Tinea capitis is one of the most common infections. The fungus on the feet is distinguished by its vitality and ease of growth. If you rely on statistics, then 20% of the world's population suffers from fungus.
What is skin fungus?
Fungal diseases are infectious diseases that affect the skin. The most common fungus is tinea versicolor. In medicine, this skin disease is divided into several types.
Mushrooms can adapt to almost any habitat condition. Fungal spores have the ability to live for a long time in ordinary clothing or footwear. In most cases, fungal infections come in contact with the feet and nail plates on a person's legs.
How does tinea versicolor progress?
The causative agents of foot fungus are Trichophyton rubrum, T. Mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. Fungal infections can be transmitted by contact with infected skin or after using any personal hygiene items.
Dermatophytosis is characterized by destruction of the skin in the form of flaking. The reason is that the fungus penetrates deep under the skin leading to the damaged epidermis.
Yellow or white spots may appear on the nails. If the fungus affects the toes, tiny liquid bubbles between them will burst, painful to heal. Foot fungus is also accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Symptoms of thrush can vary, depending on its type. To do this, you need to get acquainted with each of them in more detail.
The main forms of fungal diseases:
- Vaginal fungal disease.
- Scaly-hyperkeratosis.
- Granular form.
- Form removed.
- Nail fungus.
Vaginal fungal disease
The most common area of toe fungus is the space between the 3, 4, and 5 toes.
The main symptoms of mycosis between the cervical vertebrae:
- The formation of a crack, covered with a thick film of white scales.
- A small amount of fluid may be released from the fissure.
- The appearance of a diaper rash between the toes.
- Mild itching between the fingers.
Initially, fungus between the toes may be dormant without any symptoms. However, gradual changes begin to be observed - the skin becomes dry and rough, has a grayish tint, cracks appear in rough places.
In addition, there is a so-called "wet" fungus between the fingers. This form is characterized by the formation of liquid-filled bubbles. These bubbles burst, thus creating the effect of a "wet" fungus. This fungus usually forms after wearing tight shoes that don't breathe, as well as during times of severe stress.
Scaly form of hyperkeratosis
The scaly form of mycosis fungoides is characterized by severe desquamation and keratinization of the skin. This form of the fungus is very common, however, it usually affects people with atopic dermatitis.
The main symptoms of the scaly form of hyperkeratosis:
- Weak itching.
- The formation of cracks in the skin of the feet.
- Hurt.
- Dryness of the skin.
- Skin.
- Erythema has well-defined boundaries.
- Gold scales.
- Nail fungus - damage to the nail plates.
Lens form
The vesicular form of the fungus is the rarest. Only 8% of all patients with ringworm are exposed to this disease. The vesicular form is characterized by the formation of a rash with fluid inside. When these blisters burst, erosions appear, which can become infected.
The main symptoms of fungal vesicles:
- Formation of red or pink blisters.
- Inside the formations there is a transparent colored liquid.
- The size of the blister can reach a maximum diameter of 1 cm.
- The rash may be accompanied by mild itching.
- Wet blisters.
This form of fungal disease is very dangerous because there is a greater chance of harmful bacteria and infection getting under the skin. To determine the vesicular form of the fungus, it is necessary to undergo special studies and scrape the skin for analysis, since this disease can easily be confused by external symptoms with eczema or pustular psoriasis.
Form removed
The cleared form of the fungus is almost always the beginning of the development of foot diseases - tinea pedis.
With the cleared form of the fungus, there are practically no obvious symptoms, however, it is still possible to distinguish some of them:
- Slightly flaky skin between the toes.
- The formation of microcracks between the fingers affects only the upper layers of the epidermis.
All of these symptoms are not accompanied by itching or pain, so they are not uncomfortable for the patient.
Nail fungus
Toenail fungus is also a very common form of this disease. Such a fungus poses no particular threat to human health, but it can cause a lot of discomfort.
Symptoms of nail fungus:
- The skin on the feet is dry and flaky.
- Itchy.
- Red.
- Change the shape of the nail.
- The color of the nails is yellow-gray.
