If a person has foot fungus, it is important to start treatment in a timely and appropriate manner. The fact is that a fungal disease of the skin of the legs is contagious, and if you don't start fighting the disease right away, then every member of the patient's family is at risk of getting an infection. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, it will depend on the type of pathology, the degree of damage to the skin and the general condition of the person.
Causes of the appearance of fungus on the legs
When it enters the skin of the legs, the fungus does not always cause mycoses, and for the first symptoms to appear, negative factors must affect the human body. The following negative causes influence the development of ringworm:
- weakening of the body's immune forces;
- the use of hard and toxic drugs;
- non-compliance with foot and toe hygiene rules;
- the presence of cracks, wounds and abrasions on the toes and feet, through which fungal spores can enter the body.
The fungus infection sites are the wet floors of swimming pools, bathtubs and gym showers.
A fungal infection enters the body through home contact, when an adult or a child comes into contact with a sick carrier or objects that are inhabited by fungal spores. Often foot fungus can be caught in public places - changing rooms, showers, swimming pools, on the beach. The disease can also pass when wearing someone else's shoes, in which the spores of the pathogen live. Failure to comply with the elementary rules of hygiene leads to undesirable consequences that lead to fungal pathologies of the feet and toenails. The carrier is not always able to find out in time that they have a fungus on their feet, as the symptoms only appear under a combination of unfavorable circumstances. But such a person is still contagious, and this is dangerous for loved ones who are also at risk of contracting an infectious infection.
Symptoms and types
Ringworm of the feet is of the following forms:
- almost;
- dyshidrotic;
- intertriginous;
- onychomycosis;
- candidate.
scaly
The initial symptoms of a fungus of this form can be found only on one leg, however, with the progression of the pathology, a manifestation is observed in the other foot. The disease looks like a skin defect in which inflammation is formed, covered with scaling. Squamous foot fungus is not always characterized by itching and discomfort; therefore, for many, this disease goes unnoticed and it is impossible to determine it without a laboratory test.
If the foot fungus is not cured in a timely manner, then the infectious lesion moves to the shins, it will be much more difficult to deal with the problem. In addition, the fungus can be located in the calves, however, these complications are rare.
dyshidrotic
The first signs of a fungus on the legs of this form are characterized by the formation of blisters on the arch of the foot, which gradually increase in size and reach a diameter of up to 10 mm. After the rash opens, it hurts, erosion takes place in its place. The damage sites hurt, there are cases of bacterial inflammation. After the skin in the diseased areas heals, the disease changes to a scaly form. With a dyshidrotic variety, the skin on both feet is rarely affected; if timely treatment is not started, a neglected form develops, in which the stages of remission alternate with exacerbation.
intertrigo
Intertriginous or interdigital fungus of the foot is the most common form of skin disease.
This type of foot fungus is considered the most common. Most of the time, the skin between the 4th and 5th fingers is affected. The disease manifests itself in the form of dead, scaly areas that exfoliate from the normal layer of the epidermis.
If you do not provide timely assistance, the scaly places begin to get wet, the patient feels pain and itching. In addition, sores and erosions form in the affected areas, which are difficult to eliminate.
If you do nothing and ignore the symptoms, the disease flows into a chronic form, prone to frequent relapses.
onychomycosis
The disease is characterized by the fact that the fungus is located on the nails and toes. First, toenail fungus manifests itself in the form of a lesion on the free edge of the nail, in which spots and streaks of a yellowish tint form. There are the following types of nail and toenail fungus:
- hypertrophic. The nail plate becomes thick, yellowish, easily destroyed. Under the damaged spots, the affected skin of the finger is visible.
- atrophic. The nail becomes thinned, quickly destroyed and the dermis under it becomes keratinized.
- Onychomycosis caused by fungi. The nail plate becomes thinner, its color becomes black, brown, yellowish or green. The disease is a complication of the 2 previous types of pathology.
candida
The fungus infects the skin between the toes, without proper treatment it leads to bacterial infections.
This type of disease is caused by pathogenic yeast-like fungi whose name is Candida. Inflammation foci are often located on the skin between the 3rd and 4th or 4th and 5th fingers. Tissues at these sites become inflamed, edema develops, and a bacterial complication often joins.
The Candida fungus is a type of microorganism that infects a person's mucous membranes and outer skin. Normally, Candida is present in the human body in limited amounts. However, with the decrease in immunity, it may present increased activity, causing inconvenience to the patient.
If the fungus is not removed at the initial stage, pustules, cracks and erosion form, which are difficult to get rid of even with the help of potent drugs.
diagnostic methods
For leg fungus treatment to be effective, it is important to determine the pathogen and make an accurate diagnosis. To do this, it is worth visiting a doctor, who often, after the first visual examination, will be able to determine the pathology. If the skin pathology seems suspicious or does not go away with treatment for a long time, it will be necessary to have a blood and urine test, as well as undergo an additional diagnostic study that will help to determine the types of pathogens and their susceptibility to antifungal drugs. To do this, a piece of dermis is taken from the damaged area and examined under a microscope. To check for the presence of malignant cells in the tissues, samples are taken from the damaged areas for a biopsy.
What to treat?
There are many fungal diseases, to distinguish them and prescribe the correct treatment, laboratory tests are carried out.
To cure foot fungus and prevent recurrence, you need to contact a healthcare professional for advice and go through diagnostic measures. If the diagnosis is made correctly, then you can start therapy, in which drugs with systemic and local effects are used.
It is effective to be treated at an uninitiated stage, so during the period of therapy you can make do with means for external use in the form of creams, ointments and sprays. It is also possible to treat foot fungus with home remedies. If the disease has affected the deep layers of the dermis and the nail plates, it is recommended to use a systemic drug to fight the fungus.
Treatment with folk remedies is effective only in combination with the use of drugs, otherwise the disease threatens the development of dangerous complications.
drug treatment
An effective and effective drug must be prescribed by a doctor. If you self-medicate and ignore the advice of a specialist, you can cause serious complications that the most effective medicine will not be able to deal with right away.
Therapy with folk remedies
Treatment of foot fungus with folk remedies at home should be agreed with the doctor. It is important to know that potent drugs are used to treat foot and nail fungus, folk remedies can be used as an adjuvant therapy, as it is ineffective to fight the disease alone at home. There are several recipes that use medicinal herbs that have antimicrobial, disinfecting and healing properties. A folk remedy for a fungus is affordable and inexpensive, but which home method is better to use and what kind of prescription is suitable for a specific case, you should consult a doctor. The best recipes are below:
- A decoction with herbs of chamomile, banana and succession. Mix the ingredients, taking each 1 tbsp. I. Pour everything into a pan and pour 1 liter of hot water, bring to a boil and boil for up to 10 minutes. After the broth, strain and wash your hands, feet, and other affected body parts before going to bed. The essence of the procedure is to perform it regularly, so this method will be effective and help to treat the fungus faster.
- Infusion of onion and St. John's wort. Peel the onion and cut into 4 pieces. St. John's wort must be dried. Pour the onion and 50 g of St. John's wort 2, 5 liters of boiling water. Wrap the container with raw materials and leave to infuse for a day. At night, apply a compress of the infusion to the affected areas.
Prevention
The best preventive measure in the fight against the fungus that can prevent the disease is to strengthen the protective properties of the body. This method is inexpensive, but the most effective and efficient. Drug and alternative treatment methods must be agreed with the doctor, any self-medication can cause dangerous complications, which are much more difficult and time-consuming to deal with.