Summer gives us wonderful opportunities for relaxation and beauty. After all, when, if not in the summer, can we afford a fashion show with beautiful open shoes, demonstrating to others our impeccable pedicure and beautiful feet? And how much pleasure we get to walk barefoot on the warm soft sand!
Unfortunately, all these summer delights can end quite sadly for our feet and nails, because by opening them, we run the risk of contracting such an unpleasant and extremely insidious disease as fungus. And our nails and feet are most often affected. In addition, you can get nail fungus not only on the beach or in a public shower.
You can catch this disease even in public transport or just walk down the street with open shoes: slippers or sandals.
Unfortunately, the consequences of a fungal infection on the nails, and on the whole human body, are quite serious, so you should not start this disease.
That is why it is important to know the symptoms of the infection and start treatment on time. And for this you need to understand what is toenail fungus.
What is onychomycosis
Fungi, as a class, belong to lower plants that form threads of mycelium and spores. It is with the help of spores that the fungus multiplies and also spreads in the external environment. You may be surprised, but scientists know more than 300, 000 species of fungi, and about 100 species of them can cause skin and nails in humans.
Because they also multiply through spores, every tiny bit of a diseased nail or a tiny piece of skin on a sick person's heel or foot is enough to infect such fungi.
Fungal nail infections (onychomycosis) can be caused by different types of fungi. Accordingly, the signs of infection will be different, as well as the means of getting rid of them.
Dermatophytes
If you notice that small yellow spots or streaks appear on your toenails, streaks of a lighter white or gray tint appear on your toenails, and the edge of the nail recedes and turns yellow, you are most likely infected with dermatophytes.
The degree of infection with dermatophytes can be easily determined by the same stripes and spots: the brighter they are and the closer to the center of the nail they are located, the stronger the infection. So, if these streaks and spots are located closer to the edges of the nails, then the infection has not progressed too far and the disease can be stopped in time. But in no case should you procrastinate! Eventually, if left untreated, not only the toenails are affected, but also the skin around them, and the nail plate will eventually become completely yellow and opaque.
yeast fungus
If the toenails become uneven, furrows and "waves" appear on them, if at the same time the nail gradually turns yellow and loses its density, it becomes very fragile, thin, begins to lag behind the nail bed - most likely you have become infected with yeastIn this case, the degree of infection is determined by the color of the nail: the more yellow and even brownish it has become, the more advanced the lesion.
The lesion of the toenails with yeast most often begins with a slight thickening of the folds of the nails, which eventually swell and turn red. Pressing these inflamed rollers is quite painful. Later, pus may appear in them, which in contact with the skin can cause additional infection. If no measures are taken, over time the nail may gradually bend and change color, shallow brown grooves will appear on it.
Forms
If a person's nails, as well as his whole body, have been weakened for a long time by prolonged illness and then quickly change color - become yellow, blue, green, brown or black, or appear dark or even black dots or spots onnails - most likely there was an infection with mold fungi.
Such an infection, fortunately, does not penetrate very deep into the structure of the nail plate itself and compared to the above types of fungus heals quite quickly: from one to two months.
Consequences of the disease
However, all these are only external signs of the disease and if no measures are taken, toenail fungus can spread throughout the body, especially when it comes to dermatophytes or molds. For a year, and sometimes several years, the fungus slowly destroys the nail plate, fills the entire nail and penetrates the nail bed, and after a while spreads from the feet to the hands, first affecting the thumbs and then everyone else.
Spreading and taking root in the human body, the fungus significantly weakens the immune system, thus contributing to the occurrence of various allergic reactions and exacerbation of chronic diseases.
If a person does not start treatment at this stage, the internal organs are damaged. Particularly susceptible to such an infection are people who have a bad habit of biting their nails.
That is why it is extremely important to recognize the disease in time and to start timely and adequate treatment. Of course, only a specialist can prescribe it, who will conduct the necessary examination and prescribe the appropriate drugs that affect exactly the fungus that affects your body.
Self-diagnosis
You can try to diagnose the fungus on your nails yourself, if you suspect that something is wrong with their appearance, you feel itchy and dry skin.
To do this, you will need the most common potassium permanganate. You need to make it an aqueous solution and dip your feet in it. After a few minutes, your nails will turn brown, but the fungal lesions will remain light.
In this case, you definitely can not do without consulting a doctor. And it is better not to postpone it!