Fungus on the skin of the feet is one of the most common infections. Leg fungus is distinguished by its vitality and ease of development. If you trust the statistics, then 20% of the world's population suffers from the fungus.
What is a skin fungus?
Fungal diseases are infectious diseases that affect the skin. The most common type of fungus is ringworm. In medicine, this skin disease is divided into several types.
The fungus can adapt to almost any habitat conditions. Fungal spores are able to live for a long time on ordinary clothes or shoes. In most cases, fungal infections are exposed to the feet and nail plates on a person's legs.
How does ringworm occur?
The causative agent of mycosis of the feet is the fungus Trichophyton rubrum, T. Mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. Ringworm can be contracted through contact with infected skin or after using any personal hygiene item.
Ringworm is characterized by the destruction of the skin in the form of desquamation. This is due to the fact that the fungus penetrates deep under the skin, resulting in damage to the epidermis.
Yellow or white spots may appear on the nails. If the fungus affects the toes, small blisters with fluid form between them, which burst, scarring is painful. Foot fungus is also accompanied by an unpleasant odor. The symptoms of ringworm can be different depending on the type. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail.
The main forms of ringworm:
- Interdigital mycoses.
- Squamous-hyperkeratotic form.
- vesicular form.
- Form deleted.
- Fungi on nails.
interdigital mycoses
The most common location of the interdigital fungus is in the intervals between 3, 4 and 5 fingers.
The main symptoms of interdigital mycosis:
- The formation of a crack, which is covered with a thick, white, scaly film.
- A small amount of fluid may be released from the crack.
- The appearance of diaper rash between the toes.
- Mild itching between fingers.
Initially, the fungus between your toes may be dormant without any symptoms. However, changes gradually begin to be observed - the skin becomes dry and rough, acquires a grayish tinge, cracks appear in rough places.
In addition, there is the so-called "wet" fungus between the fingers. This form is characterized by the formation of bubbles filled with liquid. These bubbles burst, thus creating the effect of a "wet" fungus. This fungus usually forms after wearing tight, unventilated shoes, as well as during periods of severe stress.
Squamous-hyperkeratotic form
The squamous-hyperkeratotic form of mycosis is characterized by severe desquamation and keratinization of the skin. This form of ringworm is very common, however, it most often affects people with atopic dermatitis.
The main symptoms of the squamous-hyperkeratotic form of mycosis:
- Weak itching.
- The formation of cracks in the skin of the feet.
- Pain.
- Skin dryness.
- Skin peeling.
- Erythema with clear limits.
- Yellow scales.
- Onychomycosis - damage to the nail plates.
vesicular form
The vesicular form of the fungus is the rarest of all. Only 8% of all mycosis patients are exposed to this type of disease. The vesicular form is characterized by the formation of skin rashes with liquid content inside. When these vesicles burst, erosions appear, which can become infected.
The main symptoms of vesicular fungus:
- Formation of red or pink blisters.
- Inside the formations there is a transparent colored liquid.
- The size of the bubbles can reach a maximum of 1 cm in diameter.
- The rash may be accompanied by mild itching.
- Wet bubbles.
This form of ringworm is dangerous as there is a high probability of harmful bacteria and infections getting under the skin. To determine the vesicular form of ringworm, it is necessary to undergo special studies and do a skin scraping for analysis, as this disease can easily be confused by external symptoms with eczema or pustular psoriasis.
form deleted
The erased form of the fungus is almost always the beginning of the development of foot diseases - mycoses.
With the faded form of the fungus, there are practically no visible symptoms, however, some of them can still be distinguished:
- The skin is slightly peeling between the fingers.
- The formation of small cracks between the fingers that affect only the upper layers of the epidermis.
All these symptoms are not accompanied by itching or pain, therefore, they do not cause a person any discomfort.
nail fungus
Nail fungus is also a very common form of this disease. This fungus does not pose a specific threat to human health, but it can cause a lot of discomfort.
Symptoms of nail fungus:
- The appearance of dryness and peeling of the skin of the feet.
- Itch.
- Redness.
- Changing the shape of the nail.
