Among the most common dermatological diseases, doctors isolate a fungal infection. Due to the fact that the clinical picture of this disease is weak, many do not take it seriously. In fact, onychomycosis can lead to nail plate loss and even sepsis.
This is the main reason why nail fungus treatment starts at an early stage. It is extremely important to use special antifungal agents prescribed by a specialist.
The main symptoms of the fungus
The clinical picture of this disease has been studied very well. This makes it easy to identify the symptoms of nail fungus on the hands and feet, regardless of its stage.
The main ones are the following:
- The nail changes color, becomes yellow or green. In certain cases, it may turn white and brown. There are even cases when the nail plate becomes multicolored;
- Severe itching is felt on the skin near the nail plates;
- The skin becomes inflamed, redness is noticed on them;
- The nail changes its structure, becomes thicker or thinner;
- Skin peeling;
- Deformation of the nails;
- Nail plates become brittle;
- Peeling nails.
What does toenail fungus look like and its first symptoms
At the very beginning the disease has no pronounced symptoms, deformation of the nails during this period is not observed at all.
In the initial stage, nail fungus manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- Dry skin;
- Itching;
- The soft tissues around the nails turn slightly red;
- Slight discoloration of the nail plates;
- Nails do not shine, less elastic;
- The appearance of corn.
At this stage of the disease, patients often do not notice changes in the nail plates, which is why they do not seek medical help in a timely manner. That is why it is extremely important to know exactly what the nail fungus looks like in order to start therapy as soon as possible. After all, it is during this period that the pathology is easiest to treat.
Important!
If we talk about what the nail fungus looks like in the initial stage, then the symptoms are as similar as possible to what occurs when the nail plates of the feet are affected.
Methods for diagnosing nail fungus
It is quite difficult to diagnose the initial stage of toenail fungus. This will require a number of further studies. This is primarily due to the fact that the symptoms are mild.
Among the necessary analyzes are the following:
- Clinical blood test. With its help the specialist receives information whether the reaction of the organism to the inflammatory process caused by microorganisms is observed;
- General urine analysis. Despite the fact that this study will provide information only on the general health of the patient, it can also be used to identify concomitant pathologies of the urinary system;
- Examination of the tissues of the nail plates under a microscope. This method manages to determine not only the presence of the fungus, but also its diversity;
- Blood chemistry.
The dermatologist must correctly decipher the test results. If at the first signs of the disease a person turns to a therapist, he will certainly in the near future still give a recommendation for a narrow specialist. After all, he is the one who knows what the fungus on the nails of the hands and feet looks like and will be able to diagnose it accordingly.
How to treat nail fungus on nails
Fungal diseases are treated exclusively under the supervision of a doctor. Before prescribing a course of therapy, the specialist takes into account a number of factors:
- The degree of damage to the nail plates;
- The form of the disease;
- The stage of reddening of the skin;
- The degree of deformation of the nails.
At the stages when onychomycosis is just beginning to develop, it will be enough to use only topical medications. Special antifungal varnishes, solutions and gels are applied to the affected areas immediately after the treatment of the affected nails with a surgical or keratolytic method. After this simple procedure, the drugs are better absorbed and, accordingly, the treatment is carried out much faster.
Keratolytics contribute not only to the softening of the nail plates, but also to the painless removal of the affected areas. This procedure is performed using conventional patches that contain urea or salicylic acid.
The application of this patch should be performed according to the following scheme:
- The surface of the nail plates is carefully scraped.
- A special composition is applied to the affected nails.
- The table is sealed with adhesive plaster.
- The dressing is changed once a day, maximum two.
- The plates damaged by the fungus are cut off.
- The antifungal agent is applied immediately.
The patch should be changed every day before bedtime.
There are a number of other effective external remedies in the fight against nail fungus.
If the stage of the disease is already significantly advanced, then the specialist may prescribe antifungal drugs to be taken orally. The same means are needed in the earlier stages, but only if local therapy has not given any results.
Important!
You cannot prescribe any antifungal drugs. Only a specialist can choose the most effective and safe drug to prevent further development of the disease and the occurrence of relapses.
Prevention measures
Fungal nail infection is an infectious disease. Accordingly, in order to prevent this, certain precautions must be taken:
- Maintain personal hygiene;
- Use extremely personal belongings when visiting the pool or bathroom;
- Do not try other people's shoes on an unprotected foot, do not forget to wear a sock;
- Be as careful as possible when contacting a person who is already infected with the fungus;
- Avoid contact with animals infected with mycosis.
It is important to remember that nail fungus is not a harmless disease at all. Its initial stage does not cause concern to the majority. That is why the disease is becoming more common. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the nail plates and adjacent tissues, at the first signs of the disease, to seek help from a specialist.
Because in the early stages this disease is very easy to treat. If you start it, many unpleasant consequences are not excluded.