Causes of toenail fungus: symptoms and treatment

Nail fungus is a disease caused by several groups of pathogens. To destroy it, you will need to undergo a diagnosis to identify all the characteristics of the disease. What are the causes of its appearance? There are many reasons for the appearance of a fungal infection, the prerequisites for its appearance.

Genetic causes of the disease.

Fungal spores can be found on various surfaces for years. A person often encounters pathogenic microorganisms, but infection does not always occur. For nail fungus to appear, there must be accommodation factors. The infection must have the conditions for its development. Scientists have done a lot of research on the mechanism of appearance of the disease.

It turned out that one of the factors in the appearance of a fungal infection is a genetic predisposition. According to research, mycosis occurs more often in people whose family members have a similar condition. The progression of the disease affects the genetic level.

Interesting cases of contagion when living together. With close contact, it is easier to get mycosis. However, it often develops in one home, but does not affect the other. And the disease usually appears in the person who has the most similar genes to the person who initially developed the mycosis. According to all these data, the closeness of the contact is of less importance for the infection than the closeness of the genetic ties.

Symptoms of mycosis

Nail fungus manifests itself in different ways at different stages. Generally, mycosis infection begins with the interdigital spaces. Right now, there are:

• The appearance of bubbles;
• Redness of the skin;
• Itching

If treatment is not done at this stage, the disease begins to affect the nails. In this case, the following signs are detected:

1. Dullness of the nail plate, loss of transparency from it;
2. The appearance of white stripes, spots;
3. Uncomfortable sensations

It is best to do the treatment at this stage, as this will reduce the cost of therapy. To destroy microorganisms, external preparations will be enough: ointments, varnishes. If you don't take action, nail fungus will progress. This is expressed through the following symptoms:

• Thinning or thickening of the nail;
• Exfoliation of the nail plate;
• Exit from the nail bed;
• The plaque takes on an abnormal color: it turns white, yellow, or black;
• In the later stages, the nail literally crumbles, collapses, and an unpleasant odor can result.

Mycosis carries out its pathological activity not only on the toenails. Inflammatory processes take over the entire foot.

She starts to blush, peels off. The patient feels itching, which intensifies during periods of exacerbation. The presence of characteristic signs allows you to determine the disease at the initial examination.

Types of yeast infections

Nail fungus is divided into types based on the group of microorganisms that cause them. There are three main groups:

1. Dermatophytes.The most common case. This group is the cause of mycosis in 95% of cases;
2. CandidaThese yeast-like microorganisms contribute to the thinning of the nail plate. She begins to turn yellow and lag behind her bed. The injury begins with the nail fold. With the development of the disease, swelling occurs. In some cases, a discharge of pus may occur. The skin on the plaque stops growing and therefore turns brown. The nail is crumbling. These groups of microorganisms usually develop in women. There are risk groups: housewives who constantly deal with household chemicals. Aggressively affects the skin, which opens the "doors" to infection;
3. Moldy species.These groups of microorganisms cannot penetrate deeply into the nail plate. This does not allow to completely destroy it, but the disease is fraught with other effects. The nail changes a lot in color. It can be black, blue or green.

Treatment is carried out according to the group of microorganisms, since different pathogenic microbes react differently to drugs. Sometimes when diagnosed, three types of fungi are detected. In this case, complex therapy will be needed.

Mushroom shapes

There are several stages of the disease, differing in the type of lesions:

1. Normotrophic.The color of the nail plate changes. It may turn yellow, lose transparency. White and yellow dots or streaks appear. The difference between the disease is that the nail does not undergo significant deformation. Sometimes it can even retain its old shine;
2. Atrophic.The nail becomes thinner, completely loses its shine. There are pronounced white and yellow stripes, dots that represent special foci of infection;
3. HypertrophicThe plate changes significantly. Thickening, signs of crumbling are observed. It becomes porous. A pronounced pain syndrome, aggravated during movement, with tight shoes is also possible. The disease can limit a person's activity.

The prescribed treatment regimen depends on the stage, as well as the type of microorganisms. In the early stages, external agents have proven themselves. In the later stages, the therapy regimen is usually a combination of topical and oral medications.

Where can you get a mushroom?

