Mycosis or fungal infection of the foot is a pathology that occurs in 40% of people. The reasons for the development of the infection can be many: from violations of hygiene rules to the development of serious diseases of internal organs and systems. Toenail fungus can be cured with drugs and folk methods, but only after diagnosis and consultation with a dermatologist.
How to identify foot fungus
With the development of mycosis of the foot, damage to the dermal tissue occurs. The first signs of the disease do not have a pronounced intensity, so they are often perceived as normal roughening and irritation of the skin of the legs.
Despite the prevalence of the pathology, not many people know how to recognize foot fungus. Mycosis of the feet appears 3-5 days after infection. The longer the fungus progresses, the more pronounced its symptoms will be.
Symptoms of fungal skin infection on the feet:
- in the earliest phase the patient notices severe peeling of the skin which, even after standard treatment of the feet and the use of creams, is not completely eliminated;
- itching gradually begins to bother you, which intensifies every day and causes severe discomfort;
- Along with itching, a sour odor appears, which occurs when a fungus develops on the skin, accompanied by a strong smell of sweat (due to dysfunction of the subcutaneous glands, sweating increases);
- There is also a change in the shade of the skin of the foot, the epithelium acquires an unnatural color at the site of the lesion: bluish, greenish or even gray-black (in advanced cases).
With mycosis of the feet, onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nails) often occurs, so the patient's nails may begin to break, deteriorate and change color. In rare cases, general health worsens (increased temperature, constant weakness and apathy bother you).
Important!It is impossible to independently determine the stage and type of fungus, so if you have a dermatological disease, you need to visit an experienced specialist.
Why are foot fungus dangerous?
Many people suffering from foot fungus do not take it seriously, believing that the disease will disappear on its own or until it causes unbearable pain, they do not make efforts to get rid of the infection.
Note!The peculiarity of mycosis of the feet is that the fungal infection is contagious, and since a person often walks without shoes, the patient exposes a large number of people to the risk of infection.
Mycosis of the foot does not cause life-threatening complications, however, if the disease is not treated, complications can arise:
- transition of the disease to a chronic form;
- weakened immunity;
- increased risk of developing other skin diseases.
Dermatological complications include:
- allergy;
- focal or regional spread of the rash;
- generalized skin lesions;
- formation of papules, erythema, eczema.
Complications occur in patients who neglect foot fungus treatment. If therapy is started on time, the disease is eliminated without consequences.
What causes foot fungus?
Mycosis of the feet occurs due to an infection. Fungal spores have the ability to maintain vital activity even in the absence of contact with the skin.
Before answering the causes of foot fungus, it should be noted that experts identify several groups of people susceptible to fungal infections.
- with weakened immunity;
- with vascular diseases;
- violate hygiene rules.
With foot fungus, the most common causes of infection are:
- diseases associated with immunodeficiency;
- rarely change socks, wear low-quality shoes;
- visiting public bathing places (without observing personal hygiene);
- nail fungus;
- increased sweating of the feet.
One of the factors in the development of foot fungus is the psychosomatics of the disease. Experts confirm that a violation of the psycho-emotional state significantly affects the immune system, weakening it. A weak immune system is unable to resist the fungus, therefore the risk of developing mycosis increases.
Is foot fungus contagious?
Experts in the field of dermatological medicine have proven that mycosis of the feet is a disease that occurs after contact of the skin of the feet with fungal spores.
The peculiarity of this type of infection is the long-term survival of spores that fall on any surface. Furthermore, even on the skin of the foot, fungal spores can remain dormant for many years and, when favorable conditions occur, they can become active.
It is the ability to maintain the activity of the infection in the spore state for many years that represents the greatest danger. It is impossible to completely prevent infection. The fungus grows in a humid environment, so maintaining hygiene standards is the most effective way to prevent infection.
Important!Considering the mode of transmission of foot fungus, it is also necessary to consider the risks of infection of people in contact with the patient, especially those who live with him.
How is foot fungus transmitted?
The fungal infection is transmitted through household contact. The main method of infection is when the spores penetrate the healthy skin of the feet.
How is foot fungus transmitted? There are two types of foot fungal infection.
- Direct: contact of the foot with an infected surface, contact with the feet of a patient, contact with an animal whose fur contains spores.
- Indirect: contact with personal effects of a patient suffering from mycosis (socks, shoes, towel, etc. ), contact with care objects of an infected animal.
In 60% of cases, infection occurs during visits to public places (saunas, thermal baths, beaches, etc. ). There is also danger when performing a pedicure procedure if the items used in salons are not handled correctly.
Types of foot fungi
Depending on how the foot fungus is transmitted (which area the spores attach to), different forms of infection can develop.
Dermatologists identify the main forms of foot fungus, which differ in the location of the affected area.
- Interdigital. Mycosis affects the skin between the toes. With this form, two stages are distinguished: intertriginous and squamous. Very often the infection becomes chronic, since the area between the fingers has the most favorable conditions for the proliferation of fungal spores.
- Plantar. The epithelial layers of the sole of the foot are affected by mycosis. A characteristic sign is severe keratinization, cracking and peeling of the tissues.
- Dyshidrotic. The most painful form of fungus on the feet, accompanied by the formation of vesicles and blisters on the sole of the foot, which, when burst, lead to a secondary infection.
- Deep mycosis. In deep mycosis, a large area of the foot is affected and the infection penetrates deep into the skin.
- Onychomycosis. This form may be the cause or consequence of a fungal skin disease of the legs. With onychomycosis, the toenails become infected.
The most common form of pathology is interdigital. However, deep-seated, dyshidrotic mycoses, which are difficult to cure completely, are considered dangerous.