- Cracking of the nail plate.
- Nail brittleness.
- Formation of a crumbly mass under the nail.
- The formation of voids under the nail plate.
- Bad smell.
If foot fungus has become severe, then the patient's temperature begins to rise. Foot fungus, like any fungal disease, can trigger the development of psoriasis or eczema.
What does tinea versicolor look like?
Despite the fact that foot fungus is a very common disease at the present time, not everyone knows exactly how it is. Many infected people don't even pay much attention to when the first signs of a fungal infection appear. As mentioned earlier, there are several types of mushrooms.
Each type has its own symptoms:
- In the early stages of infection, the skin appears red, mildly swollen and cracked.
- In the middle of the fungal growth, peeling of the skin occurs. The feet are covered with white, pink or white spots.
- If the disease has progressed to the most advanced stage, the nail plates on the toes begin to collapse and change their normal color. The skin on the feet began to peel off in large patches. Deep and painful cracks appear.
A picture
Symptoms of foot fungus
To identify fungus on the feet, it is necessary to identify and pay attention to the basic symptoms:
- The affected areas of the skin become red.
- Skin.
- Form blisters with liquid content.
- Nails change color and shape.
- Fragility and delamination of the nail plate.
Diagnose
At the first manifestation of the symptoms of fungus, you should consult a dermatologist. Sometimes, for an accurate diagnosis, imaging tests are not enough.
Some symptoms may indicate the presence of another skin condition. Therefore, a specialist in such cases should scrape and do microscopy. Only after such studies can we clearly say about the presence and form of fungal diseases.
Treatment
It is necessary to start the treatment of mycosis only after a complete diagnosis by a specialist, who must prescribe various drugs for the treatment of this disease. Treatment of foot fungus can include several methods.
These methods include:
- systemic therapy.
- topical therapy.
- Folk remedies.
It is worth taking a closer look at each of them.
Whole body therapy
Systemic therapy refers to the use of different antifungal drugs. Such drugs penetrate the bloodstream and destroy fungal infections. These funds are able to penetrate the platinum layer of the nail, which can persist for several weeks, gradually killing the fungus.
Effective remedies for foot fungus
Terbinafine and itraconazole are considered effective antifungal agents. These systemic drugs can cure patients in two weeks.
It is important to note that systemic therapy is not prescribed for the following people:
- Pregnant women.
- Breastfeeding mothers.
- People with liver diseases.
- Elderly people with comorbidities.
Ointments and creams
Systemic treatment of fungal diseases is recommended in combination with topical treatment. This treatment includes various creams and ointments, which can also have antifungal effects. However, it is worth noting that if creams and ointments are used without systemic medication, the treatment may not be as effective.
Local drugs to fight fungal infections are divided into 20 forms. In addition to creams and ointments, various sprays, gels, foams, and varnishes are also used to treat foot fungus.
When using a topical fungus treatment, it is important to remember that after applying any remedy to the skin, the feet do not need to be rinsed off during the day.
Folk remedies
You can also cure foot fungus with folk remedies. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus:
- At night, a piece of kombucha is applied to the affected nails.
- Stick a cut Kalanchoe leaf on the nail overnight.
Folk remedies for the treatment of fungus between the toes:
- Wash the skin between the fingers and grease stains with birch sap.
- Make a decoction of yarrow, yarrow, wormwood and chrysanthemum. Make a foot bath from the prepared steam bath.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Lubricate the affected skin areas with onion juice at night.
- Apply overnight with 20% propolis tincture.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Do a foot bath with sea salt twice a day.
- Three times a day, soak your feet in a decoction of chamomile, oak bark and gerbera.
Prevent
Tinea capitis often causes sweating. Even in the cold season, fungal pathogens are well preserved. But high heat can kill the infection, so one of the prevention methods is boiling. Another method of prevention is to disinfect shoes with formalin. With this action, the fungus will die in 20 minutes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that tinea capitis does not cause harm to human health. Mushrooms only create unpleasant sensations. However, this infection should not be ignored. If the disease becomes severe, it can lead to soreness and the development of other infections.