According to dermatologists, mycoses, including fungus between the toes, develop against a background of weakened immunity. The skin on the feet, and especially between the toes, is susceptible to the negative influence of shoes and lack of personal hygiene. These factors make it vulnerable to mycotic infection. Cracks, micro-abrasions, abrasions, calluses, etc. predispose to the development of fungi on the toes. Sweaty feet play an important role in the occurrence of this unpleasant disease, which is important for young people. In older people, fungus develops between the toes for reasons related to diseases of the extremities, metabolic disorders, etc. Overweight people are especially susceptible to mycoses on the legs.
Symptoms of fungus between toes
Mycoses of the lower extremities begin with an interdigital fungus, which then spreads to other areas. The symptoms of fungus between the toes vary. The number of signs of the disease depends on its stage. In the first stage there are few signs. They manifest themselves as redness between the fingers and itching. Then, if the infection is not stopped, the symptoms develop further. Bubbles appear, burst and form cracks. They can get wet and cause pain. When bacterial flora accumulates at the site of cracks, weeping ulcers appear. Fungus between the toes is characterized by severe itching. When the blisters are scratched, the infection spreads further. This is what toenail fungus looks like between your toes.
Interdigital fungus on the toes is almost always combined with onychomycosis, a fungus of the nail plates. The fungus progresses slowly but steadily into healthy areas of the skin of the foot. The acute form without appropriate and timely treatment becomes chronic. The surface of the foot and the spaces between the toes becomes rough and acquires a yellowish-dirty color.
Diagnosis of interdigital fungus
Before determining how to treat toenail fungus between the toes, it is necessary to diagnose it. Identifying mycosis of the legs is not difficult for a specialist. It is enough to examine the skin between the toes and see the signs characteristic of this disease. To find out how to treat fungus between the toes and what type of fungal flora lives on the patient’s skin, a scraping is taken from the affected areas and sent to the laboratory. Inoculation of fungal spores allows you to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease and then select the most effective methods and means of future treatment.
Treatment
Treatment of fungus between the toes, as well as other areas, should be carried out in a complex manner. It includes the following types of treatment:
- local;
- anti-inflammatory;
- antibacterial;
- systemic.
Local therapy
Local therapy is effective in the initial stages of the disease. First, the doctor selects antimycotic drugs. They are effective when the infection has not yet spread beyond the interdigital space. Today, the market for such drugs is quite wide, which allows for effective treatment of fungus between the toes. But self-medicating a disease even in its initial stage is risky, due to the wrong choice of remedy, which may not solve the problem, but may aggravate it. Only a dermatologist can select and prescribe local antimycotics. Well-proven dosage forms are ointments and creams. They should be applied in a thin layer to the interdigital space, covering cracks and ulcers. It is mandatory to treat areas not affected by the fungus in order to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Which dosage form is better - ointment or cream? It is preferable to use the ointment on flaky, dry areas. It is convenient to use under a bandage for better penetration into the underlying layers of the dermis. The cream is recommended for use in the stage of more pronounced symptoms of the disease. It is used for weeping and erosive ulcers between the fingers. As a rule, both ointments and creams are prescribed. The ointment is applied to the affected areas at night. It is better to use the cream during the day.
Before using ointments and creams, the feet must be prepared - thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap and dried.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Inflammatory phenomena in the affected areas can be treated with foot baths. Baths with a slightly pink manganese solution give a good effect. Such baths dry out weeping ulcers and relieve inflammation around them. After the bath, ointments with glucocorticosteroids are applied to the legs.
Treatment for bacterial infection
An unpleasant odor from the feet indicates a layer of bacterial infection and fungus between the toes. Treatment of a complicated form of foot fungus involves the prescription of combination drugs with antibiotics.
Systemic treatment of fungus with tablets
In patients with diabetes mellitus, diseases of the blood vessels in the legs, and those who have taken antibiotics for a long time, treatment with local drugs may be ineffective. In such cases, systemic therapy is used. Most often these are drugs from the triazole group.
These drugs are prescribed strictly by a medical specialist for serious indications. They have limitations, since their use is associated with side effects in the form of dysbiosis, dyspeptic disorders, impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver, etc. The course of systemic therapy prescribed by the doctor cannot be interrupted without sufficient grounds. Interrupted treatment can lead to drug resistance to a number of drugs, primarily antibiotics.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine is also used to treat foot fungus. They can give a good effect in the initial stage of the disease, relieve symptoms such as itching and redness.
One of the proven remedies is kombucha.
Kombucha treatment
Its effectiveness is explained by the large composition of the substances included in it and vinegar. Grind a small piece of old kombucha, rinsed well in water, and rub it into the interdigital space. You can use kombucha for a month. Repeat the course of treatment as a prophylaxis after two weeks.
Propolis tincture
Another remedy that is popular in folk medicine is propolis tincture. It has powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal effects. A cotton swab or bandage swab moistened with propolis tincture is wrung out and placed between the fingers. You should put on cotton socks on top and leave it on all night. The course of treatment is 15-20 days. Since the tincture is alcohol-based, you should lubricate your feet with a nourishing cream after removing the lotion.
Celandine juice
A powerful remedy for the initial stage of fungus between the toes is the juice of flowering celandine. To obtain it, simply crush the green parts of the plant and squeeze out the juice. It is used as an independent remedy that can simply be used to lubricate fungal-damaged skin areas. With daily use of celandine juice, uninfected fungus goes away within 2 weeks.
Foot baths
Apple cider vinegar baths have a good healing effect. Add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to 2 liters of warm water. And keep your feet in the bath for 25-30 minutes. After the bath, remove dead skin between the fingers and apply medicinal ointment.
Baths with vinegar can be alternated with baths with celandine.
Prevention of fungus on the feet between the toes
Although fungal infections are common, they can be avoided. Following simple recommendations will help prevent fungal infection:
- observe the rules of personal hygiene. Washing your feet daily with antibacterial soap will help prevent excessive sweating. To prevent your feet from burning, you should not wear tight, uncomfortable shoes. From time to time it is necessary to disinfect shoes;
- When visiting public saunas, baths and swimming pools, you must wear special shoes;
- keep the bath clean by regularly disinfecting it with cleaning products and hot water;
- Personal hygiene items – washcloths and sponges – should be regularly treated with disinfectant solutions. Never use someone else’s washcloths and sponges;
- monitor the condition of your feet. For care, use special creams that contain components that prevent the development of fungal infections.
And of course, we must not forget about strengthening the immune system. After all, mycotic infections, including fungus on the toes between the toes, occur in those people whose immunity cannot cope with fungi, the spores of which are constantly around us. And only people with weakened immune systems develop fungal diseases.