Fungus of the nail plates on the toes (onychomycosis of the feet) is an infectious disease manifested in damage to the nails by dermatomycetes, mold or yeast-like fungi.According to statistics, the prevalence of this disease in the population reaches 10%.
The risk of contracting onychomycosis of the legs directly depends on the social and climatic conditions of a person’s residence, his gender, age, profession, and the presence or absence of other diseases.
One way or another, due to its high contagiousness and ability to significantly worsen the quality of the patient’s daily life, this pathology requires timely detection and competent, comprehensive treatment.
Symptoms of toenail fungus
Depending on the symptomatic manifestations, there are three types of onychomycosis of the legs:
- hypertrophic;
- normotrophic;
- atrophic.
Hypertrophic damage to the nails is characterized by noticeable thickening and deformation of the nail plates, loss of shine and the appearance of a kind of “corrosion” at their edges.The clinical picture of the disease can be supplemented by the appearance of pain and the development of onychogryphosis (a pathology in which the nails take on the appearance of bird's claws).
With onychomycosis of the normotrophic type, yellow or white stripes and spots appear on the nail plates.At the same time, the nails retain their configuration, shine and thickness.With atrophic onychomycosis, the nail plate quickly separates from the nail bed, becomes dull and acquires a gray-brown color.The exposed skin area becomes covered with loose hyperkeratotic layers.
Clinical signs of toenail fungus form the basis of another classification of onychomycosis, used mainly by foreign doctors.Based on this typology, 4 forms of the disease can be distinguished:
- distal (damage to the free edge of the nail);
- proximal (damage to the posterior nail fold);
- lateral (damage to the nail from the sides);
- total (damage to the entire nail plate).
The severity of onychomycosis manifestations must be taken into account when drawing up a therapeutic program.
Treatment of toenail fungus
The diagnosis of “onychomycosis of the legs” is made based on the results of a visual medical examination, PCR test, microscopic and cultural studies.Carrying out the above tests allows us to obtain a conclusion not only about the presence of a fungal infection, but also about the type of pathogen.
Now a few words about how to cure toenail fungus in the shortest possible time.The etiotropic treatment program for onychomycosis involves the use of local and systemic medications.The most effective means for local treatment of fungus on the toenail plates are:
- antifungal keratolytic ointments, gels and creams;
- specialized plasters for mechanical removal of affected nails;
- antifungal varnishes based on ciclopirox, amorolfine or mixtures of salicylic, benzoic, lactic acid and resorcinol.
Nowadays, systemic therapy for nail fungus seems to be the most relevant.In recent years, a number of general antimycotic drugs have been developed that can increase the effectiveness of treatment of onychomycosis by up to 90%.
Medicines for toenail fungus
Varnishes are considered the most effective antimycotic varnishes.The main distinguishing feature of the products is their ability to destroy pathogens in the deep layers of the nail and penetrate the nail bed.Antifungal creams and ointments include products containing terbinafine.The listed products are applied daily to the affected nail plates and gently rubbed until completely absorbed.The duration of treatment for onychomycosis with ointments and creams can vary between 2-6 weeks.The procedure for using topical antifungal agents should be previously agreed with a dermatologist.
The selection of systemic drugs is carried out taking into account the severity of the disease and the presence or absence of contraindications to their use in the patient.
Prevention of toenail fungus
The main measures aimed at preventing the development of onychomycosis of the legs are:
- avoiding mechanical trauma to the nail plates;
- refusal to wear rough, tight and ill-fitting shoes;
- careful processing of pedicure tools;
- use of individual shoes when visiting baths, saunas and swimming pools;
- monitoring the health status of pets, timely treatment of identified pathologies;
- excluding cases of using toiletries, clothing, towels and shoes belonging to other people;
- timely detection and treatment of diseases;
- carrying out activities aimed at strengthening the body's immune forces.
It is important to understand that self-treatment of onychomycosis often not only fails to achieve the expected results, but also significantly complicates the course of the disease.Therefore, before using any medications or folk remedies for fungus, you should coordinate the treatment program with an experienced dermatologist.