In addition to nail fungus, there are many other causes and diseases due to which the normal appearance of the nails can change.
Thick, cloudy white nails can be the result of psoriasis or the unsuccessful use of harsh cosmetics. Detachment and delamination of the nail plate occurs both with injuries and with trophic disorders of the lower extremities with varicose veins or endocrine diseases. Onychomycosis most often begins not with changes in the nail plate itself, but with redness, itching and peeling of the skin surrounding the nail. If a person does not pay attention to these symptoms, the fungus begins to develop, penetrates into the deeper tissues, incl. under the nail bed. Fungal damage to the nail plate usually starts from its free edge, which thickens, turns gray-yellow, easily breaks and crumbles. But even in this case, it is possible to accurately determine the presence of a fungus only with the help of laboratory research - microscopy.
The fungus appears only in the elderly and chronic patients.
In patients with chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular diseases, etc. ), nail fungus is indeed more common, but only for the reason that all these diseases reduce the activity of general and local immunity, negatively affect the resistance of the skin to any infections. Old age, by itself, cannot be the cause of fungal diseases, but the older a person becomes, the more health problems he accumulates, which contribute to the development of fungal infections. At the same time, completely healthy young people are not protected from onychomycosis. Sports enthusiasts can suffer from nail fungus. calluses, microtrauma of the skin of the feet and sweating create the ideal conditions for the development of fungi. The fungus can manifest itself in those who have to spend most of the day standing, in closed shoes that do not allow excess moisture to evaporate. Smoking, frequent stress, and an excessive love of sweets increase the risk of developing fungal infections.
The fungus is usually contracted in a swimming pool, sauna or beach.
In the sauna, in the pool or on the beach, the risk of encountering a fungus is very high, as in any other place with high temperature and humidity of the air, where the spores of onychomycosis pathogens remain viable for a long time. But this is far from the only opportunity to contract onychomycosis. The causative agents of fungal infections can get to the skin of a person visiting a gym, beauty salon, shoe store, public transport, or just wearing someone else's slippers. But contact with the fungus or its spores does not always lead to the development of infection, much depends on the condition of the skin and the body as a whole. And only if the fungus enters the optimal environment for development and finds a weak point in the immune defense of the human body, can it cause damage to the skin and nails. Risk factors for developing onychomycosis are considered dry corns and cracks in the skin of the feet, increased sweating of the feet, wearing tight, "non-breathable" shoes, as well as synthetic socks.
Fungal spores are everywhere, there is no effective protection against them.
Fungal spores can in fact be found almost everywhere, even at home, so it is impossible to completely exclude contact. Yet, even a person at high risk of developing mycosis has the opportunity to protect themselves from developing this infection. First of all, you need to carefully follow the rules of personal hygiene: use only your shoes, towels, etc. It is equally important to carefully monitor the condition of the skin of the feet and nails: promptly remove dry corns, treat cracks, abrasions and properly trim the nails. It will not be superfluous to prevent excessive sweating of the feet, including the use of antiperspirant products for the feet. If the risk of onychomycosis is very high, you can cover your nails prophylactically (once a week) with a special antifungal varnish. You can also, after consulting with your doctor, start taking drugs that increase immunity - interferon inducers, drugs based on plant adaptogens, multivitamin complexes.
The mushroom is forever. You can't get rid of it completely.
Onychomycosis is a common infectious disease that ends as soon as its pathogen is removed from the body. This can only be prevented by the wrong treatment or mistakes made by the patient himself. The peculiarity of onychomycosis is that the fungus is located under the nail plate (in the nail bed). Not all LPs can penetrate that deeply. Therefore, today it is recommended to use special forms of external agents or systemic antifungal therapy for the treatment of onychomycosis. In addition, treatment should be continued even if all symptoms of the fungal infection have disappeared. You can stop taking medication only after 3 repeated examinations (microscopy) show that the fungus is no longer in the tissues. In addition, the use of antifungal agents must be combined with proper nail and foot care. this reduces the risk of new relapses.
It is useless to treat the fungus with external agents.
Modern forms of external preparations allow you to create a high concentration of an antifungal agent in the affected area. At the same time, external agents are not absorbed into the systemic circulation, have a broader spectrum of action and a low risk of developing resistance. Unfortunately, not all external drugs are able to penetrate the thickness of the nail, especially the tissue of the nail bed, where most of the pathogens are found. Therefore, it is recommended to combine local therapy with the removal of the nail plate or the use of keratolytic agents - preparations of urea or salicylic acid. This is especially important if nail fungus is accompanied by hyperkeratosis of the nails. Usually, monotherapy with external agents is used in cases where the nails of 1-2 fingers or 1/3 of the surface of the nail plates are affected. In other cases, external agents are used in combination with systemic antifungal drugs.
Antifungal pills are very dangerous and toxic.
Due to the long duration of the course of antifungal therapy (in some cases up to 12 months), there is really a risk of side effects and toxic effects on the liver. But today methods have been developed that make it possible to minimize this danger. So, for example, some antifungal drugs are used in pulse therapy mode: eg. short courses of 5-7-10 days, with a 21-day break. There are systemic antifungals that can only be taken 1-2 times a week. There are antifungals with a high safety profile which, when taken in therapeutic doses, do not have a negative effect on liver cells even with prolonged continuous use. Therefore, the most important thing is not to take systemic antifungal agents without the appointment and supervision of a doctor. Only a dermatologist should prescribe such funds.
If you choose the right drug, the fungus can be cured in a week.
It is possible to stop the development of a fungal infection in a short time only if the infection has recently occurred and the causative agent of onychomycosis has not had time to penetrate deeply into the tissues surrounding the nail. But, unfortunately, few of the patients seek medical assistance at this stage, most often the treatment of onychomycosis begins in the later stages, when the nail plate (or even several) is severely affected and the process of dystrophy or hyperkeratosis is actively taking place in the surrounding tissues. In such a situation, no drugs will help to quickly solve the fungus problem, even if the treatment is combined with the complete removal of the affected nail plate, because it will take about 3 months to restore the nail. In a relatively short time, about 4-6 weeks, you can only reduce the most noticeable symptoms of onychomycosis. But the causative agent of the infection, especially in the form of spores, still remains in the tissues. And only after completing the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor, you can get rid of this unpleasant disease.