- The color of the nails acquires a grayish-yellow hue.
- Crack of the nail plate.
- Fragility of the nail.
- The formation of a crumbling mass under the nail.
- The formation of voids under the nail plate.
- Bad smell.
If the foot fungus becomes severe, the patient's temperature starts to rise. Foot fungus, like any type of ringworm, can cause psoriasis or eczema to develop.
How is the skin fungus on the feet?
Although foot fungus is a very common disease today, not everyone knows exactly what it is. Many infected people don't even care when the first signs of a fungal infection appear. As mentioned earlier, there are several types of fungi.
Each type has its own symptoms:
- In the initial stage of the infection, redness, slight swelling and cracks appear on the skin.
- In the middle stage of fungus development, skin peeling appears. The foot is covered with patches of white, pink or white.
- If the disease has already reached the highest stage of its development, then the nail plates of the toes begin to collapse and change their usual color. The skin on the feet starts to peel off in large pieces. Deep, painful cracks appear.
A photo
Symptoms of foot fungus
To determine the fungus on the legs, it is necessary to determine attention to the basic symptoms:
- Redness of the affected areas of the skin.
- Skin peeling.
- Formation of bubbles with liquid content.
- Nails change color and shape.
- Fragility and delamination of the nail plate.
Diagnosis
At the first manifestations of the symptoms of the fungus, you should consult a dermatologist. Sometimes, to establish an accurate diagnosis, a visual examination is not enough.
Some symptoms may indicate the presence of another skin condition. Therefore, a specialist in these cases should do a scraping and do a microscopy. Only after these studies can we speak clearly about the presence and form of a fungal disease.
Treatment
It is necessary to start treatment of a fungal disease only after a thorough diagnosis by a specialist, who must prescribe various drugs for the treatment of this disease. Treatment of leg fungus can consist of several methods.
These methods include:
- systemic therapy.
- local therapy.
- Folk remedies.
It is worth taking a look at each of them.
systemic therapy
Systemic therapy refers to the use of various antifungal medications. Such drugs penetrate the bloodstream and kill the fungal infection. These funds are able to penetrate the platinum of the nail, which can remain for several weeks, gradually killing the fungus.
Effective remedies for foot fungus
Terbinafine and itraconazole are considered effective antifungal agents. These systemic drugs can cure the patient in two weeks.
It is important to note that systemic therapy is not prescribed for the following individuals:
- Pregnant women.
- Mothers who breastfeed.
- People suffering from liver disease.
- Elderly with comorbidities.
ointments and creams
It is recommended that systemic treatment of fungal diseases be combined with local therapy. This treatment method includes various creams and ointments, which can also have an antifungal effect. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that if creams and ointments are used without the use of systemic medications, treatment may be ineffective.
Local medicines to fight fungal infections are divided into 20 forms. In addition to creams and ointments, various sprays, gels, foams and varnishes are also used to treat foot fungus.
When using the local fungus treatment, it is worth remembering that after applying any remedy to the skin, the legs do not need to be washed during the day.
Folk remedies
You can also cure foot skin fungus with the help of folk remedies. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus:
- At night, a piece of kombucha is applied to the affected nails.
- Attach a cut Kalanchoe leaf to your nails overnight.
Folk remedies for the treatment of fungus between the toes:
- Wash the skin between your fingers and grease with birch tar.
- Make a decoction of banana, yarrow, wormwood and chamomile. Make foot baths with the prepared broth.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Lubricate the affected areas of skin with onion juice at night.
- Make an overnight compress with 20% propolis tincture.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Take a sea salt foot bath twice a day.
- Three times a day, make foot baths with a decoction of chamomile, oak bark and calendula.
Prevention
Leg skin fungus often causes sweating. Even in the cold season, the causative agent of a fungal disease is well preserved. But the high temperature can kill the infection, so one of the prevention methods is boiling. Another method of prevention is disinfecting shoes with formaldehyde. With this action, the fungus dies after 20 minutes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that a fungal disease of the skin of the legs does not harm human health. The fungus only creates discomfort. However, this infection should not be ignored. If the disease becomes severe, it can lead to pain and the development of other infections.