If a person has a foot fungus, it is important to start treatment in a timely and adequate manner. The fact is that a fungal disease of the skin of the legs is contagious, and if you do not start fighting the disease right away, all members of the patient's family are at risk of getting an infection. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, it will depend on the type of pathology, the degree of damage to the skin, as well as the general condition of the person.
Causes of the appearance of fungus on the legs
When penetrating the skin of the legs, the fungus does not always cause mycosis, and in order for the first symptoms to appear, negative factors must affect the human body. The following negative causes influence the development of mycosis:
- weakening of the body's immune forces;
- the use of heavy and toxic drugs;
- non-compliance with foot and toe hygiene rules;
- the presence of cracks, wounds and abrasions on the toes and feet, through which fungal spores can enter the body.
Places of infection with the fungus are wet floors of swimming pools, baths and showers in gymnasiums.
A fungal infection enters the body through household contact, when an adult or child comes into contact with a sick carrier or objects inhabited by fungal spores. Often foot fungus can be picked up in public places - locker rooms, showers, swimming pools, on the beach. The disease can also be transmitted by wearing someone else's shoes, on which pathogen spores live. Non-compliance with basic rules of hygiene leads to undesirable consequences that cause fungal pathologies of the feet and nails. The carrier may not always be able to discover in time that they have foot fungus, as the symptoms only appear under a combination of unfavorable circumstances. But such a person is still contagious, which is dangerous for his relatives who are also at risk of contracting an infectious infection.
Symptoms and Types
Mycosis of the feet comes in the following forms:
- almost better;
- dyshidrotic;
- intertriginous;
- onychomycosis;
- candid.
Scaly
The first symptoms of a fungus of this form can be found only on one leg, however, with the progression of the pathology, a manifestation is observed on the other foot. The disease looks like a skin defect, on which inflammation forms, covered with peeling. The squamous fungus of the foot is not always characterized by itching and discomfort, so for many this disease goes unnoticed and it is impossible to determine it without a laboratory test.
If the foot fungus is not cured in a timely manner, the infectious lesion passes to the shins, then it will be much more difficult to treat the problem. Also, the fungus can be localized on the calves, however, these complications are rare.
Dyshidrotic
The first signs of a fungus on the legs of this form are characterized by the formation of bubbles on the arch of the foot, which gradually grow in size and reach a diameter of up to 10 mm. After the rash opens, it hurts, erosion occurs in its place. Damaged sites hurt, there are cases of bacterial inflammation. After the skin of the diseased areas heals, the disease passes into a scaly form. With a dyshidrotic variety, the skin of both feet is rarely affected, if timely treatment is not started, a neglected form develops, in which the stages of remission will alternate with an exacerbation.
intertrigous
Intertriginous or interdigital foot fungus is the most common form of skin disease.
This type of foot fungus is considered the most common. Most often the skin between the 4th and 5th toes is affected. The disease manifests itself in the form of the formation of dead, scaly areas that exfoliate from the normal layer of the epidermis.
If you do not provide timely assistance, the puff places begin to get wet, the patient feels pain and itching. In addition, sores and erosions form on the affected areas, which are difficult to remove.
If you do nothing and ignore the symptoms, the disease turns into a chronic form, prone to frequent relapses.
Onychomycosis
The disease is characterized by the fact that the fungus is localized on the nails and toenails. First, the nail fungus manifests itself in the form of a lesion of the free edge of the nail, on which spots and stripes of a yellowish tint form. There are the following types of nail and toenail fungus:
- Hypertrophic. The nail plate thickens, turns yellow, is easily destroyed. Under the damaged foci, the affected skin of the finger is visible.
- atrophic. The nail thins, is rapidly destroyed and the underlying dermis becomes keratinized.
- Onychomycosis caused by fungi. The nail plate becomes thinner, its color becomes black, brown, yellowish or green. The disease is a complication of the 2 previous types of pathology.
candidiasis
The fungus infects the skin between the toes, without proper treatment leads to bacterial infections.
This type of disease is caused by pathogenic yeast-like fungi, the name of which is Candida. Foci of inflammation are often localized on the skin between 3 and 4 or 4 and 5 fingers. The tissues in these places become inflamed, edema develops, and a bacterial complication often joins.
Candida fungus is a type of microorganism that infects a person's mucous membranes and outer skin. Normally, Candida is present in the human body in limited amounts. However, with a decrease in immunity, it may show increased activity, causing inconvenience to the patient.
If the fungus is not eliminated at the initial stage, pustules, cracks and erosion are formed, which are difficult to get rid of even with the help of strong drugs.
Diagnostic methods
In order for the treatment of fungus on the legs to be effective, it is important to determine the pathogen and make an accurate diagnosis. To do this, it is worth consulting a doctor, who often after the first visual examination will be able to determine the pathology. If the skin pathology looks suspicious or does not go away with treatment for a long time, it will be necessary to take a blood and urine test, as well as undergo an additional diagnostic study that will help determine the types of pathogens and their susceptibilityto antifungal drugs. To do this, a piece of dermis is taken from the damaged area and examined under a microscope. To check for the presence of malignant cells in the tissues, samples are taken from the damaged areas for biopsy.
What to treat?
There are many fungal diseases, in order to distinguish them and prescribe the appropriate treatment, laboratory tests are carried out.
To cure foot fungus and prevent recurrence, you should contact a medical professional for advice and undergo diagnostic measures. If the diagnosis is made correctly, you can start treatment in which drugs with systemic and local effects are used.
It is effective to be treated at an unstarted stage, then during the treatment period you can cope with means for external use in the form of creams, ointments and sprays. It is also possible to treat foot fungus with home remedies. If the disease has affected the deep layers of the dermis and nail plates, it is recommended to use a systemic drug to combat the fungus.
Treatment with folk remedies is effective only in combination with the use of drugs, otherwise the disease threatens to develop dangerous complications.
Treatment with drugs
An effective and effective drug should be prescribed by a doctor. If you self-medicate and ignore the advice of a specialist, you can cause serious complications that the most effective remedy will not be able to immediately cope with.
Therapy with folk remedies
Treatment of foot fungus with folk home remedies should be agreed with the doctor. It is important to know that strong drugs are used to treat foot and nail fungus, folk remedies can be used as an adjuvant therapy, since it is ineffective to fight the disease on your own at home. There are various recipes that use medicinal herbs that have antimicrobial, disinfectant and healing properties. A folk remedy for a fungus is affordable and inexpensive, but which homemade method is better to use and what kind of recipe is suitable in a particular case, you should consult a doctor. The best recipes are below:
- A decoction with chamomile, plantain and succession herbs. Mix the ingredients, each taking 1 tbsp. I. Pour everything into a saucepan and pour 1 liter of hot water, bring to a boil and simmer for up to 10 minutes. After broth, strain and wash hands, feet and other affected body parts before going to bed. The essence of the procedure is to perform it regularly, then this method will be effective and will help to treat the fungus faster.
- Infusion of onion and St. John's wort. Peel the onion and cut it into 4 pieces. St. John's wort must be dried. Pour the onion and 50 g of St. John's wort into 2. 5 liters of boiling water. Wrap the container with raw materials and let it brew for a day. In the evening, apply a compress of the infusion to the affected areas.
Prevention
The best preventive measure in the fight against the fungus that can prevent the disease is to strengthen the protective properties of the body. This method is inexpensive, but the most effective and efficient. Drug and alternative methods of treatment should be agreed with the doctor, any self-medication can cause dangerous complications, which are then much more difficult and time-consuming to treat.