Beautiful and healthy feet not only attract attention, but are also considered the key to good health.If any skin or nail plate disorders appear, then it is worth thinking about the reasons for this condition.Sometimes this happens due to a lack of vitamins and minerals, poor quality care or injury.In these situations, the problem is solved quickly and does not require serious intervention.But sometimes, foot damage can be caused by fungal infections.
How is it developed?
Athlete's foot (mycosis) is an infectious skin lesion.It occurs mainly in those parts of the foot that are either closed for a long time or, conversely, are open: the interdigital areas, the soles of the feet and the toes.The causative agents of the disease are pathogenic fungi that parasitize the stratum corneum of the skin and contribute to the development of a chronic inflammatory process in the skin.Person-to-person transmission occurs mainly in public places, through shared shoes or household items.To transmit the infection, the surface of the objects with which the contact occurs must be infected with scales of fungal parasites, which attach to healthy skin and begin their active reproduction and settlement on the entire surface of the foot.During their development, foot mycosis pathogens release waste products that reduce the protective functions of the immune system, against the background of which secondary infectious diseases can develop.
How does foot fungus manifest itself?
Fungal spores, parasitizing the skin, cause characteristic signs of athlete's foot - peeling and thickening of the skin.If the treatment is not started on time, the disease will develop in a more severe form, and then erythema and erosion will be added to the above reasons.The sooner you suspect that you have foot fungus, the higher the chance to quickly and effectively eliminate the disease.
The characteristic signs of athlete's foot are peeling and thickening of the skin.
Symptoms that should not be ignored:
- cracks on the soles of the feet;
- itching, dryness and flaking;
- unpleasant smell;
- change in skin color and/or nail plate;
- thickening, redness or other changes on the surface of the skin of the feet or the nail plate.
In addition to the main cause of the disease, there are predisposing factors:
- microtraumas;
- increased sweating of the skin of the feet;
- uncomfortable shoes;
- diabetes mellitus;
- genetic predisposition.
How to treat toenail fungus
Treatment of foot fungus depends on the degree of damage and the type of causative agent of the disease.The most commonly used topical antifungal medications (ointments): clotrimazole, mycoseptin, loteryl, etc.
The average course of treatment is selected individually.If you start the treatment on time, then after a week of therapy you can completely get rid of foot fungus or minimize its manifestations.More often, an integrated approach is required, therefore, in addition to antifungal drugs, they use drugs to eliminate itching and oral tablets: fluconazole, griseofulvin, lamisil, etc.
To treat toenail fungus, it is not necessary to resort to expensive means;you can pay attention to the products of domestic pharmaceutical companies.The cost of such drugs is lower, and the effectiveness does not differ from expensive analogues.We must not forget that it is necessary to thoroughly treat the affected surface.Antiseptic solutions are suitable for this: fucorcin and creolin.
It is necessary to treat primarily to prevent the re-development of the disease.It should be remembered that even after the elimination of all symptoms, you should carefully monitor both your health in general and the cleanliness and health of your feet.This means that it is necessary to periodically treat the skin of the feet, shoes and observe preventive measures.
Even after the elimination of all symptoms, you should carefully monitor both your health in general and the cleanliness and health of your feet.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus
The market of pharmacological agents for the treatment of athlete's foot offers a wide range of products.But at the same time traditional medicine comes to the aid of traditional therapy.Typically, the arsenal of this approach includes various herbs and decoctions, tinctures and oils prepared on their basis.However, before using any medicine for athlete's foot, you should make sure that you are not allergic.In the initial stages of the development of the disease, in addition to drug treatment or for prevention, folk remedies have a good effect.Let's consider one of the most effective options:
Soda bath.It has an antimicrobial effect.A liter of water should be heated to 40-45 degrees, add a spoonful of soda and mix.Keep it in this bath for 20-30 minutes.The frequency of this method varies from 1 to 3 times a day.If foot fungus is accompanied by severe itching, then to prepare a soda bath, you can use medicinal herbs that have an antipruritic and soothing effect (for example, mint, oak bark, calendula).To do this, you must first prepare an infusion of medicinal herbs, and then add soda.Everything else remains unchanged.
Prevention of foot fungus
To completely get rid of foot fungus and not to contract the disease again, you must first of all carefully monitor your shoes.Old shoes may contain fungal scales, which can cause re-infection.Therefore, during the entire course of treatment and for further prevention, it is necessary to treat shoes with disinfectants: chlorhexidine, miramistin, mycostop.It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of your feet and nails.Also, proper nutrition and keeping feet and nails clean play an equally important role.
To completely get rid of foot fungus and not get infected again, first of all, you need to carefully monitor your shoes.
The most important thing in the treatment of foot fungus is timely diagnosis and immediate initiation of therapy.Only in this case will it be possible to cope within a week and with proper prevention, completely reduce the risk of developing the disease.But as practice shows, people usually delay going to the doctor or even refuse to visit a specialist.And this is fraught with the wrong choice of therapy, the progression and transition of the disease to a severe stage.Therefore, it is difficult to answer the question "can the athlete's foot be cured in a week".In the initial stages, with accurate diagnosis, this is more possible than with an advanced form.
Be healthy!