If a person has a fungus on his feet, then the question of how to treat it comes to the fore for him. Of the many forms of this infection, foot fungus is one of the most common. The cause is the pathogenic fungal microflora of the Trichophyton species, which, with increased sweating, can affect both the skin of the legs and the nails of the fingers. The birthplace of the microorganism is Southeast Asia, where nature itself has created the ideal conditions for its development: a warm and humid climate plus a dense population. In recent years it has spread to Europe and America. Currently, more than 20% of the world population suffers from skin fungus.
Ways of infection
The most common ways of fungal spore infection are contact. Most often this happens in the conditions of joint residence or work of a sick and healthy person.
Common ways of transmission of foot and nail skin fungus include:
- common household items that have direct contact with the skin and toenails (bedding, socks, shoes, pedicure items);
- public toilets and showers - as a rule, they are used by people working in dusty and dirty types of production (mines, factories), as well as by athletes, conscripts who often have to sweat;
- sunbeds, deck chairs and mattresses on the beaches.
To prevent the fungus, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene, trying to avoid situations where infection is possible.
The likelihood of infection increases with sweating of the feet, if it is not possible to wash them in a timely manner, change socks and shoes, and treat them with antiseptic agents. Therefore, foci of the disease most often occur in field conditions, when during the long transitions from sweating of the legs, favorable conditions are created for the reproduction of the fungus.
In addition to sweaty feet, a weak immune status increases the risk of infection. Currently, due to the deterioration of the environmental situation in the world and the growth of diseases such as diabetes, this factor appears to be in first place among the causes of the spread of this pathology.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
The signs of foot fungus are widely known.
Between them:
- irritation, redness, severe itching and rashes;
- exfoliation of scales from its surface;
- cracks, diaper rash in the interdigital region;
- deformity of the nail.
Such a pathology in the legs causes a lot of problems and causes the victims not only physical, but also moral discomfort:
- the foot becomes inflamed and swollen;
- an unpleasant smell emanates from the affected skin, even if there is no sweating of the legs;
- nails change color, peel and crumble.
But the symptoms reach this stage of development gradually, if the disease is not fought. Therefore, at its first signs, you should not look for an effective remedy for foot fungus yourself, but contact a dermatologist - it is he who will have to decide which antifungal agents should be used to defeat the pathogen as quickly as possible. With the current level of development of pharmacology and compliance with the recommendations of specialists, it is possible to cure the fungus on the legs quite quickly.
Coming to the dermatologist's office with such complaints, patients first of all undergo a diagnostic procedure. It is necessary to clarify the diagnosis, as it directly depends on how to treat the foot fungus.
To determine the type of fungal spores, the following methods are used:
- Irradiation with a special lamp makes the lesion area particularly visual, since the skin in this place under its rays stands out against the general background, turning purple-red.
- Bacterial seeding based on skin scraping allows, by placing the samples in a nutrient medium, to multiply them for the purpose of external observation and clarification of the type of pathogen that caused the development of the disease.
- The PCR technique is the most modern method to date, which helps to make a diagnosis with almost one hundred percent certainty, as it is based on the analysis of fungal DNA.
After receiving the results of the research, choosing the most effective remedy against the fungus, the doctor offers the patient some drugs and specifies the scheme for their use. To choose the most effective remedy for the fungus, take into account such factors as age, state of health, concomitant diseases.
Pharmacological arsenal
Still, choosing a super effective and inexpensive remedy for a fungus that develops on the legs, among a fairly significant number of objects, is not an easy task. It can be not only an external medicine, but also an oral preparation - if the external forms were powerless. And yet, as a rule, treatment begins with them.
The main active ingredient of drugs is terbinafine, a proven remedy for fungus on the legs, capable of quickly destroying fungal spores. Both the cream and the ointment and the spray from the fungus are applied directly to the skin of the legs, previously washed and dried, while the ointment and cream forms should be lightly rubbed into the affected area. In people who have "caught" foot mycosis, the skin often takes on a rough and thickened appearance, which is particularly characteristic of the soles and heels. The remedy for the fungus cannot penetrate through such a "shield", therefore, before starting the treatment, the skin must be steamed in a hot soapy solution to soften the stratum corneum and remove it with a pumice stone and a special file for grinding.
