Onychomycosis or nail fungus is one of the most famous and insidious diseases that must be treated so as not to cause complications. With this disease, the plate of the nail on the hands or feet is affected, and then the closely located part of the skin. The affected area has an unattractive appearance and is perceived as a significant aesthetic problem, which can be a factor in numerous complexes. In addition, as the disease progresses, the body will begin to suffer from toxins that the fungal microflora releases during its own life. For this reason, you should learn to identify nail fungus at an early stage.
The first signs of the presence of nail fungus appear already in the very early stages of the development of this disease, first of all, you can see changes in the nail plate, which acquires a yellowish tint, becomes very dull and matte. The most common fungal infection occurs on the nails of the big toes, but if left untreated, the processthe spread of pathogenic bacteria continues. After a relatively short period of time, this disease spreads to other toenails, which also turn yellow, become dull, and after a while they generally exfoliate, thicken and become very hard, difficult to cut with scissors. Many are interested in what the initial stage of nail fungus looks like, the photo of which is attached. Let's try to figure it out.
Reasons
Patients often come to the dermatologist with the problem of the appearance of nail fungus, and infection occurs in a variety of ways.
The disease can actively develop with complete non-compliance with hygiene, as well as with the use of any personal items belonging to a sick person. So, for example, there is a high probability of catching pathogenic fungi when using a towel belonging to a sick person or his shoes.
It's not uncommon for people to see a dermatologist when they go to the pool, public showers, gyms, or other places with high temperatures and high levels of humidity. Such conditions are considered the most ideal for the spread of pathogenic fungi.
You can easily catch a fungal nail disease at a party, for this you just need to wear slippers that the host often wears if he has this problem.
In the summer, more than 50% of people come to see a dermatologist after visiting the beach, as wet sand, which is generously strewn with the shore of a river, sea or some otherreservoir, is also a great place for disease-causing fungi.
Symptoms
At the initial stage of the nail fungus on the hand, the photo of which is above, it is almost impossible to consider the disease, it develops so asymptomatically. And even having noticed changes in the nail, many perceive it as a lack of the proper amount of vitamins, and do not worry.
However, over time, the disease can lead to the rapid spread of dangerous lesions. But still, a nail plate with a changed structure and color will tell about the disease at an early stage:
- whitish spots appear longitudinal, in the form of stripes, rounded;
- disappear natural he althy shine and smoothness;
- the surface becomes undulating, begins to thicken.
Over time, the infection can destroy the nail plate, switch to he althy nails, which often leads to inflammation and suppuration of the periungual tissues.
Because it is so necessary to know the primary symptoms of the initial stage of nail fungus:
- they gradually deform, become too brittle, delaminate;
- color changes, depending on the degree of shades, you can determine the degree of the disease;
- plate grows into skin causing pain;
- the skin becomes darker under the nails;
- Itching and burning on the fingertips.
If the nail lesion is due to dermatophytes, early manifestations occur depending on the type of disease:
- when I, the toenails and feet are affected simultaneously, then the infection affects the nails of the hands;
- II type is characterized by damage to the big toe or little toe, then captures the interdigital folds with the formation of cracks;
- in type III, the thumb and little finger are affected, but the skin is not affected.
If yeast has become the cause of the initial stage nail fungus on the feet, the photo of which is attached, it is difficult to determine at an early stage that a pathological process has begun in the body. Only after a while the nail plate will begin to peel off, and there will be itching around the nail.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of nail fungus of the initial stage is carried out by different methods:
- Visual inspection, which can reveal that the spots have a characteristic appearance of a fungal disease. There may be yellow, gray or brown shades, lack of shine or, conversely, its excess, redness of the skin around the nail. The ring structure is also a characteristic symptom of hand fungus. There may be pimples, fluid blisters, rough, dry skin and cracks, sores. In children, nail fungus develops differently: damage to the upper layer of the nail, white spots. However, even the initial stage of the fungus carrier can diagnose himself if he recognizes the symptoms of the disease.
- Sowing method, during which a part of the nail with a probable fungus is taken from the patient for analysis. It is placed in a nutrient medium and the ongoing processes are observed for a month. The increased reproduction of fungi indicates mycosis. If the material remains clean, there is no nail disease.
- Examination under a microscope. Skin flakes or nail particles are placed under a microscope and observed. With mycosis, chains of spores will be noticeable, as well as single spores or mycelial threads.
