The initial stage of the fungus is distinguished by the absence of pronounced symptoms. This is one of the reasons why many patients only learn about their disease after some time, when onychomycosis pathogens cause significant damage to healthy tissue. If a person is very attentive to his own health, he can recognize the first signs of infection. Its discovery is a serious reason to visit a doctor's office that treats fungal pathologies.
Reasons for the development of onychomycosis
The initial stage of the fungus on the hands and feet does not bring a person much discomfort. The first signs of the disease, which at this time are mild, are simply ignored by many infected. Therefore, they miss the chance to start the timely treatment of the disease and avoid the occurrence of serious complications.
There are many reasons that can cause a fungal infection to develop on the nails and adjacent areas of the skin. They create ideal conditions for the successful development of pathogenic microflora. As a rule, onychomycosis is more susceptible to elderly people, as well as people with weakened immune systems. Other adverse factors can also provoke the development of the initial stage of the disease:
- Neglect of personal hygiene rules;
- Damage to the skin in the area of the fingers or toes;
- Prolonged contact with moisture or chemicals that dry out the skin;
- Regular use of tight clothing and shoes made from synthetic materials;
- Increased sweating during hot seasons;
- Chronic diseases that affect the state of immunity;
- Immune and endocrine diseases;
- Abuse of potent drugs;
- Climatic characteristics of the area that create ideal conditions for the reproduction of the causative agent of mycosis of the nails.
If one of these negative factors affects the human body, then he should think about preventing the development of onychomycosis. Otherwise, it will be difficult for him to avoid the fungus infection.
Avoid tight, uncomfortable shoes. Since the fungus loves to "settle" in microcracks. Even the slightest damage to the nail plate or skin "pulls in". Also dangerous is the violation of the blood supply to the fingers. Then the cells receive less useful nutrients and become easy prey for pathogens. So be careful with your shoes.
Comfortable orthopedic shoes are the key not only to healthy nails and feet, but also prevent flat feet, hallux valgus, corns, corns, facilitate walking and correct existing disorders in the initial phase. Daily use of these shoes provides comfort, not torment when walking. In addition, modern orthopedic shoes are excellently designed and maintain a modern style.
What is nail fungus in its early stages like?
Toenail fungus can upset absolutely anyone. To identify it in a timely manner, it is necessary to know which conditions characterize the initial stage of the development of the disease.
The first signs of infection are felt from the first day of infection. However, they are weakly expressed, so few people pay attention to them. A person should be careful if, after visiting a public place with a high level of humidity, the color of the nail plates changes and itching occurs in the area of the toes. These are the first symptoms of onychomycosis. If the nails are healthy, the infection will not be able to penetrate their deeper layers. Only damaged boards are subject to such an attack.
In hands
Everyone needs to know what nail fungus looks like at an early stage. This information will help you in a timely manner to calculate the disease in yourself or in people in your environment.
Fungal infection on the hands in most cases is detected in women. However, representatives of the stronger sex are also susceptible to this infection. The disease is recognized by such symptoms that appear first after infection:
- Stain on the surface of the nail plate;
- The formation of stains on the nails;
- Change the nail color to yellow, gray or brown;
- Disintegration of the nail plate near the edges;
- Delamination and fragility;
- Peeling of the skin near the nail.
Some patients develop signs of swelling near the nails. Although at the initial stage of the development of the disease, this symptom usually does not occur.
On foot
Recognizing a fungal infection of the toenails helps with several characteristic signs of this condition:
- Yellowing of the nail on the top or side;
- Thickening of the nail plate;
- nail discoloration;
- Mild itching in the toe area;
- nail exfoliation;
- Unpleasant foot odor.
Lack of treatment at an early stage in the development of the disease leads to its progression. Therefore, it is very important not to miss the ideal time to start a therapeutic course, which will help to cope with the infection and prevent it from spreading to healthy tissues.
Treatment
Nail fungus is easily treatable if the patient is diagnosed at an early stage of its development. In order not to start the disease, it is necessary to abandon self-medication. The patient will not be able to choose the appropriate therapy for himself, which will lead to a positive result. It is better to entrust these tasks to competent specialists involved in the diagnosis and treatment of onychomycosis.
Topical preparations
The fungus on the hands, as well as the lower extremities, can be eliminated with topical medications. The initial stage of the disease only involves the use of drugs that do not have a significant effect on the patient's body, but act directly on the lesions.
Comprehensive treatment of onychomycosis at the initial stage of development necessarily involves the use of a local drug.
The external agent must be used in accordance with the instructions of the treating physician, as well as his instructions for use. Compliance with this rule will increase the effectiveness of the course of treatment and avoid possible side effects.
According to the standard scheme, it is necessary to apply a local preparation to the nail plate, infected with a fungus, 1-2 times a day with a thin layer. If special varnishes are used, they will be applied no more than once a week.
systemic therapy
At the first sign of onychomycosis, you should see a doctor. Foot and nail fungus cannot always be cured with a local drug. Therefore, in addition, dermatologists prescribe a systemic remedy that acts on the disease-causing agent from within the human body.
