Fungus of the nail plates of the toes (onychomycosis of the feet) is an infectious disease that manifests itself 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 on the legs directly depends on the social and climatic conditions of a person's residence, his sex, age, profession and the presence or absence of other diseases.
One way or another, due to its high contagiousness and its ability to significantly worsen the patient's daily quality of life, this pathology requires timely detection and competent and comprehensive treatment.
Symptoms of toenail fungus
Depending on the symptomatic manifestations, there are three types of onychomycosis of the legs:
- hypertrophic;
- normotrophic;
- atrophic.
Hypertrophic nail damage is characterized by a noticeable thickening and deformation of the nail plates, loss of shine and the appearance of a kind of "corrosion" on their edges.The clinical picture of the disease can be complemented by the appearance of pain and the development of onychogryphosis (pathology in which the nails take on the appearance of bird 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 opaque and acquires a grayish-brown color.The area of exposed skin is covered with loose hyperkeratotic layers.
Clinical signs of toenail fungus form the basis of another classification of onychomycosis, used mainly by foreign doctors.According to 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).
It is necessary to take into account the severity of the manifestations of onychomycosis when drawing up a therapeutic program.
Toenail fungus treatment.
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 draw 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 time possible.The etiotropic treatment program for onychomycosis involves the use of local and systemic medications.The most effective means for local treatment of fungus on toenail plates are:
- keratolytic antifungal ointments, gels and creams;
- specialized dressings for mechanical removal of affected nails;
- antifungal varnishes based onciclopirox, amorolfine or mixtures of salicylic, benzoic, lactic and resorcinol acids.
Today, systemic therapy for nail fungus seems to be the most relevant.In recent years, several general antifungal drugs have been developed that can increase the effectiveness of onychomycosis treatment by up to 90%.
Medicines for toenail fungus.
Varnishes are considered the most effective antifungal varnishes.The main distinctive 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 that contain terbinafine.The listed products are applied daily to the affected nail plates and gently rubbed in until completely absorbed.The duration of treatment of onychomycosis with ointments and creams can vary between 2 and 6 weeks.The procedure for using topical antifungal agents should be agreed in advance 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 in the legs are:
- avoiding mechanical trauma to the nail plates;
- refusal to wear rough, tight, ill-fitting shoes;
- careful processing of pedicure tools;
- use of individual footwear when visiting baths, saunas and swimming pools;
- monitor the health status of pets, timely treatment of identified pathologies;
- excluding cases of using other people's toiletries, clothes, towels and shoes;
- 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 does not achieve the expected results, but also significantly complicates the course of the disease.Therefore, before using any medication or folk remedy for fungus, you should coordinate the treatment program with an experienced dermatologist.