Symptoms of nail fungus

Nail fungus, the symptoms of which will be discussed below, appears most often due to neglect of personal hygiene rules. Nail fungus symptoms in most patients appear suddenly as the infection occurs almost imperceptibly and instantly. As the treatment measures for this disease continue for a long time, it is better for a person who has noticed signs of the disease in the toenails to immediately seek help from a doctor.

Factors that contribute to the development of the disease

The lesion can be caused by yeast, mold or skin fungus. In the first case, it is impossible to diagnose the disease immediately. Symptoms of the disease appear 5-6 months after infection. Peeling of the nail develops, slight irritation of the surrounding skin. Sometimes the patient is tormented by severe itching.

In the event that the disease develops due to a skin fungus, three scenarios are possible:

1. The feet, nails and skin of the legs are infected. The fungus can spread not only on the skin of the lower extremities, but also catch the fingernails.
2. Another type of mycelium only affects the thumbnail or toe. Sometimes there is a transition of these fungi to the creases between the fingers. Then the skin is affected in 1-2 folds or all at once.
3. Another type of disease - fungi are limited only to the "occupation" of the nail plate on the little finger or thumb of the lower limb, but they do not spread further.
4. The last type of infection is mold. This type of mycelium often appears in people with severe immune disorders, such as HIV.

The appearance of infection in all cases occurs for the following reasons:

1. The protective properties of the patient's body have dropped below a critical level.
2. The nail was mechanically damaged.
3. The man was wearing very tight shoes. Blood circulation in the legs was disturbed, which led to the development of an infection.
4. Some people have anatomical pathology of the feet, which contributes to the development of fungi.
5. Most of the time, patients diagnosed with obesity suffer from the disease. The disease leads to excessive sweating. This creates favorable conditions for the development of mycelium.
6. Fungi develop in patients with diabetes.

To prevent illness, you should only wear your clothes, shoes, personal hygiene items. It is recommended to decontaminate and clean carpets and shoes in time.

General signs of the disease

The first signs of nail fungus in most people start to appear as small white dots or streaks on the toenails. Most people pay no attention to this, as nothing hurts them, there is no discomfort. If you do not start the treatment of ringworm in time, then you can start the disease. There will be a germination of the mycelium on all nail plates, suppuration of the skin around the affected nails will begin. In severe cases, the disease spreads to deep tissue structures. This threatens the development of gangrene and amputation of the foot or even the entire leg.

In the second stage of the disease with ringworm, the natural shine of the nail plates disappears. Nails change color. They are yellow with brown or white stripes. The top and side surfaces of the nail are often deformed. Such changes are clearly visible to the naked eye.

In the last stage of the disease, the nail plates become very brittle, the inflammatory process begins in the cuticle. A person can completely lose a nail. But the fungi don't stop there. They continue to spread to all the nail plates and then pass to the skin of the leg, that is, they capture the feet.

The patient himself can recognize the disease in the second and third stages, as the nails turn yellow or brown (sometimes they turn black). The nail rises from its bed, acquires greater fragility, breaks quickly.

Symptoms of the disease in the early stage

If a person has developed toenail fungus, then the symptoms of the disease at first are practically absent. But then, 2-3 months after the fungus has penetrated the skin and its fixation on the nails, you may notice the manifestation of such signs of the disease:

1. On the surface of the skin near the affected plaque, a slight reddening first develops.
2. Then the person feels a burning sensation in this area.
3. Intense itching develops, inflammation begins.
4. Subsequently, places with higher humidity develop in these areas.
5. There is a thickening of the nail and its keratinization.

As soon as a person notices these signs of nail fungus, they should be examined and then started on treatment.

Depending on the type of fungal infection in the subsequent stages of the development of mycosis, the diseased nail plate is painted in different colors. In the first stage of the development of the disease, the affected area may turn white or green. The dots on it will either be located along the surface or look like round dots. At the same time, the thickness of the plaque in most patients does not change, and in many cases the nail retains its natural shine. The itching in all cases is very strong, it is impossible to get rid of it immediately. If the patient noticed signs of ringworm in time, you can get rid of the burning and itching through the use of medicines like Miconazole, Clotrimazole and similar medicines. But you should not be treated on your own, it is better to do it under the supervision of a doctor. With any mistake or failure to follow the doctor's recommendations, the mycelium will instantly spread to healthy areas, which will complicate treatment.

The further development of the disease

Toenail fungus, if left untreated, can deprive the nails of their natural color, and the surface color of the affected area will be yellow. There is delamination of the nails. They can start to break. Along with this, the patient develops intolerable itching of the skin around the affected area. The cracking of the substance of the nail plates begins. The burning intensifies. Some patients may develop dysbacteriosis, feel unwell, complain of weakness all over the body. Perhaps the development of drowsiness.

First, the mycelium completely changes the surface color of the plates, then thinning begins. Then the diseased nail is rejected and the infection penetrates the skin structures. The itching gets worse.

In the last stage of the disease, the surface of diseased nail plates becomes scale-like. Depending on the type of fungus that has reached the person, thickening of the nails begins, their delamination. They break quickly. Symptoms of the disease include the following:

1. The edges of the boards become very brittle. Sometimes this causes pain in the patient.
2. The shape of the plates is very distorted and a scaly surface may develop.
3. The color of the affected area changes from yellow to black.
4. Insertion of parts of the plates into the skin begins.
5. A whitish or yellowish coating appears under the nails. This is due to your bed flaking.
6. The itching is very strong, almost unbearable. The burning of the skin around the affected areas increases again.

If these symptoms appear and treatment is started on time, it will still continue for a long time. You can get infected with a disease in 4-5 seconds, and it is very difficult to cure the disease. This usually takes 3 to 6 months. It is not recommended to abandon the course of treatment due to possible complications that may lead to surgery. So, you must listen carefully to yourself. If early symptoms are detected and treatment is started immediately, there is a chance to complete therapy faster, saving your nails.