Oral medications with an antifungal effect can only be taken as prescribed by a specialist. This is due to the fact that they have a large list of contraindications and side effects. The course of therapy for each patient is selected individually. It usually lasts about 4 months. If measures were taken at the initial stage of development of onychomycosis, then this period is shortened.
The use of systemic drugs is advised if local remedies do not prevent the development of the disease.
Laser therapy and ozone therapy
It is possible to treat a fungal infection on the nail plates using hardware procedures. For these purposes, laser and ozone therapy is used. They are prescribed in the early and advanced stages of the development of the pathological process, if traditional methods of treatment do not bring the desired result.
Laser therapy in the fight against nail fungus has many advantages:
- Obtaining a guaranteed recovery result in 99% of cases;
- No pain or discomfort during the procedure;
- No negative impact on internal organs;
- Complete destruction of the fungus;
- Improvement of the general condition of the infected area after the first procedure;
- Restoration of the nail plate 30 days after therapy.
Nail fungus on hands or lower extremities also helps to cure ozone therapy. The early stage of onychomycosis lends itself well to this treatment.
Ozone has an antiseptic effect. That's why doctors use it to treat fungal nail infections. When ozone enters the body, it is transported to different parts of the body through the blood. After that, a fight is fought with the causative agent of the disease, in which he loses in most cases.
Ozone therapy is completely painless. Its duration is limited to 30 minutes. During treatment, only the infected area is affected. The skin around the plaque is unaffected.
Ozone, like laser therapy, is prescribed by the attending physician after the patient has passed all necessary tests and studies. Based on his results, the specialist draws conclusions about the suitability of using such therapeutic procedures that help to speed up recovery.
popular methods
The treating physician may recommend using non-traditional methods of treatment along with medications. It is good to carry out such therapy at an early stage of the development of the pathological process. Then it will be more useful. Treatment of onychomycosis can be carried out with these folk remedies:
- Iodine. They need to periodically treat the infected nail. It is desirable to carry out the procedure 2 times a day to stop the development of pathogenic microflora on its surface. The antiseptic agent not only fights the fungus, but also dries the nail plate. After a week of such treatment, it is recommended to take a break for 2-3 days;
- Garlic. This is a natural disinfectant that deals with the active reproduction of pathogens. A fresh clove of garlic needs to be grated, after which this porridge is applied to the problem area. It is advisable to leave it overnight, fixing the mass with a bandage;
- Celandine. With onychomycosis, the juice of this plant is helpful. It is recommended to lubricate the areas affected by an infectious disease in the upper or lower extremities with a fresh product. Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to carry out an allergy test to this remedy to avoid the development of side effects;
- Onion. It is effective against a fungal infection caused by a yeast-like pathogen. Fresh vegetables must be peeled and grated on a medium grater. Then the onion mass is mixed with a small amount of natural honey. The finished product should be applied to the painful nails for 2-3 hours. If you carry out this procedure several times a day, you can quickly get an improvement in the general condition of the patient;
- Soda. It is used in the preparation of medicinal baths. It must be dissolved in hot or lukewarm water. For 2. 5 liters of liquid, you need to take 1 tbsp. I. soda. It is also advisable to add a portion of liquid soap to the solution. This bath can be taken daily for 15 minutes.
Folk remedies work only in the treatment of the initial stage of onychomycosis. In more advanced cases, they do not bring much result. But even if the disease is just beginning, there is no guarantee that alternative medicine will help to get rid of it completely. It is better to use its methods in parallel with pharmaceutical preparations to be sure of the effectiveness of the therapeutic course.
Disinfection and other rules during the treatment period
The doctor will tell the patient in detail how to act at the initial stage of the development of the disease and advise on the appearance of fungus on the feet at an early stage.
In order for the treatment prescribed by the doctor to be effective, the patient must also adhere to special rules:
- It is necessary to daily disinfect socks and shoes with which a person infected with the fungus has come into contact;
- It is necessary to boil in high temperature towels and bed linen of the patient;
- It is necessary to clean the bath well after bathing the patient.
Boiling is strongly recommended to disinfect all acceptable objects and things that a person with onychomycosis has interacted with. You should also regularly clean your shoes with special antiseptic and antifungal solutions.
prevention of onychomycosis
The prevention of onychomycosis must be done by all people who are at risk of contracting this disease. This measure will allow him to avoid unnecessary expenditure of money and time for medical procedures.
To prevent onychomycosis, you should:
- Avoid wearing other people's clothes and shoes. If this is necessary, they initially need to be carefully treated with an antifungal and antiseptic agent;
- In public places, for example, sauna or swimming pool, disposable flip-flops should be used;
- Only use your own manicure tools.
If a person was able to cure onychomycosis and follow preventive measures, then the probability of encountering the fungus again will be only 8%.