Nail fungus is generally spread from person to person. Microorganism spores can remain on surfaces. When you touch them, the fungus will stay on your feet and begin to develop. You can get fungal infections in the following places:

• Public institutions: saunas, swimming pools, sports club showers. This is the most likely way to contract the fungus, as it multiplies most actively in hot, humid conditions. To protect against it, it is required, before going to the institution, to carry out preventive treatment of the feet with drugs. You must have your own slippers with you;
• If the fungal infection occurs in a home, a likely pathway for the disease to develop in other family members is bathing. The spores of the fungus remain on its walls, causing mycosis. For your protection, it is required to treat surfaces with disinfectants after each visit to the bathroom;
• Sometimes the reason is a manicure or pedicure performed with instruments that have not been disinfected after the last use. It refers to the procedures that are performed in beauty salons;
• Disputes can lurk in store shoes, as they are often tested by different people. For protection, you can measure the shoes only on the toe box;
• A less likely source of infection is public beaches, as nail fungus does not survive well in salty sand.

To prevent diseases, one should not forget the importance of personal slippers and use prophylactic means.

Possible complications with prolonged treatment.

For mycosis, the rate of development and spread is characteristic. If you delay with treatment, the symptoms of the disease will become more and more pronounced. At first, a person is concerned about the aesthetic factor, as thickening, white dots appear on the toenails. But, if you do not combat the problem, more serious consequences will come: pain during movement, itching and burning. Let's consider the most likely consequences of prolonged treatment:

• Other infections are likely to arise as the body weakens;
• Exacerbation of diabetes mellitus. The appearance, against the background of an infectious process, gangrene or infection of bone tissue. All of this can lead to the need to amputate a limb;
• If the nail fungus is not treated for a long time, the body can react with hypersensitivity and allergic reactions. Against this background, allergic dermatitis, skin diseases, bronchial asthma are aggravated;
• The extreme stage of mycosis is damage to internal organs. The infection begins to spread throughout the body. This can be fatal.

Another major consequence of not starting therapy on time is significant financial costs. In the later stages, the disease is not only more difficult to treat, but also more expensive. We will have to spend money on local procedures, pills. The really effective drugs are more expensive. In some cases, surgery may even be prescribed.

Precautionary measures

Nail fungus can be prevented, which is what preventive measures are aimed at. They allow you to prevent the entry of a pathogenic microorganism and its subsequent spread. Prevention is quite simple and consists of following the following tips:

• Elimination of tight shoes, incorrectly selected last. All this leads to the appearance of corns and other deformations through which the infection penetrates;
• Avoid wearing synthetic stockings and stockings as your feet will sweat. Sweat and a humid environment are the best conditions for the growth of the fungus;
• It is necessary to observe personal hygiene, wear slippers in closed public places, carry out a preliminary treatment of the feet with prophylactic agents;
• After each foot wash, the interdigital areas are completely dried;
• Replacement of socks and stockings should be done every day;
• You cannot wear someone else's shoes;
• The house must be kept clean, for which a periodic disinfection is carried out.

Prevention has two goals: to prevent the infection from entering and to stop its development if spores can enter. To achieve the second goal, you will need to take care of your immune system: play sports, eat well.

Treatment methods

Nail fungus usually takes a long time to heal. The duration of therapy, regardless of the cause of the disease, will be from 6 months to a year. The advantage is that most medications can quickly control symptoms. But, despite the disappearance of symptoms, it is required to continue therapy until the complete destruction of microorganisms.

For treatment in the early stages, external drugs are used. These include:

1. Special varnishes;
2. Creams and gels;
3. Solutions and tinctures.

In the later stages, oral drugs are added to external drugs:

• Tablets
• Antibiotics

Varnishes are especially popular. They have two effects at the same time: they destroy existing microorganisms and create a film that prevents the entry of new infections. The tool can penetrate deep into the nail. It is colorless and odorless, so it can be used by men. It is recommended to remove the nail plate before use to ensure deeper penetration.

Ointments and gels are mild. They are easy to use. Quickly relieve symptoms. With the help of drugs, you can treat not only the nails, but also the skin around them. The downside is that the product can quickly fade from the skin. To avoid this, compresses can be performed: a cotton pad is placed on top of the ointment layer, fixed with a bandage.

Tablets are prescribed in severe cases. This remedy has a strong effect, is toxic and has contraindications. For this reason, therapy is carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

If the case is completely neglected, surgical intervention comes to the rescue. During the operation, the affected nail is removed. Its removal can be done without surgery. For this, special means are used. The last option is painless.

Nail fungus is an extremely common problem. Its insidiousness lies in the fact that, in the early stages, the signs of the disease are insignificant. The patient can constantly postpone the treatment, since he does not feel discomfort. All this leads to the fact that the problem is neglected. To fix it, you will need a lot of funds and drugs. Mycosis spreads rapidly, causing pain, detachment of plaque, unpleasant odors, and nail changes.