Nail fungus or onychomycosis (medical name) is a disease that occurs when the nail plate is affected by a fungal infection. Onychomycosis affects 5 to 15% of people. The risk of its development increases with age, although the fungus is often detected in children. Every 10 years of life, the incidence increases 2. 5 times. If in children it is 3%, in older people it is already 50 to 60%.
Pathogens
Onychomycosis is caused by microorganisms from the fungal kingdom. The world of mushrooms is diverse, and not all of them are as pleasant as mushrooms, chanterelles or mushrooms, which we are used to seeing on our table. There are microscopic species of parasites that feed on plant, animal and human tissues.
The causative agents of onychomycosis consume the protein keratin, which is part of the nail plate, hair and the upper (keratinized) layer of the skin. About 50 representatives of parasitic fungi are known that can cause the disease.
They are divided into three groups:
- Dermatophytes. They represent 80% of onychomycosis cases. They are characterized by high survival and viability. It is found naturally in the soil;
- Yeast-like fungi. Among them is Candida albicans (microorganisms of the genus Candida), known to women, which causes thrush or vaginal candidiasis. Yeast-like fungi are 5 times more likely to affect fingernails than toenails. Toxic and impairs the functioning of the entire body;
- Mold fungi. Onychomycosis caused by molds is rare. But it is the most dangerous, it progresses rapidly, can completely destroy the nail plate and spread to neighboring tissues.
Onychomycosis affects the fingernails and toenails, but toenail fungus is much more common on the feet. This is due to the fact that much more attention is paid to hands, they are washed more often during the day and treated with antiseptics. They are always open and well ventilated except in winter when we use gloves. And your feet are constantly covered with street shoes, slippers, tights, socks and sweat more. These factors create ideal conditions for the development of foot fungus, because heat and humidity are your best "friends. "
The causative agent of onychomycosis penetrates the nail from different directions. The most common way is from above, from the side of the free edge of the nail plate. It is also possible to introduce it from the side from the lateral ridges or from below from the cuticle and nail growth area.
Onychomycosis is most dangerous near the cuticle. In this case, the fungus slows or stops the division of onychoblasts, cells in the growth zone under the lower nail fold. The nail stops growing and the infected areas may not recover. A pathological change occurs in the structure and destruction of the nail.
Fungi rarely penetrate directly into the nail plate. First, its spores enter the skin around the nail or in the spaces between the fingers through microcracks, cuts, abrasions, abrasions and calluses. Then the colony begins to grow, the pathogen moves to the nail plate, penetrates it and begins to parasitize.
Why does onychomycosis appear?
Fungi live in warm, humid places, and wherever such conditions exist, it is easy to become infected with them. For example, if you walk barefoot in public bathrooms, swimming pools, showers, or gym locker rooms, your chances of getting infected are high.
Some diseases contribute to the development of onychomycosis:
- Diabetes. In patients with diabetes, the fungus is 3 times more common. Excess glucose in the blood creates favorable conditions for the functioning of fungi. If sugar is not controlled and kept within normal limits, blood vessels suffer. The longer the illness, the more the blood supply to the legs deteriorates (diabetic foot syndrome). Wounds heal worse, infection occurs more easily;
- Poor blood circulation in the lower extremities caused by varicose veins, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the lumen, obstruction of the arteries), thrombophlebitis (formation of blood clots in the lumen of the veins);
- Weakened immunity, immunodeficiency conditions (HIV), damage to the immune system. Reduce the body's resistance to any infection;
- Psoriasis. 90% of people suffering from psoriasis experience changes in the nail plate. Grooves form in it, there is turbidity, depressions appear and detachment of the nail plate appears. These factors increase the chances of fungal infection by 1, 5, and 2 times;
- Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating of the feet often causes onychomycosis in men;
- The presence of a focus of fungal infection in other parts of the body.
The risk group includes older people.
The cause of onychomycosis is often associated with the characteristics of the profession and improper foot care:
- poor foot and nail care, lack of daily hygiene procedures due to non-compliance with personal hygiene rules or difficulties in their implementation (in bedridden patients or patients with limited mobility);
- work in damp and humid areas (greenhouses, greenhouses, vegetable warehouses), frequent use of gloves or rubber shoes;
- professional sports;
- wearing uncomfortable, tight, narrow shoes or shoes made of artificial materials (synthetic leather), which creates a "greenhouse effect" and interferes with normal air exchange.
Predisposing factors for the development of onychomycosis include trauma to the nail or surrounding tissues and the intake of antibacterial or hormonal medications.
In women, a common cause of fungus is prolonged use of gel polish. It creates a closed space between the nail plate and the coating, in which a fungal infection successfully develops. It is not recommended to apply gel polish to toenails, it is better to use regular decorative polish. Also, in women, onychomycosis appears after an unsuccessful manicure or pedicure in salons where high-quality disinfection of instruments is not carried out and sterility is not maintained.
Signs of onychomycosis
Most often, the fungus infects the big toe.
The following changes in the nail plate indicate a fungal infection:
- dullness, yellowing, loss of softness and shine;
- itching, redness, peeling of the skin around;
- delamination, fragility, friability;
- unpleasant smell;
- violation of the structure, thickening;
If you encounter at least one of the listed signs, you should immediately consult a doctor who treats nail fungus. This could be a podiatrist, dermatologist or mycologist.
A mandatory examination by a podiatrist is required to detect onychomycosis after an injury to the nail or the skin surrounding it. If there are predisposing factors (varicose veins, diabetes, atherosclerosis, weakened immunity, excessive sweating of the feet, etc. ), it is recommended to have a medical pedicure once a month, during which the doctor will carefully examine the nails and skin of the feet. and identify changes in the early stages.
