If you have problems with nail plates, it is important to know which doctor treats toenail fungus, so that you can go to a specialist without waiting for complications.It is difficult for a person who encounters a fungal infection for the first time to understand the name of this specialist.Dermatologists and mycologists deal with the problems of fungal diseases, so it is not advisable to visit a therapist.
What is nail fungus?
The disease caused by parasitic microorganisms is called pathogenic fungi.The disease affects the horny cover (nails) and the skin of the feet around them, develops quickly, brings discomfort and annoyance.Living in the body, dangerous parasites poison it with toxins and can worsen the general condition.You can get infected by wearing someone else's shoes, not keeping your feet clean, or walking barefoot on the beach or in the pool.People with such problems should know which doctor treats nail fungus in order to prevent complications and get the right treatment to eliminate the unpleasant disease.
Symptoms of the disease
Which doctor treats the symptoms of toenail fungus depends on how badly the plate affected by the fungus is destroyed and what the nature of the lesion is.The following characteristic signs of the appearance of mushrooms are distinguished:
- Normotrophic type: stripes, spots on the lateral parts of the nail of ocher-yellow or white color, the ease of separating the plaque from the skin, a person suffers from itching of the skin under healthy nails;
- hypertrophic: thickening of plates, loss of luster, crumbling, dullness, severe deformation, dark yellow or gray color;
- atrophic: brown-gray color, loss of shine, fading, necrosis and destruction of the nail bed of the fingers;
- lateral and distal: loss of color, transverse yellow furrows, crumbling, roughness, exposed toenail bed, swelling, redness, thickening, pain in the skin of the foot, advanced cases may be characterized by the appearance of pus;
- proximal: bleaching, destruction;
- total: complete destruction of the toenail due to lack of therapy;
- Superficial white: white spots, flakes, delamination, pain.
Which doctor treats nail fungus?
Knowing which nail doctor is helpful for any patient experiencing toenail fungus.In this case, a therapist will not help;you should visit a specialized specialist.This doctor is a dermatologist, he advises in the initial stages of the disease.In advanced cases, a consultation with a mycologist is required - this is a specialist who treats nail fungus in a very targeted way.
Dermatological
This doctor can prescribe the right treatment and eliminate the nail fungus.His qualifications allow him to eliminate skin problems, including viral and infectious lesions, dermatitis, eczema and parasitic diseases.The latter includes a fungal infection.If the case is not advanced, you should contact a dermatologist at a local clinic or a dermatovenerology dispensary and register for the first examination.According to indications, he can refer the patient to a mycologist.
Mycologist
In difficult cases, the answer to the question of which doctor treats toenails is to contact a mycologist.This is the name of the same dermatologist who only treats fungal infections of the skin, hair and nail plates.It is not available in every clinic or even in the city.Consultation with mycologists includes the treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: onychomycosis, candidiasis, microsporia, trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, foot mycosis.You should contact them after a recommendation from a dermatologist.
How is the meeting going?
Once you find out which doctor treats toenail fungus, don't hesitate to make an appointment.During the first visit, the nail specialist interviews the patient about how long ago the problem appeared, the sensations experienced by him and the patient's lifestyle.After collecting the information, a preliminary examination of the affected areas of the leg is performed, a diagnosis is made and the stage of the infection is determined.
External signs may not always indicate a fungal species, so a scraping of dead scales is taken for examination in the laboratory.The resulting medical material is examined under a microscope and placed in nutrient media.You should go to the doctor as soon as possible to cure the fungus without consequences for the patient and his body.
Repeated consultations
After receiving the analyzes from the laboratory, a second consultation is carried out.A mycologist or dermatologist reports the cause of the growth, the presence of fungus, its type and prescribes the appropriate treatment.Medicines are selected depending on the individual characteristics of the patient.The procedure of treating the disease is long, so you will have to visit a specialist several more times to monitor the therapy and prevent infection of the patient's body.
Treatment options
After studying the etiology of the fungus that has affected the nail plate on the fingers, the treatment is prescribed.It is not recommended to choose medications yourself because there is a risk of side effects.The main antifungal drugs and treatment methods used:
- oral – tablets, capsules for a comprehensive effect against the parasite from the inside;
- local effects - applied externally, these include ointments, creams, compresses, drops, varnishes;
- special laser treatment - improves the penetration of agents inside and tissue microcirculation;
- the recommendation for surgical removal of the nail is given in extreme cases when recovery is impossible.
Effective effective drugs, divided into groups according to their effect on the fungal pathogen, are:
- Antifungal varnishes.
- Preparations for plaque removal (sometimes required to cure fungus).
- Antifungal tablets.
- Creams, ointments, sprays.
- Other means: medicinal liquids, tea tree oil and others.