Fungus on the feet: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Fungus on the feet is considered a fairly common disease. Everyone is prone to mycosis. Infection occurs by touching an infected area of the skin or a particle of a damaged nail. A doctor should treat the fungus on the feet. He will select an effective remedy that will quickly get rid of the disease.

Causes of the fungus

Fungus on the legs, which should be treated by an experienced specialist, can occur for the following reasons:

1. Pool water, shower or sauna are breeding grounds for various infections. When visiting such places, you must bring your personal shoes. Walking barefoot on the floor is not recommended.
2. A moist environment is ideal for rapid growth and multiplication of the fungus.
3. Dried fungus particles can exist for several years. As soon as they get into a favorable environment, they will begin to actively develop.
4. This disease is often caused by metabolic disorders or endocrine system problems.
5. Often, the disease manifests itself in those people whose foot is deformed or blood circulation in it is impaired.

Fungus symptoms

Symptoms of the disease are determined by its type. There are several forms:

• squamous;
• dyshidrotic;
• intertrigue;
• onychomycosis of the feet;
• candidiasis.

Squamous form

At first, the disease occurs on one leg. If you do not start treatment on time, then it switches to the second foot. The symptoms of the disease should be considered:

• the appearance of redness on the skin;
• peeling of the cover;
• itching (not always associated with the disease).

Often, a person who is sick with squamous infection does not bother anything. Therefore, with this form, a doctor is consulted only when the infection has spread to both legs.

Dyshidrotic form

This disease is characterized by the appearance of small bubbles (from 2 to 8 mm in diameter) on the arch of the foot. As a rule, they form in the place where the leg does not touch the floor when walking. After a while, small foci merge into large ones and open up. The result is erosion on the skin.

The process spreads from the arch to the inner side of the leg. At the site of the opening of the bubbles, a large focus of erosion occurs, and then diaper rash. Often, a person feels itching and soreness in the places where the bubbles form.

After the erosion heals and dries up, peeling will occur at this place. If you do not start treatment on time, then the dyshidrotic form of the disease will develop into squamous.

Intertrigue form

This disease can occur on its own or against the background of the squamous form of the fungus. Typically, the process begins with cracks in the skin between the fourth and fifth toes.

The symptoms of the disease should be considered:

• the appearance of a white rim resulting from exfoliation of the epidermis;
• the occurrence of weeping wounds between the fingers;
• burning sensation and pain;
• constant itching.

The intertrigue form of fungal infection of the legs has a chronic course. In winter, the disease subsides, and in summer it worsens. Lack of proper treatment contributes to the loss of the protective properties of the skin and the penetration of streptococcal infection into the body. As a result, a pustular inflammatory process develops.

Onychomycosis of the feet

This disease is a lesion of the nail platinum. The disease develops, starting from the free edge of the nail. First, spots and yellow stripes appear on the plate.

With hypertrophic onychomycosis, the nail becomes thicker and becomes yellow. It crumbles and flakes easily. The skin underneath is thickened.

In the atrophic form of the disease, the nail plate becomes thinner and gradually collapses. A keratinized layer of skin forms under it.

Candidal lesion

In this form, lesions are often located between the third and fourth, as well as between the fourth and fifth toes. The symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• the skin is edematous and red in color;
• abscesses or blisters appear near the focus;
• a rim of the exfoliated upper layer of the skin forms around the redness.

You should visit your doctor as soon as you notice the first signs. They can be itching, burning, pain, or peeling of the skin. After an examination, a specialist will diagnose and prescribe treatment. If you ignore the symptoms, then the infection will affect the entire foot, including the nail plate. In this case, it will be difficult to cure the fungus on the legs. Therefore, it is not worth starting the disease.

How to treat foot fungus

A doctor can choose an effective course. It is necessary to consult a specialist and voice the symptoms that bother you. An experienced specialist will quickly determine how to treat a foot fungus.

Medications

Many different products can be found in pharmacies.

Specialty medicines are antifungal agents that inhibit the development of the fungus. They are available in the form of tablets and capsules, ointments and gel, suspension, syrup and solution. The dosage, dosage regimen and duration of treatment are determined by the attending physician.

Folk remedies

Fungal diseases are chronic and do not pose a great danger to human health.

Traditional methods of treatment are effective only in the early stages. During this period, the symptoms of the disease are not yet observed, it can be difficult to recognize the fungus. That is why folk remedies are best used in addition to drug treatment.

The most common method of getting rid of fungus is with a vinegar bath. It has a striking antiseptic effect. The bath is done like this:

1. Wash your feet in warm water and pat dry with a towel.
2. Pour a solution of wine vinegar into a basin.
3. Lower your legs and hold in the pelvis for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Take out your legs and put on socks dipped in a solution of vinegar.

Treatment is best done at bedtime. Then the socks should be removed in the morning.

Baking soda and sea salt baths are also effective for treating feet. They are done like this:

1. Dissolve one tablespoon of salt and soda in a sufficient volume of water.
2. Lower the feet into the solution.
3. After 15 minutes, wash your feet with warm water.

It is better to rinse the feet with a decoction of herbs. For this, calendula, medicinal verbena, oak bark are suitable. The broth is done as follows:

1. The ingredients are mixed in equal amounts.
2. 3 tablespoons of the mixture are poured into a glass of water.
3. The container is put on a small fire.
4. Heats up within 20 minutes.
5. The solution is filtered and cooled.
6. The broth is used for rinsing feet and for lotions.

You can prepare an ointment for the affected areas of the feet. For this, pork fat and sifted ash are taken. The ingredients are mixed until smooth. The ointment is applied to clean skin of the feet in the morning and evening.

Disease prevention

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, avoid wearing closed shoes all the time. Excessive sweating of the feet often leads to the development of fungal diseases.

It should be borne in mind that the fungus easily tolerates low temperatures. After entering a normal environment, it becomes active and begins to develop rapidly. Therefore, freezing is not a prophylaxis or method of fighting bacteria.

Boiling can kill the fungus. To prevent disease, it is necessary to wash clothes at a high temperature and then iron them.

To avoid fungal infection, you need to use only your own things and shoes, carefully sterilize tools for pedicure and manicure. By adhering to simple rules, you can protect yourself from a disease that is so difficult to cure.