Nail fungus, like all other fungal diseases, is a contagious disease.Pathogenic microscopic fungi are very easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person and quickly penetrate the nail plates, forming a colony.
Toenails are the places that most often suffer from fungal infections.According to medical statistics, nail fungus occurs in approximately 15% of the world's population.It is noted that men are more susceptible to this disease.Doctors attribute this phenomenon to the fact that women are more scrupulous about hygiene rules.In addition, the fungus much more often affects older people, which is most likely due to their somewhat reduced immunity and the presence of chronic diseases.
Regardless of what type of fungus the nail disease is caused by, it will present with similar symptoms and require the same treatment.Due to the fact that fungal nail infection does not pose a threat to life, most patients are in no hurry to receive treatment, considering the problem to be only cosmetic.This approach is fundamentally wrong, since due to prolonged exposure to the fungus, the immune system begins to suffer, and this opens the door to many diseases.
How does fungal infection occur?
It is very easy to become infected with fungus.That is why this disease has become so widespread.Most often the disease is caused by the following reasons:
- violation of personal hygiene rules;
- wearing someone else's shoes;
- wearing someone else's socks;
- being barefoot in the gym;
- being barefoot in the pool;
- being barefoot in a public bath.
The fungus is transmitted especially quickly from one family member to another.For this reason, even if 1 person in the family is faced with this disease, everyone should have their nails treated.
What predisposes to the development of nail fungus
Some people are more susceptible to fungal diseases, while others are less susceptible.This is due to the fact that there are certain factors predisposing to the disease.Such provocateurs of the disease include:
- diabetes mellitus - since this disease causes damage to the capillaries, the metabolism in the tissues of the nail fold is disrupted, which causes a rapid weakening of local immunity;
- mechanical injury to the nail plate - with improperly trimmed, cracked and broken nails, the nutrition of the nail plate begins to be partially disrupted, due to which its ability to resist fungus is significantly reduced;
- vascular disease - in this case, the fungus develops for the same reason as in diabetes;
- fungal infections of the skin - if a fungus is present on the skin, then if left untreated, it gradually spreads to the surrounding tissues, leading to damage to the nails;
- decline in immunity - with a decrease in protective forces, which can occur for many reasons, the body is not able to resist the pathogenic fungus, and it easily penetrates into the nail tissue.
It is in the presence of provoking factors that in the vast majority of cases the development of fungal nail infection occurs.
How does the fungus manifest itself?
It is quite easy to determine the presence of nail fungus, since the symptoms of this disease are very obvious, and it is not easy to confuse it with anything else.You can suspect a fungal infection of the nail plate when the following signs appear:
- change in the color of the nail plate - in the presence of fungus, the color of the nail changes from healthy to yellow, grayish or brown, depending on what type of fungus caused the disease;
- rough surface of the nail - roughness caused by a fungus is easily determined not only by touch, but also by eye.This symptom appears due to the fact that uneven destruction of the top layer of the nail plate occurs;
- delamination of the nail - the nail begins to peel off from the edge, and gradually the process reaches the very base of the plate.Upon examination, the border of the nail delamination area is clearly visible;
- white spots under the nail - this is what the places where the nail has begun to peel off from the base look like.As the nail plate grows under the influence of the fungus, a cavity forms between it and the subungual tissues, which looks like a white spot;
- dullness of the nail plates - the shine of the nail disappears gradually, and no specific damage to its surface is observed.This symptom occurs due to the peeling of the very top layer of the nail, which is thin and called the skin.It contains fats and moisture, which is why there is shine;
- a large number of hangnails - the appearance of these very painful dry peelings on the skin is observed due to the fact that the fungus also affects the nail fold.Because of this, the skin begins to quickly die and peel;
- detachment of the nail plate - due to the fact that the fungus affects the nail growth area, the plate begins to gradually peel off, first from the base and then evenly, to the edge;
- destruction of the nail plate - the diseased nail becomes brittle, begins to crumble and deform.This happens due to the growth of fungus into the thickness of the nail.
When the first symptoms of nail fungus appear, you should begin therapy using medications or folk remedies.Both are very effective, and therefore the patient should make his own decision about which treatment method to give preference to.
Medicines against nail fungus
If the nail plate is not yet very strongly affected by the fungus, you can do without removing it.In order to treat a nail, you need to use medications prescribed by your doctor.