How to treat initial stage nail fungus
Fungal lesions of the skin and nail integument is a rather unpleasant disease, which is characterized by damage to the nail plate, cuticle, epidermis. At the same time, a person experiences constant discomfort associated with the occurrence of itching, burning, shoe pressure on the affected area due to the compaction of the nail plate. To date, there are a huge number of pharmaceutical preparations for getting rid of fungal structures. However, all of them are characterized by a long course of treatment. Folk medicines and recipes will help to quickly and painlessly cope with fungal nail infections at the initial stage. The main of the most reliable and effective include:
- Using a soap solution. Soap solution perfectly kills the fungus and other microbes that could get on the dry skin of the hands or feet, in microscopic wounds. For the preparation of baths, ordinary 72% laundry soap is used. It can be grated or simply dissolved in a bowl of hot water. It is necessary to steam the hands and feet for 15-25 minutes. After the procedure, the affected areas of the skin and part of the nailplates are ground with a special file. Then, washed with clean warm water using an antiseptic. Wipe dry with a clean bath towel.
- Soaking feet and hands in lactic acid solution. Lactic acid penetrates well through the skin and kills fungus, bacteria, viruses. You can buy it in pharmacies, order it online. To prepare the solution, use 3 teaspoons of 40% lactic acid, 1 liter of warm, almost hot water. Before steaming, the nails should be washed well and treated with a small amount of soap. If there are microtraumas on the skin, other damage from the use of lactic acid should be discarded.
- Antiseptic treatment with ammonia solution. Ammonia solution is a popular pharmacy product that is bought to treat nail fungus in the initial stages. It is applied with a cotton swab to the damaged area steamed and cleaned from the stratum corneum.
- Treatment with a weak solution of manganese. "Potassium permanganate" is widely used in everyday life for the treatment of wounds, small and large cuts, cauterization of calluses, for the rapid overgrowing of the seam. In the practice of treating a fungal infection, a solution of potassium permanganate shows its effectiveness only in the early stages of the pathological process, in advanced cases it is a good antiseptic.
- Treatment of the fungal zone with bleach. Chlorine is a powerful agent that kills 99.9% of bacteria. It is used to sanitize rooms, wash clothes (if seriously ill people live in the house) and to get rid of various skin infections. The fungus is well destroyed with a solution of bleach,which is prepared at the rate of 50 grams of the substance per 1 liter of hot water. Legs or hands are lowered into the chilled solution for 2-3 minutes. After that, the treated area is washed with warm boiled water and wiped dry with a specially prepared towel.
- Formaldehyde treatment. To process the nail plate, a ready-made solution is used. Apply to the damaged area no more than 1 drop of the substance. After soaking, wash hands or feet in cool running water. The use of formaldehyde as an antifungal agent is permissible no more than once a week.
- Rubbing essential oils. The essential oil of tea tree, licorice, mint, orange helps to cope with inflammatory diseases of the skin. Their use is advisable in the complex therapy of a fungal infection, to restore the integrity and beauty of the nail plate after overgrowth.
Drug treatment of disease
Toenail fungus in the initial stage usually occurs without any particular symptoms. The appearance of the nails may change slightly, slight discomfort is possible, so diagnosing the fungus is quite difficult. However, this must be done as quickly as possible, since it will depend on how quickly a person can get rid of it. Usually, for the treatment of nail mycosis of the initial stage, drugs are used that have a local effect on the affected areas of the nails. With a more advanced course of the fungus, the use of injections and tablets is usually indicated. Conditionallymycosis treatment methods are divided into the following:
- Creams, gels and ointments are designed to restore the metabolic process of the skin, nourish and moisturize tissues.
- Solutions and drops after application penetrate into the deeper layers of the nails, preventing the appearance of a fungal infection.
- Injections and tablets are used as the main therapy when the fungus passes into a more advanced stage. They can be supplemented with drugs from the previous categories.
Varnishes and ointments
According to mycologists, when treating a fungal infection that occurs on the nails, its reproduction should be prevented. They do this in a complex - first it is necessary to provide pathogenic microorganisms with an aggressive environment and conditions unacceptable for its development, then it is necessary to strengthen the immune system, and also start the process of regeneration of nail tissues. Doctors usually prescribe non-steroidal and steroid drugs:
- Azole are used in the rooted development of mycosis for the treatment of many yeast-like fungi.
