General signs of foot fungus: medical classification, treatment methods, prevention

The prevalence of mycoid diseases has made them detectable and easily treatable in their early stages. But the very signs of toenail fungus, which indicate the beginning of infection, are not known to every person. After all, there are only about fifty species of mushrooms. But there is also a broad category of skin diseases - epidermicosis. Therefore, to prevent the development of the disease in a dangerous state for the health of the body, it is necessary to study its features.

General signs

Fungal infections of the skin occupy the first place among the diseases that affect the epidermis. Its signs are quite distinct. The main difficulty in the diagnostic process is determining the exact type of fungal infection. This is required since each of them is resistant to a certain group of antifungal drugs. Therefore, to carry out the treatment, a mandatory visit to the doctor is necessary. Correct identification of the mycoid group is impossible without special biological research.

The following signs may be a reason to contact a specialist:

• Cracks in the epidermis between the toes. It is this area that is considered most vulnerable to fungal infection. Additional evidence of infection may include excessively dry skin, slippery feet, and pain.
• Visible thickening and roughening of the skin layer. Similar symptoms are observed when a corn or dry callus is formed. But in some cases, the cause of this change is a fungus.
• Destruction of the skin, blisters. Such injuries are often diagnosed first in one leg and then appear in the other.
• Redness of the epidermis, itching or burning sensation. This set of symptoms is considered one of the main signals that confirms a fungal infection. The difficulty of diagnosis in this case lies in the fact that each type of mycoid causes such a set of symptoms.
• Changing the color of the nail plate.
• Appearance of an unpleasant odor in the infected area.

It is important to detect the first signs of fungus in time, as the disease is very difficult to treat and it is easy to get infected.

Mycoid infection easily penetrates the body, infecting internal organs and systems. This explains the frequent relapses of the disease in the complete absence of external provoking factors.

Medical classification

Mycosis fungoides is classified according to characteristic features into four main forms.

For each form of foot fungus, the symptoms vary depending on what it is:

1. Squamous.
2. Dyshidrotic.
3. Intertriginous.
4. "Classic" onychomycosis.

The squamous or scaly form of the fungal infection is considered one of the initial stages of the infection. Skin lesions in this case are first observed on one leg. Over time, a second infection occurs. The main symptom of the scaly form is redness of the skin, which then develops into keratinization of the inflamed tissue areas. Without treatment, the squamous form develops into a dyshidrotic form.

The dyshidrotic form of mycoid infection has a pronounced characteristic feature - the appearance of small blisters in the affected area. After opening, the blisters become inflamed, forming a stable focus of erosion of the upper layers of the skin. The patient usually experiences severe itching; in advanced cases, it gives way to pain. The skin begins to peel and erosion is formed regularly. This form of the disease can develop in the first squamous form without any system. Because of this, some experts believe that the forms of mycosis fungoides mentioned are two forms of the same type of infection.

The intertrigenic form of infectious fungal infection is more common. Manifestations of the disease include the appearance of cracks in the skin of the legs, visible to the naked eye and the formation of exfoliated areas of white skin at their edges. For the interdigital area, a characteristic sign of the intertrigen form is the formation of weeping spots and erosion of the epidermis. The patient constantly experiences itching in the infected area. The treatment of this form of infection is complex and long, since the disease most often takes a chronic form.

Onychomycosis is an infectious infection, the symptoms of which are given special attention. Depending on the characteristics of the pathology, the type of damage to the nail plate and the type of disease varies. There are three main types of onychomycosis:

1. Hypertrophic - the nail plate gradually collapses, its color changes to yellow and characteristic dots appear. Pain in the affected area appears after deforming the nail.
2. Normotrophic - the destruction or change of the shape of the nail plate does not occur, yellow and white spots or lines appear on it.
3. Atrophy is the most dangerous form for the nail plate, in which it is severely destroyed, deformed and often peels off from the nail bed.

Each form of onychomycosis has its own general treatment regimen. But to completely get rid of the infection without consequences for the body and to exclude a relapse, it is recommended to carry out the treatment with the recommendation and under the supervision of a doctor.

Treatment methods

In most cases, it is possible to completely get rid of a disease detected in time in a maximum of one month. This is a very important point in the treatment, as itching, tissue damage and other manifestations disappear, the patient sometimes stops the treatment, believing that the disease has been defeated. But the remnants of the infection can easily cause a relapse.

Treatment procedures should be stopped only after the doctor's permission and after passing the necessary tests. This is especially true for advanced forms of the disease. The fungus is firmly "fixed" on the body and sometimes it can take at least six months to get rid of it. But the external manifestation of foot fungus in the form of various damage to the skin or nails disappears much earlier, creating the illusion of health. By stopping therapy in this case, the patient is almost guaranteed to provoke a relapse.

Treatment of feet for mycoid infection is carried out comprehensively. To get rid of the disease, local antifungal drugs and tablets are used to eliminate the infectious agent that has penetrated the body. To get rid of itching, pain, brittle nails and to accelerate tissue regeneration, certain medications can be prescribed. It is not recommended to combine them independently with the main therapeutic group, so as not to provoke an allergic reaction or poisoning of the body due to the simultaneous use of incompatible drugs.

Curing foot fungus at an early stage is quite simple. Usually, two weeks of therapy are enough to eliminate the symptoms of mycoid infection.

Duration of treatment

Combined infection of the skin and nail plate requires rehabilitation therapy for one to three months. These terms are considered standard for the most medically effective pharmaceutical products.

Pregnancy requires a mandatory visit to the doctor to choose a method to get rid of mycoid infection. Powerful medications and therapies that require the use of similar drugs are prescribed only under the supervision of a doctor in accordance with strict dosages. Many antibacterial tablets that effectively destroy fungi can cause significant harm to the fetus. Therefore, whenever possible, during pregnancy, patients are recommended to be treated using prescriptions of traditional medicine. Many of them allow you to cope with the disease, but on the condition that the disease has not reached a complex stage. Only classical medicine can help cope with the advanced form.

Modern medications allow you to completely restore the health of your feet within two weeks, provided that the signs of infection are detected in time.

Preventive measures

Prevention of a disease is always easier and safer for health than its treatment, even using the mildest method. In the case of a fungal infection, prevention is one of the mandatory norms of life, since it is very easy to get infected. Therefore, to reduce the risk of contracting the disease, it is recommended to follow some simple rules:

• try to eat right, eating healthy foods whenever possible;
• do not use other people's belongings and personal hygiene products;
• use basic protective equipment in public places, such as replacement shoes and antibacterial hygiene agents;
• wash your feet and change your socks regularly;
• lead a healthy lifestyle;
• Take regular baths to improve the health of your feet;
• periodically disinfect the shoes.

Prevention of fungal infection is important not only to prevent it, but also if the disease occurs. In this situation, compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards helps speed up recovery and prevent others from being infected with the fungus.