Treatment of nail fungus with drugs is very long and can last up to 1 year.It is necessary to apply medicinal formulations strictly according to the rules and without omissions, otherwise all the efforts spent on eliminating the fungus will be in vain.
When the fungus has affected the thickness of the nail, it makes no sense to treat the nail plate, and you need to use drugs designed to remove it.If these products are used correctly, the diseased nail can be removed painlessly or almost painlessly.
For this case, there are drugs that soften and peel off the nail plate from the tissues located underneath it.Removal of the nail takes place several times and causes almost no discomfort to the patient.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus
Traditional medicine can be used in the treatment of nail fungus only if the disease has not gone too far.Ideally, such methods of therapy should be started at the first symptoms of the disease.
- Iodine is destructive to almost all types of nail fungus and therefore can be successfully used in the fight against the disease, although doctors do not take this method of therapy very seriously.Using iodine solution is easy.To achieve the desired effect, it is enough to lubricate the diseased nail with iodine in the morning and evening.Healthy nails should also be treated with iodine, but only once every 2 days.This treatment is continued until a healthy nail begins to grow.
- Kombucha can also be used in treatment.A small piece of it will be enough to remove nail fungus.Such a piece should be split off from the mushroom and cleared of films.Then it is crushed to a pulp, which is rubbed into the sore nail in the morning and evening.This treatment lasts for at least 45 days.
- Copper sulfate is also used in the fight against nail fungus.For medicinal purposes, you need to take 1 level teaspoon of copper sulfate and dissolve it in 1 liter of boiled water.The resulting composition is very concentrated, and therefore for treatment it is added 1 tablespoon per 1.5 liters of water at a temperature of 50 degrees.A foot bath with this composition is used once a day.The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.Therapy is continued until a healthy nail begins to grow.
- A bath with salt and vinegar is useful at the very beginning of fungal nail infections.In order to prepare the composition for the bath, you need to dissolve 4 tablespoons of 9 percent vinegar and 100 g of salt in 4 liters of very warm water.The bath is done 2 times a day.The duration of 1 procedure is 15 minutes.If there are wounds on the skin of the legs, it is better to refuse such treatment, as this can lead to their degeneration into ulcers.
- Celandine is also recommended for the treatment of nail fungus.In the summer season, when you can easily find a fresh plant, it will be useful to use its juice.In order to obtain the medicinal composition, the stems of the plant are scrolled through a meat grinder and then the juice is squeezed out of the resulting mass through gauze.Prepare 200 ml of juice.Then the same volume of alcohol with a strength of 70% is poured into the juice.After infusing the drug for 1 day, it is used to lubricate the affected nail 4 times a day.In order for the beneficial effect to be maximum, the legs are pre-steamed.Treatment is carried out until a healthy nail plate grows completely.
- Baking soda is another way to combat nail fungus.For therapeutic purposes, it is best to use baking soda paste.To prepare it, 1 teaspoon of the substance is diluted with boiled water to a thick paste and mixed well.After this, the drug is applied to the affected nail in a thick layer and sprinkled with lemon juice.As a result of the chemical reaction, a slight burning sensation will be felt and abundant foam will be observed.After 5 minutes of exposure, the soda is washed off.This procedure is repeated daily until a healthy nail grows.
Prevention of nail fungus
If you do not forget about the rules for preventing nail fungus, it is quite possible to protect yourself from this trouble.To prevent the disease, you need to follow the following recommendations:
- observe the rules of hygiene;
- do not wear wet shoes;
- wash house slippers at least once a month using antibacterial washing powder;
- use iodine treatment of nails as a preventive measure once a month;
- wear only your own shoes;
- use flip-flops when in the sauna and swimming pool;
- regularly do manicures and pedicures according to all the rules;
- change socks daily;
- air your shoes daily;
- use an ultraviolet shoe dryer.
With strict adherence to preventive measures, fungal disease can be prevented even if there is a sick person in the family.It is very important to tell your child from early childhood about the rules of hygiene and the dangers of breaking them.The thing is that many children get nail fungus by trying on adult shoes of guests or parents, as well as by exchanging shoes with friends in kindergarten.Understanding why this is dangerous to health will help protect your baby from nail fungus from a very young age.