- Allylamines are similar to antibiotics, however, the action is aimed solely at the destruction of the fungus. These antimycotics help to slow down the reproduction of spores and reduce the colony of Candida, thereby providing a fungicidal cumulative effect on the skin and nails.
Popular drugs
To cure the fungus caused by saprophytes, "Clotrimazole" is often used. This is a universal remedy that is prescribed for the treatment of candidiasis of the nails, thrush, as well as various typeslichen.
"Mikozolon" is prescribed to fight the pathogens of the fungus. This drug has antifungal, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties. It is especially effective in the more complex form of nail fungus.
Gel "Econazole" treats mycosis and slows down the growth of the number of spores, neutralizing their ability to reproduce. If this remedy is applied immediately after the development of the first symptoms of the fungus, it can be completely cured in about a week.
Gel "Lamisil" is also effective in the treatment of lichen, various onycomycosis and yeast infection. The active ingredient terbinafine hydrochloride has a fungistatic and fungicidal effect on the nails. To cure this disease, the drug must be used for 3-5 days, always in conjunction with immunostimulating drugs.
Lacquer "Lotseril" is the most commonly used. Its active substance, amorolfine, has a powerful antifungal effect. The drug contributes to the normalization of the state of the nail plate, as well as the neutralization of the fungus to varying degrees. But this remedy is used exclusively as an additional treatment for mycosis.
Prophylactic cream from TianDe, containing snake oil, as well as some other hypoallergenic and natural ingredients. This cream eliminates swelling and relieves itching, and also has a fungicidal and anti-inflammatory effect.
Pills and injections
In addition to the external treatment of mycosis of the nails, the fermentation of pathogenic mycelium should be slowed down. To this end, doctors prescribe pills that havefungicidal properties. There are cases when, without these drugs, complete recovery cannot be achieved, especially if the patient has developed an advanced form of sporotrichosis. Commonly used drugs are:
- Capsules "Itraconazole" is used for systemic therapy of nail fungus caused by sporophytes - yeast pathogens. It is a fairly strong remedy and does not require any additional medication to be prescribed.
- "Fluconazole" removes the fungus, which is caused by a variety of pathogenic microorganisms. This drug activates the protective functions, and also normalizes the microflora. To enhance the effect, you can apply a solution of "Fluconazole" on the affected areas of the nails.
- Drops "Exoderil" belong to the allylamine group and make it possible to fight strains of fungi. The active substance - naftifine hydrochloride - is well absorbed, creating a protective film that prevents fungal infection from penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin.
- "Xin Jia Liang" is a Chinese drug that is inexpensive, but provides almost instant results. It consists of synthetic compounds, as well as herbal extracts from China. It is noteworthy that this tool affects not only the fungal infection of the nails, but also other pathogenic microorganisms.
- If the patient has itching and pain, it is recommended to apply analgesics to the affected area ("Analgin", "Lidocaine" and "Novocaine"), and only after that use healing creams, gels and ointments. In addition, these unpleasant sensationscan eliminate soda and alcohol.
In our time, fungal nail infection, which will be detected at the initial stage, is quite successfully treated through the use of modern drugs. Advanced nail fungus can be treated for a long time.
Prevention
Nail fungus is a rather delicate problem, which also causes a lot of inconvenience. And if the defeat of the nail plate on the toes can still be hidden, then the delamination on the hands is not. Surrounding people, having seen the changes taking place with a person, try to bypass him, avoid direct contact, look at each other with disgust. And at such a moment, the main problem for them is the observance of the basic rules of protection against the appearance of a fungal infection.
List of defensive moves
What is included in the list of defensive techniques:
- When visiting public baths, saunas, swimming pools, you should use special shoes with rubber soles. Do not stand anywhere with bare feet and do not sit on benches, benches, boards without a backing.
- It is not recommended to use shared showers in case of microtrauma on the skin of the hands, you should also refrain from visiting gyms and sections.
- When treating nails (manicure and pedicure), you should use only your own tools, well processed and cleaned.
- It is better to buy shoes only from natural materials. When trying on, be sure to use bamboo or cottonsocks.
- It is strictly forbidden to use common hygiene items (towels). If fungal and other infections occur, they will quickly spread among all family members.
- Hands should be washed as often as possible, making sure to dry them with disposable paper towels.
- It is forbidden to borrow someone else's shoes: slippers, slates, shoes and especially sneakers. This leads to a rapid increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria and mass infection. Processing shoes after several people is already useless.
