Symptoms of Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus, the symptoms of which will be discussed below, appear most often due to neglect of the rules of personal hygiene. Symptoms of onychomycosis in most patients appear suddenly, as the infection occurs almost imperceptibly and immediately. Since the treatments for this disease continue for a long time, it is better for a person who notices signs of disease on the toenails to immediately seek the help of a doctor.

Factors that contribute to the development of the disease

Lesions can be caused by yeast, mold or fungal skin. In the first case, it is not possible to diagnose the disease immediately. Symptoms of the disease appear 5-6 months after infection. The phenomenon of nail peeling develops, causing mild irritation of the surrounding skin. Sometimes the patient is tormented by intense itching.

In the event that the disease develops due to a fungal infection of the skin, three things can happen:

1. Infected feet, fingernails and foot skin. The fungus can spread not only on the skin of the lower extremities, but can also catch the fingernails on the hands.
2. Another type of mycelium affects only the fingernails of the thumb or little toe. Sometimes there is a transition of such fungi to the folds between the fingers. Then the skin is affected on 1-2 folds or all at once.
3. Another type of disease - the fungus is limited to the "occupation" of the nail plate on the little finger or thumb of the lower extremities, but does not spread further.
4. The final type of infection is mold. This type of mycelium is often present in people with serious immune disorders, such as HIV.

The occurrence of infection in all cases occurs for the following reasons:

1. The protective properties of the patient's body fall below the critical level.
2. The nail is mechanically damaged.
3. The man was wearing a pair of shoes that were too tight. Blood circulation in the legs is disrupted, leading to infection.
4. Some people have anatomical pathologies of the feet, which contribute to the development of fungus.
5. Usually, patients who are diagnosed with obesity have this disease. The disease leads to excessive sweating. This creates favorable conditions for the growth of mycelium.
6. Fungi grow in diabetics.

To prevent disease, you should only share your clothes, shoes, and personal hygiene items. It is advisable to disinfect and clean carpets and shoes in a timely manner.

General signs of the disease

The first signs of toenail fungus in most people start to appear are small white dots or stripes on the toenails. Most people don't notice this, because nothing hurts them, there is no discomfort. If you don't start your ringworm treatment on time, you could start to get sick. There will be germination of mycelium over all nail plates, and the skin around the affected nails will begin to soften. In severe cases, the disease spreads to deep tissue structures. This threatens the development of gangrene and amputation of the foot or even the entire leg.

At the second stage of the disease with mycosis, the natural shine of the nail plates disappears. Nails change color. They are yellow with brown or white stripes. The top and sides of the nail are often deformed. Such changes are clearly visible to the eye.

At the final stage of the disease, the nail plates become very brittle, the inflammatory process begins on the cuticle. A person can lose a fingernail completely. But the mushrooms don't stop there. They continue to spread to all nail plates, and then spread to the skin of the feet, i. e. they capture the feet.

The patient himself can recognize the disease in the second and third stages, since the nails turn yellow or brown (sometimes they turn black). Nails protrude from the bed, increase their fragility, quickly break.

Symptoms of the disease in the early stages

If a person has developed toenail fungus, the symptoms of the disease at first are practically absent. But then, 2-3 months after the ringworm has penetrated and fixed on the nail, you may notice signs of the disease:

1. On the surface of the skin near the affected patch, a slight red color develops first.
2. The patient then feels a burning sensation in this area.
3. Severe itching develops, inflammation begins.
4. Then places with increased humidity will develop in these areas.
5. There is thickening of the nail and its keratinization.

As soon as he notices these signs of nail fungus, he should see a doctor and then start treatment.

Depending on the type of fungal infection in the subsequent stages of mycosis development, the diseased nail plate is painted in different colors. At the first stage of the development of the disease, the affected area may turn white or green. The spots on it will either be along the surface or look like round dots. At the same time, the thickness of the plaque in most patients does not change, and in many cases the nail retains its natural shine. Itching in all cases is very strong and cannot be cured immediately. If the patient notices the signs of fungus in time, then you can get rid of the burning and itching through the use of drugs such as Miconazole, Clotrimazole and similar drugs. But you should not self-medicate, it is better to do it under the supervision of a doctor. With any mistake or non-compliance with the doctor's recommendations, the mycelium will immediately spread to the healthy areas, which will complicate the treatment.

Further development of the disease

Fungus on the toenail, if left untreated, can discolor the nail's natural color, and the surface of the affected area will turn yellow. There is separation of the nail layers. They may start to fail. With that, the patient develops unbearable itching on the skin around the affected area. The breakdown of the substance of the nail plates begins. The burning is getting stronger. Some patients may develop dysbiosis, they feel unwell, complain of weakness throughout the body. Perhaps the development of drowsiness.

First, the mycelium completely changes the color of the surface of the plates, then their thinning begins. The diseased nail is then removed and the infection penetrates the skin structures. The itch gets worse.

In the late stages of the disease, the surface of the diseased nail plates becomes scaly. Depending on the type of fungus that attacks the person, the nails begin to thicken, their splitting. They break down quickly. Symptoms of the disease include:

1. The edges of the plate become very brittle. Sometimes this causes pain for the patient.
2. The shape of the patches is greatly deformed and the surface can develop into a scab.
3. The color of the affected area changes from yellow to black.
4. The introduction of parts of the sheet into the skin begins.
5. Under the nails appears a white or yellowish coating. This is because they are peeled off the bed.
6. The itching is very strong, almost unbearable. Burning of the skin around the affected areas increases again.

If these symptoms appear and treatment is started on time, it will continue for a long time. You can get infected within 4-5 seconds and it is very difficult to cure. This process usually takes 3 to 6 months. Treatment should not be abandoned due to dangerous complications that can lead to surgery. Therefore, you should listen carefully to yourself. If the initial symptoms are detected and treatment is started immediately, there is a better chance of completing the therapy faster and saving your nails.