The initial stage of the fungus is distinguished by the absence of pronounced symptoms. This is one of the reasons why many patients learn about their disease only after a while, when the pathogens of onychomycosis cause significant damage to healthy tissue. If a person is very attentive to his own health, he will be able to recognize the first signs of infection. Their discovery is a serious reason to visit a doctor's office that deals with fungal pathologies.
Reasons for the development of onychomycosis
The initial stage of the fungus on the hands and feet does not bring a person much discomfort. The first signs of the disease, which at this stage are mild, are simply ignored by many infected. Because of this, they miss the chance to start timely treatment of the disease and prevent the development of serious complications.
There are many reasons that can provoke the development of a fungal infection on the nails and adjacent areas of the skin. They create optimal conditions for the successful development of pathogenic microflora. As a rule, onychomycosis is more susceptible to older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems. Other adverse factors can also provoke the development of the initial stage of the disease:
- Neglect of the rules of personal hygiene;
- Skin lesions on fingers or toes;
- Prolonged contact with moisture or chemicals that dry out the skin;
- Regular wearing of tight clothing and shoes made of synthetic materials;
- Increased perspiration during hot seasons;
- Chronic diseases that affect the state of immunity;
- Immune and endocrine diseases;
- Abuse of strong drugs;
- Climatic features of the region that create ideal conditions for the reproduction of the causative agent of nail fungus.
If any of these negative factors affect the human body, he should think about preventing the development of onychomycosis. Otherwise, it will be difficult for him to avoid infection with the fungus.
Avoid tight, uncomfortable shoes. Since the fungus likes to "settle" in microcracks. Even the slightest damage to the nail plate or skin "attracts". Violation of blood supply in the fingers is also dangerous. Then the cells receive less useful nutrients and become easy prey for pathogens. So pay attention to your shoes.
Comfortable orthopedic shoes are the key not only to healthy nails and feet, but also to preserve flat feet, hallux valgus, calluses, corns, facilitate walking and correct existing disorders at the initial stage. Daily wearing of such shoes provides comfort, and not torment when walking. In addition, modern orthopedic shoes have an excellent design and maintain a fashionable style.
What does nail fungus look like in its early stages?
Nail fungus can bother absolutely anyone. In order to identify it in a timely manner, it is necessary to find out what conditions characterize the initial stage of the development of the disease.
The first signs of infection are felt from the first day of infection. However, they are weakly expressed, so few people pay attention to them. A person should beware if, after visiting a public place with high humidity, the color of the nail plates changes and itching occurs in the toe area. These are the first symptoms of onychomycosis. If the nails are healthy, the infection will not be able to penetrate into their deep layers. Only damaged plates are subject to such an attack.
on the hands
Everyone needs to know what nail fungus looks like at an early stage. This information will help him in a timely manner to calculate the disease in himself or in people in his environment.
A fungal infection on the hands is in most cases detected in women. However, representatives of the stronger sex are also susceptible to such an infection. The disease is recognized by such symptoms, which appear first after infection:
- Dulling of the surface of the nail plate;
- The formation of spots on the nails;
- Change the color of the nail to yellow, gray or brown;
- Crumbling of the nail plate near the edges;
- Delamination and brittleness;
- Peeling of the skin near the nail.
Some patients develop signs of swelling near the nails. Although at the initial stage of the development of the disease, such a symptom usually does not occur.
Walk
Recognizing a fungal nail infection helps a number of characteristic signs of this condition:
- Yellowing of the nail at the top or on the side;
- Thickening of the nail plate;
- Nail discoloration;
- Slight itching in the toes;
- nail exfoliation;
- Unpleasant foot odor.
Lack of treatment at an early stage in the development of the disease leads to its progression. Therefore, it is very important not to miss the most optimal time to start a therapeutic course, which will help to cope with the infection and prevent it from spreading to healthy tissues.
Processing
Nail fungus is easily treatable if the patient is diagnosed with the initial stage of its development. In order not to trigger the disease, it is necessary to abandon self-medication. The patient will not be able to choose an adequate treatment on his own, which will lead to a positive result. It is better to entrust such tasks to competent specialists involved in the diagnosis and treatment of onychomycosis.
Topical preparations
The fungus on the hands, as well as on the lower extremities, can be eliminated with topical medications. The initial stage of the disease involves the use of such drugs that do not have a significant effect on the patient's body, but act directly on the lesions.
Comprehensive treatment of onychomycosis at the initial stage of development necessarily involves the use of local medication.
The external agent should be used in accordance with the instructions of the attending physician, as well as his instructions for use. Compliance with this rule will increase the effectiveness of treatment and avoid possible side effects.
According to the standard scheme, a local preparation should be applied to the fungus-infected nail plate 1-2 times a day with a thin layer. If special varnishes are used, they are applied no more than once a week.
