The problem of fungal infection of the toenail plates is known to many people. According to medical statistics, this disease affects about 20% of the world's population. Only in the territory of our country more than 15 million people suffer from fungus. Therefore, the problem of how to treat toenail fungus is extremely important today. This disease in the medical environment is also called onychomycosis. The disease is more common in the stronger sex. This is due to the fact that they are more likely to wear closed shoes. And this, in turn, prevents the flow of air in the legs, which contributes to the emergence of a favorable environment for the rapid reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms.
Important!
The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other worsening of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For proper diagnosis and treatment, you should contact a specialist.
Symptoms of the disease
There are about 50 different types of fungi that can infect the human body. Therefore, to determine how to treat toenail fungus, you need to know the exact type of infection. The symptoms of the disease also vary depending on the pathogen that provoked it. When infected with a normotrophic fungus in a patient:
- there is a change in the color of the nails;
- spots and lines appear on it;
- observed onycholysis.
With the atrophic type of the disease, the patient notices that his nail is slowly being destroyed. The damage occurs at the outer edge and moves towards the nail fold. At first, only a change in the color of the plate indicates a disease. It becomes:
- gray;
- deaf;
- mat.
In the future, there is a complete loss of the nail. With hypertrophic fungi, a thickening of the plate is observed. This happens due to the increased growth of skin flakes. As a result, the nail can thicken up to two millimeters and be severely deformed. The following symptoms indicate the occurrence of this disease:
- changing the shape of the nail (the side parts are destroyed);
- loss of gloss of the plate;
- jaundice of the nail.
Treatment of toenail fungus should be started urgently when signs of lateral and distal lesions appear. These two types of diseases often occur in combination. This disease will be indicated by:
- the appearance of transverse grooves on the nail;
- plate color change (from blue-green to black);
- roughness of the affected areas.
The disease ends with complete loss of the nail, as well as inflammation of the nail folds. Regardless of the type of lesion, there are symptoms that concern any fungus patient:
- itching in the affected area;
- plate distortion;
- crumbling and loss of the nail.
Causes
Fungi occur due to tissue damage by fungal bacteria. In almost 90% of cases, the disease is caused by dermatomycetes. In rarer cases, fungi of the genus Candida, as well as mold microorganisms, become pathogenic. Pathogens can penetrate deep into the nail:
- through the dorsal part of the nail;
- from below the distal end;
- through the proximal fold.
In the first case, the fungus penetrates deep into the nail. This route of infection is characteristic of dermatomycetes. In the second case, the lesion occurs directly under the plate. This greatly complicates the treatment of toenail fungus, because it is difficult to act with drugs directly at the site of infection due to its inaccessibility. Through the proximal roller, the infection rarely penetrates. In order for the fungus to enter the nail, certain conditions are needed. Increases the risk of infection:
- mechanical damage to the nail area;
- wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes;
- constant contact with water;
- increased sweating;
- exposure to chemicals on foot;
- non-compliance with personal hygiene rules.
You can get a fungus from a sick person. The causative agents of the disease are perfectly preserved in humid and warm rooms, so infection most often occurs in showers, swimming pools, water parks and public baths. Fungi can also be transmitted when you share items such as:
- towel
- washcloths;
- slippers;
- scissors;
- pumice
Which doctor treats?
When the first symptoms appear, indicating the development of the disease, it is recommended to immediately seek medical help. Self-medication is possible, but when trying to cope with the disease yourself, there is a high probability of infecting all loved ones, as well as provoking the development of complications. Therefore, it is better to trust the professionals. Treatment and diagnosis of nail fungus is carried out by: dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist, podiatrist.
At the first appointment, the patient will be examined. The doctor must study the condition of the nail plate, determine the nature and prevalence of the disease. The patient should tell as much as possible about all complaints, show his assumptions about the causes of the onset of the disease. To decide how to cure toenail fungus, it is important that a doctor conducts a study. The specialist will ask the patient:
- Have there been similar problems in the past?
- Are there other health complaints?
- Have you visited saunas, spas or swimming pools recently?
- Do relatives suffer from nail fungus?
- Do you have any chronic diseases?
- How did you try to solve the problem yourself?
It is very important for the doctor to understand what kind of fungus has affected the nail. Diagnostic testing helps to detect. The patient will scrape from the affected part, which will be sent for laboratory study. The study will determine the type of pathogen, as well as study its sensitivity to drugs.
Effective treatment for toenail fungus
You can cope with the disease quite quickly, if you strictly follow all the recommendations of a specialist. The doctor will develop an individual therapy plan for the patient, select the drugs and indicate their maximum permissible dose. For the treatment of nail fungus, drugs are used in the form of:
- varnish;
- Solutions;
- plaster;
- the creams.
They should be applied regularly. It is important not to mix several products, as their effect is reduced. It is impossible to take and use such drugs independently, because they have a number of contraindications. Only a doctor knows how to treat toenail fungus in such cases:
- with lactation;
- during pregnancy;
- in the presence of liver diseases;
- in childhood.
It is very important to follow the rules for the application of these drugs. For example, before covering the plate with a special antifungal spray, you should:
- remove the affected part of the nail with a nail file;
- steam the leg;
- degrease the surface of the nail.
The medicine is applied in one layer. Remove it weekly with a simple nail polish remover. Then reapply. Some types of such products can be painted over with ordinary nail polish. The duration of therapy depends on the type of pathogen, the prevalence of the disease, as well as the individual characteristics of the patient's body.
What is the best treatment?
The sooner a person visits a doctor, the easier and faster he will get rid of the problem. However, not all people immediately go to the hospital when the first signs of fungus appear. Many try to cope with the disease themselves, which leads to the fact that the disease moves to an advanced stage. In this case, it will not be possible to cure quickly. The patient will need a long and serious therapy, during which he will need:
- take antifungal tablets;
- use funds for current application;
- wear patches at all times.
The doctor will determine how to treat toenail fungus in the advanced stage by the extent of the lesions. If the plaque is completely affected, then its removal is prescribed. For this, surgical methods can be used. However, more often it is possible to remove the nail with the help of special preparations. The way to use them is as follows:
- A thick layer is applied to a steamed and well-dried foot.
- From above, the nail is fixed with plaster.
- After 4 days, it is removed and the affected nail is scraped with manicure tools.
In this way, the fungus can be completely removed. In place of the affected nail, over time, a new and completely healthy one will grow. If the therapy was carried out correctly and to the end, then you can completely get rid of the disease and not worry about relapses.
Prevention of reinfection
Even after defeating the disease, there is a possibility that you will encounter a problem again if certain rules are not followed. In this case, the toenail fungus treatment will have to start all over again. Re-infection can be prevented by strictly following the following prevention methods:
- Keep your feet dry, don't walk in wet shoes.
- Don't wear other people's shoes.
- Use closed slippers for use in saunas and baths.
- Do not walk barefoot on the beach.
- Wear only socks made of natural fabric.
It is important to abandon uncomfortable and very tight shoes in which the feet sweat a lot. Also, disease prevention includes strengthening the immune system. If the body's defenses work fully, then even if the fungus penetrates the nail plate, they will fix the problem themselves. Therefore, it is very important:
- eat properly and nutritiously;
- avoid hypothermia;
- do sports;
- respect the regime of work and rest;
- treat all diseases in a timely manner.
Important!
Remember that only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, determine the causes and nature of the disease and prescribe effective treatment.