This article will focus on such an unpleasant, but unfortunately quite common phenomenon, like nail fungus. The symptoms and causes of this disease are known to medical science and can be easily diagnosed at all stages. However, it can only be detected by a careful attitude towards one’s own health. How to recognize nail fungus? How to treat yourself? Are the advertised fats effective?
What causes nail fungus?
Fungus on the nails is a fairly common disease. The disease spreads particularly successfully in places with temperate and tropical climates, or where it is humid and warm. However, paradoxically, the inhabitants of cold countries most often suffer from nail fungus. This is due to the fact that in harsh climates you constantly have to wear warm shoes with socks. The foot sweats, the sock becomes wet and the person is forced to stay in this condition for a long time without the possibility of changing. This is the best way to promote the formation of fungus on your nails. Before talking about how to identify nail fungus on nails, let’s figure out who is more susceptible to this disease.
Nail fungus as an occupational disease
At risk are people whose feet cannot breathe during the day due to tight shoes. These are miners, power plant workers, gardeners and representatives of other working specialties. The fungus can be "picked up" by working in the laundry, in the pool, hotel, restaurant.
What diseases can serve as a prerequisite
Often, not only representatives of these professions suffer from this disease, but also people who have type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, deformity of the feet, varicose veins can be a prerequisite for the formation of fungus on the nails. Among the causes of this infection is insufficient nutrition of the nails due to blockage or blockage of blood vessels. That is why the creams advertised today, as well as nail polishes that are supposedly designed to protect against fungi, will be completely useless in the fight against diseases. After all, it is often caused by internal diseases, and external influences will not eradicate the problems.
Who is in danger?
Decades ago, nail fungus was diagnosed in most cases in the elderly. However, every year the number of patients who suffer from nail fungus increases, and the disease itself becomes younger.
Official data show that nail fungus develops two to three times more often in men. At the same time, it is women who are much more likely to consult a dermatologist with this problem. The fairer sex cares more about their health and finds nothing embarrassing in consulting a doctor.
We will then consider why it is so important to get recommendations on fungal treatment from a dermatologist, and we will also discuss how you can identify nail fungus and what symptoms it has at each stage of its development.
What does a nail fungus look like?
This disease is not fatal, but, of course, it is necessary to get rid of it. Fortunately, recognizing the onset of the disease is easy for everyone. How to recognize fungus on the feet? See tips below. First of all, take a closer look at your nails.
The first thing to look out for is this nail color. The nail affected by the fungus becomes dull yellow and opaque. Depending on the stage of the disease, the edge of the nail plate, the base or the entire nail may be affected.
Pay attention to the thickness of the nail
When answering the question of how to determine the fungus on the nails, the changes on the nail plate should also be mentioned. Despite the fact that due to the disease, the nail becomes thinner, visually and sensationally, it looks like it is getting thicker and swollen.
How to recognize nail fungus? To detect the presence of infection, a visual examination of the nail plate is not sufficient. Mix potassium permanganate and water in a ratio of 1 to 5, dip the nails in the resulting solution for half a minute. A healthy nail will be colored and brown. Part of the affected plate will remain white.
Stages of the disease
The disease takes place in four stages. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely you are to get rid of nail fungus permanently.
The first phase is characterized by damage to the edge of the nail. As mentioned above, the color of the plate changes, bulges appear. The nail grows of poor quality, hollow and that is why it breaks and crumbles.
An increase in the area of the lesion will become a sign of the second stage. In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the second phase can begin as if to bypass the first. The defeat of the nail plate will start not from the edge, but from the bottom of the nail. It will be more problematic to recover from nail fungus in the second stage than in the first.
How to recognize stage 3 nail fungus? In medicine it is called a white surface fungus and it looks as if the whole plate has been affected. It has a thick white color, it crumbles a lot at the edges.
The fourth stage is called total dystrophic fungus. The nail has a yellowish-gray color, exudes an unusual unpleasant odor and crumbles a lot. In the fourth stage, you can often see the exposed part of the skin under the broken nail, because it has grown due to fungus, in most cases it breaks.
The reason for contacting a dermatologist is often the independent identification of the fourth stage of nail fungus. Don’t look for forums or the Internet for advice on how to effectively treat nail fungus. It is better to consult a specialist at the first symptoms of the disease.
What to expect from a visit to the doctor?
Probably in each of us there is a fear of the doctor. However, do not be afraid to contact a dermatologist if you suspect that you have nail fungus. The specialist will perform an external examination and will also do a scraping of the upper stratum corneum of the nail to send it to the lab for diagnosis. A detailed analysis will reveal what the cause of the disease is, determine the type of fungus, and will also tell the doctor what treatment should be prescribed.
Nail fungus treatment takes a long time. It can last from a month to three. After treatment, you will need to do the tests again, even if the above symptoms are not noticed.
A few words about effective treatment
So now we know how to recognize toenail fungus. The methods are given above. Now it is worth saying a few words about the treatment that you can do yourself. Naftifine has worked pretty well. However, you do not need to use ointment, but a solution. This medicine can also be used in case of foot fungus infection.
How is Naftifin used? If you have the fungus in the first stage of the disease, lubricate the affected nail surface twice a day. Keep nails dry and well washed. In the following stages of the disease, you cannot do without taking pills. However, in this case, the use of Naftifin should not be stopped: it will enhance the effect of the drug.
Before applying the product, thoroughly clean the affected nail surface with a manicure device. However, you must be extremely careful. After perfect manipulations, it is necessary to apply Naftifin solution on the cleaned area. Repeat 2 times a day.
Summarizing
The article provides an answer to the question of how to recognize fungus on toenails. However, it is worth remembering that self-medication does not always lead to complete recovery. If the thickness or color of the nails changes, you should consult a doctor.
According to the degree of damage to the nail plate, the fungus can be divided into four stages. If in the first phase the disease does not cause alarm, because it does not deform the nail plate to a great extent, then in the fourth phase you can easily lose your nails. Do not hesitate to contact a dermatologist.
It is strongly discouraged to engage in self-medication, subject to advertising incentives about the effectiveness of a particular drug. A cream or any other agent applied to the nail plate from the outside will not get rid of the cause of the disease and will therefore be ineffective. As a result, you will only delay the treatment process, masking the manifestation of the disease. It is also worth noting that the fungus on the nails not only looks unaesthetic, but is also a kind of beacon that indicates the presence of disorders in the body.