After visiting the pool or relaxing on the beach, you can encounter onychomycosis (fungus).
The symptoms of this disease are: redness, itching and discomfort between the toes, yellowness and splitting of the nails.
The problem is quite common and does not go away by itself. If you do not consult a doctor, a fungus will appear that can harm your body. From the article you will learn what to do in such a situation and which expert to contact with this problem.
What should you do if you find out you have mycosis?
If you notice any of the signs of fungus, for example, your toenails have changed color -Contact your doctor quickly!Do not allow the mycosis process to progress so that you do not have to deal with treatment for years. Fungal spores, when released into human blood, cause a toxic reaction.
With this problemFirst, you should consult a dermatologist, such a specialist is available in a clinic, in a hospital, in any paid medical facility and in a skin and vein clinic (you can go there for free).
Which specialist should I contact, who does it?
Nail and foot fungus is a skin disease, iA dermatologist deals with such problems. You will find him at the district clinic, he conducts the first examination, examines the patient, diagnoses onychomycosis and prescribes the necessary treatment.
If the disease is advanced or the doctor thinks that your case is complex, the dermatologist will refer you to a mycologist (this specialist deals more deeply with the treatment of fungal diseases). The difficulty of contacting such a doctor is that a specialist in this field cannot always be found in a simple clinic.
A question of price
The services of mycologists in public and private clinics are generally paid. The price of consultation may vary depending on the following indicators:
- the area of the affected area;
- severity of illness;
- the number of required laboratory tests;
- doctoral qualifications.
The most expensive would be a consultation with a doctor of mycology, and the cheapest would be a consultation with a doctor of the lowest category. Private clinics charge for each examination and prescription of an individual treatment plan.
What does an appointment with a mycologist look like?
During the first visit to the doctor, the patient is interviewed to determine specific skin and nail complaints.
The mycologist will also ask questions about your lifestyle and perform an initial examination of the affected areas. But it is impossible to visually determine the type of fungus, so the scraping of dead scales from the skin and nails is carried out.
All samples are sent for laboratory analysis. The materials are examined under a microscope, and some of them are placed in a nutrient medium. The analysis that will determine the exact presence of mushrooms takes only 3-5 minutes. And it will take up to 2 weeks to identify a certain type of fungus.
At the next examination, the mycologist prescribes treatment, drugs are prescribed taking into account the tests performed and the patient's condition as a whole.
Further visits to the mycologist are necessary to monitor the healing process, sometimes it takes a long time. The disease can subside on one part of the skin and worsen on another.
The difference between a mycologist and a dermatologist
Specialist for all typesskin problems - dermatologist.It is used for viral and infectious skin lesions, rashes, eczema, inflammation of the sweat glands, dermatitis and fungal skin diseases.
The first examination is performed by a dermatologist, he can prescribe treatment himself or refer you to a mycologist.A mycologist is also a dermatologist who deals in detail with the treatment of skin, hair and nails caused by fungal infections. But such a doctor cannot always be found in a clinic, and not every city has one.
What tests are prescribed?
- scraping of the skin in the area of the feet and between the toes;
- analysis of the infected nail plate (its fragment);
- blood tests for allergens and antibodies to mycosis.
Important!
If the studies described above do not give the desired results, a histology is done to ensure that the patient does not have fungi. In this case, consider the possibility of mechanical damage to the nails.
External signs of fungus sometimes coincide with signs of other nail damage. Therefore, laboratory tests must show whether a yeast infection is present. Calluses on the nail plate, bruises, changes in the color and shape of the nail may have nothing to do with mycosis.
How is the treatment carried out?
Treatment methods that were used earlier are no longer effective today, because the drugs do not fully cope with microorganisms. Doctors choose special treatment complexes.
There is no medicine that will cure the fungus, it is necessary to combine 2 or 3 products. Creams, tablets, solutions, vitamins, droppers, special varnishes and products that dissolve the nail for subsequent removal are widely used in medicine.
Important!
Medicines for the treatment of fungi have a large number of side effects, self-medication must not be allowed! The lesion may move to another location, and the disease may progress. Be sure to visit a specialist in order to deal with the disease as quickly and safely as possible.
Systemic therapy
Mycologists prescribe systemic treatment to patients in order to achieve faster recovery.
What can be prescribed to a patient with mycosis? Systemic therapy includes the following measures:
- Oral medicines (tablets).
- Local preparations (in the form of creams, ointments, etc. )
- Removal of nails by surgery.
Removal of the nail plate
The nail can be removed in several ways: surgically and with special means.
The non-surgical method of removal does not cause pain, and you won't have to worry about visiting a surgeon. A few days - and a new, uninfected nail will begin to grow.
If the obvious symptoms disappear, then the treatment is considered complete, but you need to make sure of this by repeating the tests, twice.
The tests are done once at the end of the treatment, and again after a month from the day of the patient's recovery.
The mycologist must not only prescribe the course of treatment, but also monitor how it progresses and what results it brings. Even after complete recovery, you must visit a doctor and take preventive measures to avoid relapses.
Laser treatment
Laser treatment is a type of physical therapy. Exposure to laser rays is not used as a separate method of treatment.
For maximum positive effectlaser therapy is combined with other drugs. It improves blood circulation and has a beneficial effect on the nutrition of the nail plate.
Thus, antimycotic drugs penetrate deeper into the infected area. But it is impossible to kill the infection with laser alone. However, there are no contraindications for the procedure, the likelihood of re-infection is reduced. This is a painless and completely safe method of treating diseases such as onychomycosis.
Therapeutic pedicure
Therapeutic pedicure for nail mycosis is performed with the aim of healing the nails and skin of the feet.
This procedure prevents the development of disease and the further spread of fungal spores.During a pedicure, the affected areas of the skin of the feet and nails are removed..
Therapeutic pedicure is especially important for patients who:
- ingrown nails often occur;
- they have a lot of calluses on their feet, corns, warts on their feet;
- they have a thin and weak nail plate.
The main goal of the procedure is disinfection. Therapeutic pedicure helps to remove yellowness, unevenness and protrusions from the nails. Before applying nail polish, be sure to ask your doctor if this is acceptable.
Important!
Be careful and considerate when choosing a specialist. Make sure you are qualified and that your pedicure tool is properly serviced.
Prevention of mycosis on the legs
To avoid such an unpleasant disease, you just need to be careful and periodically do the prevention of fungi. Going to the beach, pool, gym or swimming pool can lead to big problems. The fact is that fungal pathogens are very resistant to external influences. Fungal spores tolerate heating, drying and freezing.
There are several main causes of infection. Follow these rules to avoid getting sick:
- don't walk on the beach without shoes;
- in the bathroom and sauna, be sure to use closed rubber shoes that protect against splashing;
- after bathing, dry your feet well, paying special attention to the folds between the toes, also use powder or a special anti-fungal cream;
- don't use other people's shoes;
- Wear clean socks or stockings every day.
Conclusion
When the immune system is strong and functioning normally, mycosis on the legs will not harm the body even after infection, thanks to the protective abilities of the immune system. If the fungus starts to spread on the nails, it is necessary to contact a dermatologist or mycologist as soon as possible, who will prescribe an optimal treatment regimen.