One fifth of the European population suffers from foot mycosis.
These are the data of a study conducted in all European countries. Fungus on the feet most often begins with interdigital folds for the following reasons:
- vascular diseases of the legs (21%);
- obesity (17%);
- foot pathology - narrow interdigital spaces, diabetic foot, flat feet (15%);
- trauma to the skin, nails and toes with tight shoes, sports injuries, sharp pedicures.
Favorite site of mycosis of the feet - the narrowest intervals between 3, 4, 5 toes. From there the fungus affects all the interdigital folds, the skin of the soles with side edges, the back of the feet, the nails
How to recognize mycosis of the feet? Symptoms of fungus on the fingers
- A crack or funnel appears between the toes, the edges of which are covered with whitish or greenish squamous (scaly) skin;
- The crack may be crying from the exudate;
- A circular diaper rash with peeling skin appears below and between the toes (intertriginous symptoms);
- With the erased flow between the fingers, the cracks are barely noticeable, but the peeling takes on a flour-like character (the skin looks like it’s sprinkled with flour - these are the affected scales). Symptoms are especially common in children;
- There is a slight itching between the fingers, but no great discomfort.
In the "dormant", erased state, the fungus can remain between the fingers indefinitely, hiding the symptoms. But the processes will grow. Gradually the skin looks more and more dry, rough, rough, dandruff, gets dirty-yellow-gray color, horns to calcification, cracks in particularly rough places.
Simultaneously or successively, the stage of onychomycosis occurs - nail lesions that change color, thicken, peel and crumble. Such an end comes in later stages, when the symptoms clearly indicate long-term neglect of health.
The second time the fungus develops between the fingers is less common (about 8%). This is a "wet", vesicular or exudative fungus, in which vesicular bubbles burst and ulcerations after them. Such wet mycosis between the toes affects people with severe stress, long walks, wearing bad, tight unventilated shoes, improper fungal therapy, self-medication with antimycosis, and corticosteroids.
If you sabotage the treatment of fungus between the toes, 80-100% of patients will be affected by nails, 20% - on the hands. The look is sad and repulsive, the nail looks like crumbling dust or laundry soap. It can take on the appearance of a "vulture claw" or grow. And an ingrown toenail is also a painful treatment.
How to cure interdigital fungus?
Even if all of these symptoms appear after many years, you need to start treating the fungus between your fingers right away because it is a highly contagious and incurable infection.
Let's go to the dermatologist. Before treatment, he does a finger scraping and examines it using microscopy, culture or DNA analysis. Microscopy reveals mycelial filaments or spores.
Systemic treatment consists of taking tablets or capsules with antifungals. They accumulate in the horny tissues, entering through the blood, and destroy the fungus many weeks after taking the drug
The downside is that systemic drugs are moderately hepatotoxic (they have a bad effect on a weak liver), so the treatment cannot be applied to people with liver disease, pregnant women, nursing mothers, young and old. The type of drug depends on the nature of the pathogen. If the symptoms are unclear and the type has not been determined, treatment with a broad-spectrum drug is prescribed. The use of systemic drugs still poses a risk; in advanced stages they need to be treated for a long time.
You can also treat with topical medications that are applied to the lesions. Such drugs often have a broad spectrum of action and kill both fungi and bacteria. The treatment is long and intensive, so you should tell your doctor immediately if your resources are limited.
Home therapy and prevention of fungal infections. It is useless to treat the fungus yourself. The information allows us to talk about its exceptional survival and great re-potential.
Prevention is an effective remedy.
- Check for family members for fungal symptoms. Common contamination within the family. Everyone needs to be treated;
- Do not use other people's shoes, socks, pedicure set, do not wipe with a shared towel;
- Not all mushrooms die even at 100 degrees Celsius, but a significant part - yes, that's why you wash bedding and bath sheets at 90 degrees;
- Disinfect shoes with antimycotine spray once a month, bathroom surfaces once a week;
- Do not go barefoot in public places and do pedicures in well-disinfected salons;
- To prevent fungus, you can use an antifungal ointment that is applied to clean and dry feet;
- Do not wear shoes until your feet are dry.
Dermatologists also advise doing a pedicure at least once a month and a half, removing dead tissue. The fungus likes to settle in them. Better safe than sorry.
You can undergo an examination and consultation with a dermatovenerologist at the clinic.