Nail fungus, like all other fungal diseases, is a contagious disease.Pathogenic microscopic fungi are very easily transferred from a sick person to a healthy person and quickly penetrate the nail plates, forming a colony.
Toenails are the places that most often suffer from fungal infections.According to medical statistics, nail fungus occurs in approximately 15% of the world's population.It is noted that men are more susceptible to this disease.Doctors attribute this phenomenon to the fact that women are more scrupulous about hygiene rules.In addition, the fungus affects the elderly much more often, which is most likely due to their somewhat reduced immunity and the presence of chronic diseases.
Regardless of the type of fungus causing the nail disease, it will have similar symptoms and require the same treatment.Due to the fact that a fungal nail infection does not pose a threat to life, most patients do not rush for treatment, considering the problem to be only cosmetic.This approach is fundamentally wrong, because due to prolonged exposure to the fungus, the immune system begins to suffer, and this opens the door to many diseases.
How does a yeast infection occur?
It is very easy to get infected with the fungus.This is why this disease has become so widespread.Most often, the disease is caused by the following reasons:
- violation of personal hygiene rules;
- wearing other people's shoes;
- wearing other people's socks;
- barefoot in the gym;
- barefoot in the pool;
- being barefoot in a public bathroom.
The fungus is particularly quickly transmitted from one family member to another.For this reason, even if 1 person in the family is faced with this disease, everyone should treat their nails.
What predisposes to the occurrence of nail fungus
Some people are more susceptible to fungal diseases, while others are less susceptible.This is due to the fact that there are certain factors that predispose to the onset of the disease.Such provocateurs of the disease include:
- diabetes mellitus - since this disease causes capillary damage, the metabolism in the tissues of the nail folds is disturbed, which causes a rapid weakening of local immunity;
- mechanical injury to the nail plate - with improperly cut, cracked and broken nails, the nutrition of the nail plate begins to be partially disturbed, due to which its ability to resist fungi is significantly reduced;
- vascular disease - in this case, the fungus develops for the same reason as in diabetes;
- fungal infections of the skin - if the fungus is present on the skin, then if it is not treated, it gradually spreads to the surrounding tissues, which leads to nail damage;
- decrease in immunity - with a decrease in protective forces, which can occur for a number of reasons, the body is unable to resist the pathogenic fungus and it easily penetrates the nail tissue.
It is precisely in the presence of provoking factors that the development of a fungal nail infection occurs in the vast majority of cases.
How does the fungus manifest itself?
The presence of nail fungus is quite easy to determine, because the symptoms of this disease are very obvious and it is not easy to confuse it with anything else.You can suspect a fungal infection of the nail plate when the following signs appear:
- change in the color of the nail plate - in the presence of fungi, the color of the nail changes from healthy to yellow, grayish or brown, depending on the type of fungus that caused the disease;
- rough nail surface - the roughness caused by the fungus is easily determined not only by touch, but also by eye.This symptom appears due to the fact that there is an uneven destruction of the upper layer of the nail plate;
- delamination of the nail - the nail begins to peel from the edge, and gradually the process reaches the very base of the plate.After inspection, the border of the nail delamination area is clearly visible;
- white spots under the nail - this is what the places where the nail has started to peel off from the base look like.As the nail plate grows under the influence of fungi, a cavity is formed between it and the subungual tissue that looks like a white spot;
- dullness of the nail plate - the shine of the nail gradually disappears, and no special damage is noticed on its surface.This symptom is caused by peeling of the very top layer of the nail, which is thin and is called the skin.It contains fats and moisture, which is why it has a shine;
- a large number of nails - the appearance of these very painful dry peelings on the skin is noticed due to the fact that the fungus also affects the nail folds.Because of this, the skin begins to die and peel off quickly;
- separation of the nail plate - due to the fact that the fungus affects the nail growth area, the plate begins to peel off gradually, first from the base, and then evenly, to the edge;
- destruction of the nail plate - the diseased nail becomes brittle, begins to disintegrate and deform.This happens due to the growth of fungus in the thickness of the nail.
When the first symptoms of nail fungus appear, you should start treatment with drugs or folk remedies.Both are very effective, and therefore the patient should decide for himself which method of treatment to prefer.