With increased dryness of the epidermis, the basis of the antifungal agent should be as oily as possible. This requirement is met by ointments, which should be used in this case. In the area of the interdigital area, where the skin is thinnest and most delicate, a fungal spray or suspension is effective.
To combat foot fungus, or rather, toenails, special therapeutic varnishes are also used, applied to the nail plate.
Before application, it must be processed: irregularities are polished, affected areas are removed as much as possible to facilitate the penetration of drugs into the nail tissue.
Sometimes you have to resort to the help of a surgeon who completely removes the affected nail plate.
If this is not done, even the most effective remedy for leg fungus will not be able to have an adequate level of healing effect.
In severe and advanced cases, mycosis of the foot is not susceptible to external agents on their own, as harmful waste products of pathogens penetrate the bloodstream, starting to poison a person from the inside. Then the attending physician prescribes antifungal antibiotics for oral administration, which have a systemic inhibitory effect on pathogenic microorganisms.
It is impossible to use such powerful remedies for foot fungus without the direct indication of a specialist, since the consequences of uncontrolled intake can have very serious consequences. One of them is the development of immunity of fungal spores to these drugs and their components.
Folk remedies
What Helps Best with Foot Fungus: Pharmacology or Popular Pharmacy? Only a doctor is able to answer how to cure a foot fungus, but it will not be superfluous to consult him about home remedies.
The most reliable means of helping to remove the fungus on the legs have long been known:
- Laundry soap from the fungus on the legs. With a fungus, foot baths with this component are useful, especially effective for excessive sweating of the feet. After grating 70% brown laundry soap without aromatic fragrances, take a spoonful of shavings and mix it with a spoonful of soda. Pour the mixture into water heated to 40 degrees, soak your feet in a solution of soap and soda for half an hour. When steaming, lather the skin between the fingers and scrub the feet with a brush to improve the penetration of the components of the solution into the upper layers of the epidermis. At the end of the procedure, which must be performed every other day, wash your feet with clean water and apply the external medicine recommended by your doctor to the skin.
- Table vinegar is also a good folk remedy for foot fungus, especially against the shape of the nail. Treat your nails with care, being careful not to injure them, as this contributes to the deepening of the infection. After pouring hot water into a bowl, the temperature of which should be about 50 degrees, pour a glass of 9% vinegar in the same place. Soak your feet in a solution of water and vinegar (there should be enough liquid to completely cover your feet) for 10-15 minutes. Then, without rinsing, dry your feet and put on clean socks. Repeat these mushroom foot baths 3-4 times a week.
- Another good remedy for foot fungus is iodine. An alcoholic solution of iodine should be applied with a cotton swab on the fires, after washing the feet and treating the nails. When using an iodine solution against foot fungus, it is important to be careful not to burn, especially in the area between the toes.
- Propolis from the mushroom is used in the form of applications applied to the nail and surrounding skin, after steaming it in a hot soapy solution.
Herbal recipes for fungus on the skin:
- Euphorbia is an effective remedy for foot fungus. The juice of the plant should be lubricated with sore nails with a cotton swab.
- Celandine from the mushroom - 3 tables. spoons of grass pour 1 liter of water, boil, cool to an acceptable temperature (40-46 degrees) and rise in the foot solution.
- Burdock - for the treatment of foot fungus, it is necessary to wrap them with a well-beaten burdock leaf, put on clean socks and go to bed with such a compress.
- Mushroom tea tree oil on the legs is effective only in the early stages of the disease.
Unfortunately, a remedy that can eliminate foot fungus in one application has not yet been invented. Therefore, when using both pharmaceutical and folk medicines for mushrooms, it is imperative to consult a doctor and follow his advice. The best remedy for foot fungus is the one prescribed by the doctor.