Systemic therapy
At the first sign of onychomycosis, you should consult a doctor. Foot and nail fungus is not always curable with topical medication. Therefore, dermatologists additionally prescribe a systemic remedy that acts on the causative agent of the disease from inside the human body.
Oral drugs with an antifungal effect can be taken only as prescribed by a specialist. This is due to the fact that they have a long list of contraindications and side effects. The course of therapy for each patient is chosen individually. It usually lasts about 4 months. If measures were taken at the initial stage of development of onychomycosis, then this period is reduced.
It is advisable to use systemic drugs if local remedies do not stop the development of the disease.
Laser therapy and ozone therapy
It is possible to treat a fungal infection on the nail plates using hardware procedures. For these purposes, laser and ozone therapy is used. They are prescribed at the initial and advanced stages of the development of the pathological process, if traditional methods of treatment do not bring the desired result.
Laser therapy in the fight against nail fungus has many advantages:
- Obtain a guaranteed recovery result in 99% of cases;
- No pain or discomfort during the procedure;
- No negative impact on internal organs;
- Complete destruction of the fungus;
- Improvement of the general condition of the infected area after the first intervention;
- Restoration of the nail plate 30 days after treatment.
Nail fungus on the hands or lower extremities also helps cure ozone therapy. The initial stage of onychomycosis lends itself well to such treatment.
Ozone has an antiseptic effect. It is for this reason that doctors use it in the treatment of nail fungus. When ozone enters the body, it is transported to different parts of the body through the blood. After that, a struggle is waged with the causative agent of the disease, in which he loses in most cases.
Ozone therapy is completely painless. Its duration is limited to 30 minutes. During treatment, only the infected area is affected. The skin around the plaque is not affected.
Ozone, like laser therapy, is prescribed by the attending physician after the patient has passed all the necessary tests and studies. Based on their results, the specialist draws conclusions about the advisability of using such therapeutic procedures that help speed up recovery.
Folk methods
The attending physician may recommend the use of non-traditional methods of treatment with drugs. It is good to carry out such therapy at an early stage in the development of the pathological process. Then it will be the most useful. Treatment of onychomycosis can be carried out with such folk remedies:
- Iodine. They must periodically treat the infected nail. It is desirable to carry out the procedure 2 times a day in order to stop the development of pathogenic microflora on its surface. The antiseptic agent not only fights the fungus, but also dries the nail plate. After a week of such treatment, it is recommended to take a break for 2-3 days.
- Garlic. It is a natural disinfectant that copes with the active reproduction of pathogens. A fresh clove of garlic should be grated, after which this gruel is applied to the problem area. It is advisable to leave it overnight, fixing the mass with a bandage;
- Celandine. With onychomycosis, the juice of this plant is useful. It is recommended to lubricate the areas affected by an infectious disease on the upper or lower extremities with a fresh product. Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to carry out an allergy test to this remedy in order to prevent the development of side effects.
- Onion. It is effective against a fungal infection caused by a yeast-like pathogen. Fresh vegetables should be peeled and grated on a medium grater. After the onion mass is mixed with a small portion of natural honey. The finished product should be applied to sore nails for 2-3 hours. If you perform this procedure several times a day, you can quickly improve the general condition of the patient.
- A soda. It is used in the preparation of medicinal baths. It should be dissolved in hot or warm water. For 2. 5 liters of liquid you need to take 1 tbsp. I. a soda. It is also advisable to add a portion of liquid soap to the solution. This bath can be taken daily for 15 minutes.
Folk remedies work only in the treatment of the initial stage of onychomycosis. In more advanced cases, they do not bring much result. But even if the disease has only just begun, there is no guarantee that alternative medicine will help to completely get rid of it. It is better to use its methods in parallel with pharmaceutical preparations in order to be sure of the effectiveness of the therapeutic course.
Disinfection and other rules during the treatment period
The doctor will tell the patient in detail how to act at the initial stage of the development of the disease and will advise on how the fungus on the feet will look at an early stage.
For the treatment prescribed by the doctor to be effective, the patient must also follow specific rules:
- It is necessary to daily disinfect the socks and shoes with which a person infected with the fungus came into contact;
- It is necessary to boil the patient's towels and bed linen at a high temperature;
- It is necessary to thoroughly clean the bath after bathing the patient.
Boiling is highly recommended to disinfect all acceptable objects and things that a person with onychomycosis has interacted with. You should also regularly wipe your shoes with special antiseptic and antifungal solutions.
Prevention of onychomycosis
Prevention of onychomycosis should be carried out by anyone at risk of contracting this disease. This measure will allow him to avoid spending unnecessary money and time on medical procedures.
To prevent onychomycosis, you should:
- Refrain from wearing other people's clothes and shoes. If necessary, they must first be carefully treated with an antifungal and antiseptic agent;
- In public places, for example, a sauna or a swimming pool, you must use disposable slippers;
- Use only your own manicure tools.
If a person was able to cure onychomycosis and adhere more to preventive measures, the probability that he will encounter the fungus again will be only 8%.