treatment is not started immediately, the feet become covered with small blisters and sores. After that, the fungus spreads to the nails, where it begins to multiply rapidly. The lack of measures taken often leads to the fact that the nail is completely exfoliated. In especially advanced cases, the parasite can get to the nails on the hands.
Varieties
Symptoms of toenail fungus depend mainlydepending on what kind of infection caused the disease, as well as on the depth of damage to the nail plate. For example, dermatophytes can be diagnosed by longitudinal yellow stripes on the sides of the nail. Some diseases are characterized by the presence of large spots on the nail - yellowish on the legs, whitish or gray on the hands. The yeast fungus thins the nail plate - it can even completely separate from the bed. Many varieties of fungus primarily affect the nail folds - they thicken and become bright red. It is not uncommon for a fungal disease to lead to an inflammatory process that usually provokes nail mold. Symptoms in this case are easy to identify: the affected nail turns yellow, green or even black. In any case, it is better not to try to diagnose yourself - trust a professional.
Treatment
If you have symptoms of toenail fungus, you should immediately visit a doctor. It is foolish to think that the disease will disappear on its own: the longer the fungus “nests”, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it. Onychomycosis can cause an allergic reaction and undermine the immune system. To prevent such complications, consult a dermatologist.
The specialist will conduct an examination, analyze the thickness and degree of damage to the nail, and, if necessary, take the tissue for analysis. Only then can treatment begin. In any pharmacy you will find a large number of drugs, both general and local.actions. If the affected area is not too large, antifungal ointments help well - just apply them to the nail twice a day. Before applying, you need to hold your fingers or toes in hot water with the addition of soda and s alt. In the event that the use of local remedies does not give any result, it makes sense to start taking antimycotics - with a high degree of probability they will destroy the toenail fungus. Symptoms will disappear pretty quickly, but this is not a reason to interrupt treatment - be sure to drink the course to the end.