Are nail fungus dangerous?
Onychomycosis is a disease that causes more psychological discomfort than physical illness. To understand what we are talking about, just look at a photo of toenail fungus on the Internet. It is characterized by a slow course and does not cause pain, fever or other symptoms that require urgent medical attention.
People are in no hurry to treat nail fungus. After all, when the affected area is small, you can paint it with varnish, wear socks or closed shoes in front of strangers. And the problem of psychological discomfort is temporarily solved. But, unfortunately, not everything is so simple. If you do not destroy the fungal infection, it will not disappear anywhere, but will continue to affect the nail. And onychomycosis is contagious. An infected person represents a danger to his or her family and other people.
How to prevent infection?
The best cure for nail fungus is prevention.
To protect yourself from infections you must:
- use medical disinfectants with the GOST inscription (capable of killing onychomycosis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV);
- monitor the condition of the feet and nails, the main rule is that the feet must be clean and dry;
- take care of shoes, periodically disinfect and dry them, it is convenient to use electric dryers for drying;
- treat your feet with drying agents or antiperspirants if your feet sweat a lot;
- in the changing rooms of the pool, sauna and gym, do not walk barefoot, wear rubber flip-flops with closed toes;
- wear comfortable shoes made of natural, breathable materials;
- Do not use other people's towels, shoes or manicure accessories.
These tips will help you prevent onychomycosis and keep your nails healthy and well cared for. They are effective not only for the prevention of fungus, but also for other problems: calluses, calluses.
Features of the treatment of onychomycosis.
Advertising on television promises to easily and quickly cure nail fungus using antifungal (fungicide) creams, solutions and varnishes. We are promised that "Medicines Lamesil, Exaderil, Mikazan, Mecoderil and others penetrate deeply into the nail structure, effectively destroy the fungus and return the nails to their former appearance in 2-3 applications. "But why then does this self-treatment of toenail fungus give good results in a maximum of 10% of cases? Because these remedies themselves are only effective in the early stages of the fungus, when the symptoms are not yet evident and almost invisible.
Manufacturers often lie that the medicines are produced in Europe and contain good active ingredients. In practice, the most effective drug for nail fungus (onychomycosis) is the one containing the substance clotrimazole. Most medicines are well advertised and expensive, but they do not contain the necessary substance. Specialized medications cannot be purchased at regular pharmacies, even if they have the required name written on them; the chemical composition will not contain them, since production is very expensive.
This medication is used in podiatry centers and on properly prepared nails. We do not have the right to write the name of the medication, but you can ask us any questions here.
Antifungal medications are the mainstay of onychomycosis treatment. Without them, no matter how much we want it, we will not be able to defeat the infection. But they must be used correctly and thoughtfully. The medicine for nail fungus must be applied to a previously treated and prepared nail to have the desired therapeutic effect.
The first thing you should do if you suspect onychomycosis is to consult a doctor who will confirm or refute the diagnosis. If necessary, he will prescribe additional examinations and treatments. Choosing a remedy for nail fungus based on Internet reviews, advice from friends or advertising on television will result in wasting time and money on unnecessary medications. The same results will be obtained when trying to treat onychomycosis with traditional methods. Vinegar, garlic, onion and medicinal herbs cannot destroy the pathogen.
An important point in the treatment of onychomycosis is the disinfection of shoes and clothing that have been in contact with the infected area. If you don't do this, you can get infected again with your own things. Clothes should be washed at high temperatures (over 60°C), ironed, and shoes treated with special disinfectants.
What medications and methods are effective?
In the initial stages, treatment of onychomycosis is easier and faster than in advanced cases. How to treat nail fungus?
To combat the pathogen, use:
- Medical hardware pedicure. Allows you to clean the areas of the nails affected by onychomycosis without blood and pain, preparing them for the use of antifungal agents;
- Keratolytics. These are topical medications against nail fungus, which are applied to the affected nail to eliminate it painlessly. They loosen, soften and dissolve the nail plate and then are easily removed with pedicure tools. Keratolytics facilitate the treatment of onychomycosis, eliminate the infected area and stimulate the growth of a new healthy nail plate;
- Fungicide agents. The action of these drugs is aimed at destroying the fungus. For onychomycosis, they are used topically in the form of varnishes, solutions, ointments, creams and internally in the form of tablets. When taken internally, the active ingredients in nail fungus tablets accumulate in the skin and nail plate. They suppress the activity of fungal enzymes, alter the permeability of cell membranes and cause the death of the pathogen. The most effective ones contain the substance clotrimazole.
Treatment methods for onychomycosis are selected depending on the severity of the symptoms and the area of the affected area. In the initial stages of the disease, treatment with hardware and external fungicidal agents are sufficient. In severe forms of infection, when the entire nail is infected with fungus, it will be necessary to take pills and remove the nail plate. Treatment of an advanced form of onychomycosis lasts from 3 months to 1 year and depends on the rate of nail growth.
Topical fungicidal preparations are safe for health, but they are not always effective. The tablets negatively affect the liver, so laboratory monitoring of the state of the organ is necessary while taking them.
Onychomycosis is curable, and this is the main thing!
The sooner you see a doctor, the faster you can fix it.
Don't be afraid or ashamed. This problem is very common and affects millions of people around the world.
By treating nail fungus in our podiatry center you will receive:
- joint observation of a podiatrist and a mycologist (a doctor who deals with fungal diseases);
- 100% sterility during all procedures;
- the possibility of collecting material (scraping the skin and nail plate) to identify the type of fungus;
- quick results (on average 3 to 4 procedures are required);
- Recommendations for foot and shoe care that will help prevent reinfection.
It is important to us that the problem does not occur again and that your nails are healthy and beautiful!