Onychomycosis is a common nail disease that affects one-fifth of the population, according to various authors. It often affects older people, and the frequency increases by about 2. 5 times in age groups of 10 years. This is not just an aesthetic shortcoming, because a sharp decline in immunity and the addition of a bacterial infection can lead to serious complications, such as erysipelas, and the disease becomes chronic if the problem is not addressed. , threatens all family members with infection.
How to recognize onychomycosis: symptoms of the fungus
A warm and humid environment is the best place for the development of fungal infections. And the climate doesn't have to be hot; For example, you can create favorable conditions for fungi by wearing sweaty shoes on your feet.
The source of infection is usually a person who is not involved in the treatment of onychomycosis, does not monitor the condition of the nails, or does not take treatment measures to fully recover. About a third of patients who see a doctor have such a patient in their family. At the same time, according to statistics, men get sick two to three times more often than women, but seek medical help less.
The development of nail fungus, as we have said before, is facilitated by the need to stay in hot or uncomfortable shoes for a long time - onychomycosis is widespread among miners, metallurgists and military personnel. The need to be barefoot in public is also important. Thus, one study found that nail disease (onychomycosis) was higher among professional swimmers and the other among mosque visitors (who should be barefoot) compared to the main population at the appropriate age.
In addition, patients with diabetes, blood diseases, HIV, as well as long-term use of cytostatics, corticosteroids, antibiotics increase the likelihood of fungal nail infections. This is due to reduced immunity and imbalance of the microflora in this type of patients (with antibiotic therapy).
In summary, the following predisposing factors for nail fungus can be distinguished:
- permanent injuries to the nail plate and skin of the feet (primarily due to uncomfortable shoes);
- frequent contact with water (especially in public places);
- increased sweating due to the need to be constantly warm or in synthetic shoes;
- deformities of the foot, including straight legs;
- Decreased rate of nail growth - this is why onychomycosis prevails in the elderly: the older a person is, the slower the growth of nails.
Initially, the fungus colonizes only part of the nail, from where it comes from the foot or interdigital folds, but gradually spreads to the entire nail plate. The fungus penetrates the edge of the nail cavity or under the nail plate under the nail plate. According to the localization and manifestation of symptoms of onychomycosis (from one or another edge of the nail), dermatovenerologists distinguish different stages of fungal infection and its stages.
- Discoloration of nails.A normal nail is transparent with a pale pink, white edge. Affected - completely loses its transparency, becomes white, gray, brown, green or black (depending on the indifference of the process and the type of fungal pathogen).
- Thickening of the nail.In response to the application of the fungus, the nail becomes thick and uneven due to the overgrowth of the stratum corneum.
- Destruction of the nail plate (onycholysis).The nail is broken, partially or completely peeled off.
At first, these manifestations may be subtle, but as the fungus grows, the nail becomes less and less aesthetic. This often forces the patient to constantly hide their feet and walk in closed shoes in the heat, which aggravates the problem.
Treatment of onychomycosis
Traditional treatments for onychomycosis are extremely diverse. What is not recommended for lubricating a long-suffering nail: vinegar, soda or saline solution, iodine, coffee, apricot gum, tea tree oil, etc. Unfortunately, many of these tools are ineffective. First, most of the substances offered for treatment do not have antifungal activity. Second, to infect the fungus, the drug must penetrate the thickness of the nail plate and under the nail, because it is not on the surface where the fungus "lives". In addition, the drug must saturate the nail plate during the period of nail growth, otherwise the fungal colony will spread to a new surface.
Based on the above, pharmacologists are developing tools to treat nail fungus. However, it should be noted that drugs against onychomycosis can be both local and systemic. Systemic medications are oral medications. In general, these are the same drugs prescribed for fungal infections of other localizations: oak, extensive skin or intestinal lesions, systemic mycoses. They are quite effective, but relatively toxic, and with long-term use have a negative effect on the whole body (and the treatment of nail fungus takes more than a month). Therefore, oral agents have serious indications:
- damage to more than half of the nail;
- proximal spread of the fungus (from the nail layer);
- damage to more than two nails;
- combination with skin or hair lesions;
- failed local treatment.
Drugs for the systematic treatment of fungal infections are sold only with a doctor's prescription. It also prescribes a course of treatment, as the drugs must be taken several times according to a certain scheme to maintain the required concentration of the active substance in the nail plate.
Local medicines are available in different forms: varnishes, ointments, sprays, solutions. However, medicated varnishes can be used only in the early stages of the disease, and then will not be effective. Ointments and sprays are more suitable for treating fungal infections of the skin than nails. Thus, the best topical remedy is liquid medicine. The solutions allow you to create a higher concentration of the active substance, not on the surface of the nail, but in places where fungal infections accumulate.
Thus, the treatment of nail fungus is a long time that requires precision and patience, but modern drugs and treatment regimens allow you to completely get rid of onychomycosis and prevent its recurrence. You should not ignore the problem, because in this situation not only the health of the sick person, but also the health and quality of life of relatives is at risk.