Medicines against nail fungus
If the nail plate is not yet severely affected by the fungus, you can do without removing it.For the treatment of nails, it is necessary to use the medicines prescribed by your doctor.
Treatment of nail fungus with drugs is very long and can last up to 1 year.Medicinal formulations must be applied strictly in accordance with the rules and without fail, otherwise all efforts spent on the removal of fungi will be in vain.
When the fungus has affected the thickness of the nail, it makes no sense to treat the nail plate and you have to use drugs designed to remove it.If these products are used correctly, the affected nail can be removed painlessly or almost painlessly.
For this case, there are drugs that soften and exfoliate the nail plate from the underlying tissue.Nail removal takes place several times and causes almost no discomfort to the patient.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus
Traditional medicine can be used in the treatment of nail fungus only if the disease has not gone too far.Ideally, such methods of therapy should be started already at the first symptoms of the disease.
- Iodine is destructive to almost all types of nail fungus and therefore can be successfully used in the fight against the disease, although doctors do not take this method of therapy very seriously.The use of iodine solution is simple.In order to achieve the desired effect, it is enough to smear the affected nail with iodine in the morning and in the evening.Healthy nails should also be treated with iodine, but only once every 2 days.This treatment continues until a healthy nail begins to grow.
- Kombucha can also be used in healing.A small piece will be enough to remove nail fungus.Such a piece should be separated from the mushroom and cleaned of films.It is then mashed into a paste, which is rubbed into the painful nail in the morning and evening.This treatment lasts at least 45 days.
- Copper sulfate is also used to fight nail fungus.For medicinal purposes, it is necessary to take 1 level teaspoon of copper sulfate and dissolve it in 1 liter of boiled water.The obtained composition is very concentrated, so for treatment, 1 tablespoon is added to 1.5 liters of water at a temperature of 50 degrees.The foot bath with this composition is used once a day.The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.Therapy continues until a healthy nail begins to grow.
- A bath with salt and vinegar is useful at the very beginning of a fungal nail infection.To prepare the composition for the bath, you need to dissolve 4 tablespoons of 9 percent vinegar and 100 g of salt in 4 liters of very warm water.Bathing is done twice a day.Duration of 1 procedure is 15 minutes.If there are wounds on the skin of the legs, it is better to refuse such treatment, because it can lead to their degeneration into ulcers.
- Celandine is also recommended for the treatment of nail fungus.In the summer season, when you can easily find a fresh plant, it will be useful to use its juice.To obtain the medicinal composition, the stems of the plant are passed through a meat grinder, and then the juice is squeezed out of the resulting mass through cheesecloth.Prepare 200 ml of juice.Then the same volume of 70% alcohol is poured into the juice.After infusion of the drug for 1 day, it is used to lubricate the affected nail 4 times a day.In order to maximize the beneficial effect, the legs are steamed beforehand.The treatment is carried out until the healthy nail plate grows completely.
- Baking soda is another way to fight nail fungus.For therapeutic purposes, it is best to use baking soda paste.For its preparation, 1 teaspoon of the substance is diluted with boiled water to a thick paste and mixed well.After that, the medicine is applied to the affected nail in a thick layer and sprinkled with lemon juice.As a result of the chemical reaction, a slight burning sensation will be felt and abundant foam will be noticed.After 5 minutes of exposure, the soda is washed off.This procedure is repeated daily until a healthy nail grows.
Prevention of nail fungus
If you do not forget about the rules for preventing nail fungus, it is quite possible to protect yourself from this trouble.To prevent the disease, you must follow the following recommendations:
- adhere to hygiene rules;
- do not wear wet shoes;
- wash house slippers at least once a month using antibacterial washing powder;
- use iodine nail treatment as a preventive measure once a month;
- wear only your own shoes;
- use flip-flops when in the sauna and pool;
- regular manicure and pedicure according to all rules;
- change socks daily;
- air your shoes daily;
- use an ultraviolet shoe dryer.
With strict adherence to preventive measures, fungal disease can be prevented even if there is a sick person in the family.It is very important that you talk to your child from an early age about the rules of hygiene and the dangers of breaking them.The fact is that many children get nail fungus by trying on the shoes of adult guests or parents, as well as by exchanging shoes with friends in kindergarten.Understanding why this is a health hazard will help protect your baby from nail fungus from an early age.