Beautiful and healthy feet not only attract attention, but are also considered the key to good health.If skin or nail plate disorders appear, it is worth thinking about the reasons for this condition.Sometimes this occurs due to a lack of vitamins and minerals, poor-quality care or injury.In these situations the problem is resolved quickly and does not require serious intervention.But sometimes foot damage can be caused by fungal infections.
How it develops
Foot fungus (mycosis) is an infectious skin lesion.It manifests itself mainly in those parts of the foot that remain closed for a long time or, on the contrary, 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 on the skin.Person-to-person transmission occurs primarily in public places, through shared footwear or household objects.To transmit the infection, the surface of objects with which contact occurs must be infected with scales of fungal parasites, which attach to healthy skin and begin their active reproduction and settlement over the entire surface of the foot.During their development, pathogens of mycosis of the feet 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 foot fungus: flaking and thickening of the skin.If treatment is not started in time, the disease will develop into a more severe form, and erythema and erosion will be added to the above reasons.The earlier you suspect that you have foot fungus, the greater your chance of quickly and effectively eliminating the disease.
Characteristic signs of foot fungus are peeling and thickening of the skin.
Symptoms not to ignore:
- cracks on the soles of the feet;
- itching, dryness and flaking;
- unpleasant odor;
- change in the color of the skin and/or nail plate;
- thickening, redness, or other changes in the surface of the skin of the feet or 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 foot 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 drugs (ointments): clotrimazole, mycoseptin, loteryl, etc.
The average course of treatment is chosen individually.If you start treatment on time, after a week of therapy you can completely eliminate the foot fungus or minimize its manifestations.Very often an integrated approach is required, therefore, in addition to antifungal drugs, drugs to eliminate itching and oral tablets are used: fluconazole, griseofulvin, lamisil, etc.
To treat foot fungus it is not necessary to resort to expensive means;you can pay attention to the products of domestic pharmacological companies.The cost of such drugs is lower, and the effectiveness is no different from expensive analogues.We must not forget that it is necessary to thoroughly treat the affected surface.For this purpose, antiseptic solutions are suitable: fucorcin and creolin.
It is necessary to treat mainly to prevent the new development of the disease.It should be remembered that even after eliminating all symptoms, you need to 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 eliminating all symptoms, you need to 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 for pharmacological agents for the treatment of foot fungus offers a wide range of products.But at the same time traditional medicine comes to the aid of traditional therapy.Usually, the arsenal of this approach includes various herbs and decoctions, tinctures and oils prepared on its basis.However, before using any remedy for foot fungus, you need to make sure that you are not allergic.In the initial stages of the development of the disease, in addition to drug treatment or prevention, folk remedies have a good effect.Let's consider one of the most effective options:
Soda bath.It has an antimicrobial effect.One liter of water should be heated to 40-45 degrees, add a spoonful of soda and mix.Stay in this bath for 20-30 minutes.The frequency of this method varies from 1 to 3 times a day.If the foot fungus is accompanied by severe itching, to prepare a soda bath you can use medicinal herbs that have an anti-itching 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 get the disease again, you must first of all carefully monitor your shoes.Old shoes may contain fungal scales that can cause reinfection.Therefore, during the entire course of treatment and for further prevention, it is necessary to treat shoes with disinfectants: chlorhexidine, miramistin, micostop.It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the feet and nails.Furthermore, proper nutrition and cleaning of the feet and nails play an equally important role.
To completely get rid of foot fungus and not get infected again, you must first of all carefully monitor your shoes.
The most important thing in the treatment of foot mycosis is timely diagnosis and timely initiation of therapy.Only in this case it will be possible to cope within a week and, with adequate prevention, completely reduce the risk of developing the disease.But as practice shows, people usually delay visiting the doctor or even refuse to consult a specialist.And this is fraught with the wrong choice of therapy, progression and transition of the disease to a severe stage.Therefore, it is difficult to answer the question “can foot fungus be cured in a week”.In the early stages, with a correct diagnosis, this is more possible than with an advanced form.
Be healthy!