Interdigital form
With interdigital fungus, symptoms appear after 2-3 days. Subsequently, the signs of infection become more and more pronounced. It is almost impossible to identify foot fungus on your own in the early stage. The signs of the disease are similar to insufficient hydration of the feet.
Note!In case of infectious lesions of the feet, interdigital mycosis on children's feet is diagnosed in 70% of cases. Children move a lot, often spend time outdoors and are often without shoes or socks.
Considering that the signs of the disease in the first days are unusual, how do you know if there is a fungus? In folk medicine there is a special method that helps to identify the infection at the initial stage: lower your feet into a manganese solution and wait 20 minutes.
If after the procedure the color of the entire skin has changed, but the areas between the fingers remain the same shade, most likely there are pathogenic microorganisms on the dermis.
Phases and their manifestations
Interdigital mycosis progresses in three stages. Each has characteristics of manifestation. The more advanced the infection, the more obvious the signs become. Gradually, the disease brings not only discomfort, but also painful torment.
initial state
In the initial stage, the patient begins to be bothered by peeling of the skin on the legs in the space between the toes. The plantar area of the tissue from the little finger to the third toe is most affected.
How does the squamous-hyperkeratotic stage manifest itself?
In the squamous-hyperkeratotic stage, the processes of keratinization and desquamation of the affected epithelial particles begin on the surface of the foot. The skin around the localization sites becomes red, the burning sensation and constant itching intensify.
In the intertriginous phase, swelling between the fingers is noticeable, erosion occurs in the keratinized areas, and suppuration may begin. The symptoms of the previous phase intensify.
Dyshidrotic stage
In the dyshidrotic phase, blisters form, the area of the lesion increases, spreading further along the foot. The fungal infection also affects the nails.
Interdigital fungi should not be allowed to develop on the feet; treatment should be started at the first suspicion. In this way, serious complications that carry the risk of developing purulent infections can be avoided.
How to treat foot fungus
A dermatologist will answer how to remove foot fungus. Treatment of the disease can have many nuances, since there are many types of fungal infection. The specialist prescribes diagnostics and individually determines what the toenail fungus found in the patient is afraid of.
For fungal infections of the feet, two methods are used:
- medicinal;
- people
Drug therapy is the main one. Home treatment with folk remedies is an additional effect on the pathological process, eliminating the symptoms.
Treatment for mycosis can last several months. It will not be possible to get rid of the disease in a couple of weeks.
Dressing method
When choosing antifungal drugs, you should think not only about how to quickly cure foot fungus. Some drugs can only eliminate the signs of the disease without destroying the spores located deep under the layers of the epithelium. Incompletely treated mycosis can quickly cause a relapse.
Ointments
You can treat nail fungus at home using topical products. Ointments are effective in the initial stage of the disease; in advanced forms they are used in combination with tablets.
Dermatologists recommend ointments containing disinfectant, anti-infective and regenerating substances for foot fungus.
Symptoms and treatment of fungal infection are interconnected, since the use of antifungal ointments is aimed at eliminating signs of pathology and jointly providing an antifungal effect.
Important!The effectiveness of the topical agent is noted in the first stage of treatment, however, with significant injuries of the feet, the use of ointments alone may not be sufficient.
Pills
Systemic antifungal drugs have a general effect. The dosage of the active ingredient in tablets is usually much higher than in ointments. The advantage of the tablet form of the drug is that the medicine has a stronger effect and not only eliminates the infection, but also prevents relapses.
If you treat foot fungus at home, you can take pills, but drugs have contraindications, so taking them is allowed only after consulting your doctor.
Important!The tablets are contraindicated during infancy, breastfeeding and during pregnancy.
Antifungal drugs rarely cause side effects, have minimal contraindications and allow you to overcome mycosis in the shortest possible time.
Also, to treat fungi, ointments, solutions or sprays are used along with taking tablets.
Traditional treatment method
There are many methods of removing foot fungus using folk remedies. Bearing in mind how foot fungus is transmitted, we can conclude that home therapy methods should be aimed at eliminating the infection from the surface of the foot. Folk remedies also have an antisymptomatic effect.
Note!Treatment with folk remedies is not used as a replacement for medications. Alternative medicine is only recommended as complementary therapy.
According to reviews, methods of removing foot fungus will help you achieve maximum effectiveness.
Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide in the pharmacy is mixed with alcohol and table vinegar. Everything is in equal proportion. A cotton swab is moistened in the resulting solution and the skin at the site of the foot lesion is generously treated with it. The course of treatment lasts up to 1 month. The procedure should be performed daily in the morning and evening.
Celandine juice
Celandine juice: after preparatory procedures for cleansing the skin of the feet, prepare a solution for the bath. After that, they begin to use celandine juice. Freshly harvested, the plant exudes juice from the stem, which eliminates skin infections. Celandine juice is used to treat all affected areas of the foot for a month. The product must be applied 2 times a day.
Soda baths
Foot baths with soda have a preventive and therapeutic effect. Place your feet in a container with two liters of water in which two tablespoons of bicarbonate are dissolved for a quarter of an hour. Afterwards the feet are not washed, but simply dried with a towel. Baths are taken for at least two weeks.
How to treat foot fungus with folk remedies or drugs, of course, decides the patient himself, but it is better to prefer joint therapy, which will allow you to achieve quick and lasting results in the fight against mycosis.
Knowing how the foot fungus is transmitted, the patient must understand that the treatment of the disease consists, first of all, in prevention. If prevention is not followed, foot fungus can develop again. To prevent relapses it is necessary to maintain hygiene, strengthen the immune system and follow the dermatologist's recommendations regarding treatment.