In many people, nails and skin are affected by fungi that do not look very beautiful. It is important to understand that this is not only an aesthetic, but above all a medical problem.
In some cases, fungal skin lesions can be a harbinger of serious diseases, such as diabetes. Do not start the disease, as the treatment process takes an average of a year or more.
How can you get fungus on your skin and nails?
More than 40 species of various parasitic fungi (dermatophytes) are known, which can affect the skin and nails. The most common are representatives of the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. For growth and reproduction they use a special substrate - keratin, which consists of the upper layer of skin (epidermis), hair and nails. Penetrating into the epidermis or nail plate, the fungus is fixed there, begins to grow and multiply.
You can be infected by a sick person through objects (towels, wooden shelves in the bathroom, sauna, carpets, benches in public pools, manicure / pedicure tools) and contact with the soil, if you like to walk barefoot in nature.
Risk groups
The most common types of fungal diseases include mycosis of the skin of the feet and onychomycosis of the nail plates. From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first clinical symptoms pass from several weeks to several months.
More often than other men suffer from fungal diseases. Among women, those who constantly wear pointed shoes, especially high heels, are more likely to develop the disease. In this case, the toes are constantly flattened, which leads to friction, small wounds, abrasions, which are the gateway to infection.
You can also "catch" fungus in an ordinary beauty salon during a pedicure procedure if the master has used improperly processed tools. To remove spores and fragments of fungus from the metal surfaces of tongs, scissors and tweezers, the tools must be sterilizedin a cabinet with dry heat. Not all salons have such equipment, so they are limited to "soaking" in a disinfectant solution and "drying" in ultraviolet boxes. This treatment does not completely protect against infection.
Frequent accession of a fungal infection may signal the development of diabetes. According to statistics, diabetics are three times more susceptible to mycosis. The fungus can also occur with allergic skin lesions (itching, inflammation, crying), combing insect bites while taking antibacterial drugs, corticosteroid hormones, antidepressants.
Symptoms of mycosis
- Dry skin, cracks, peeling in the interdigital folds.
- Itching.
- Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin of the feet).
- Enlargement of lesions.
- In some cases, the fungal infection is joined by staphylococcal infection, which is quite difficult to treat.
Symptoms of onychomycosis (nail fungus)
Among all nail diseases, onychomycosis accounts for up to 40%. Dermatophytes account for up to 90% of all fungal nail infections. The most common pathogens are fungi of the genus Trichophyton.
The appearance of fungus in this case may be preceded by nail injury or permanent softening of the nail plate due to high humidity. This is possible, for example, when you wear the same pair of shoes / sneakers every day.
As the infection progresses, the color of the nail changes - part of the nail becomes yellow, grayish or whitish. Over time, the stain grows and the nail itself thickens - the development of subungual hyperkeratosis occurs.
Diagnosis of fungal diseases
Special tests for fungal infections are used to diagnose fungal infections and onychomycosis. Biomaterial (hair fragments, nail plates, skin particles) is analyzed under a microscope. If the infection has occurred and the fibers of the mycelium (the body of the fungus) are visible, the diagnosis is confirmed.
If the microscopic examinations give an ambiguous answer, then a bacteriological examination is performed - sowing the material on fungi. The test allows not only to identify the infection, but also to determine the sensitivity to antifungal drugs, which is necessary for the selection of effective treatments.
How to protect yourself from fungus
- Dry your feet after bathing or showering, especially between the toes.
- If you wear closed shoes, change your socks every day.
- Change your shoes every two or three days, do not wear the same pair every day.
- Do not walk barefoot in public places (pool, bath, sauna, fitness club).
- If someone in your family has a fungal disease, provide a separate set of towels and bed linen. Wash them separately at the highest temperature.
- If you have fungus on the same foot or nails, use two different manicure / pedicure kits to avoid spreading the infection to healthy areas.
- If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar levels. "High sugar" reduces the rate of wound healing on the skin ("diabetic foot"), which facilitates access to fungal infections.
Be healthy!