There are many reasons why toenail fungus develops. In most cases, the infection is transmitted through household contact. Especially often the disease strikes in the summer, when everyone wears mostly open shoes. Also, in a warm and humid environment, bacteria multiply much faster and become more active.
Most often, pathology develops in people who like to walk barefoot in public places such as swimming pools, baths and saunas, locker rooms on beaches and sports clubs. Also, toenail fungus often affects children who like to try on someone else's shoes. As a rule, this happens in schools or kindergartens.
Nail fungus can be the result of a weakened immune system. And even if a person follows all the rules of safety behavior in public places, the infection can easily penetrate the skin with excessive sweating of the feet or insufficient personal hygiene of the feet.
It is recommended to wash your feet as often as possible with warm water and soap and make sure to dry them, in summer use talcum powder so that the skin does not sweat as much. This is especially true for people prone to colds and infectious diseases.
In some cases, poor-quality shoes become the cause of the fungus. Often this happens when a person wears closed shoes for a long time, which does not allow air to pass through. This creates a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria.
It is recommended, if possible, to buy shoes made from natural materials, constantly wash and air them.
Symptoms of a nail fungus.
The symptoms of toe fungus are quite easy to spot. After all, they appear almost immediately, as the infection gets into the body. But the problem is that people do not always pay attention to the first changes, which delays the treatment of the disease. Let's look at these symptoms in more detail.
- At the beginning of the development of the disease, sweating between the toes may increase. In this case, an unpleasant odor will be observed, which is almost impossible to get rid of. As the disease progresses, it will intensify even more, causing great discomfort.
- Nails change color and structure. Most often they acquire a yellow, gray and even green tint. The nail plate can be painted gradually. Also, the thumb nail begins to exfoliate. Sometimes it even falls apart. At the same time, nail files and nail scissors do not help to fix this problem.
- As the disease progresses, the skin around the nail plate begins to swell. A characteristic feature of the fungus is intense itching and burning. This is especially enhanced if the foot is constantly in the shoe. In summer the itching is not so strong.
- Often against the background of a toenail fungus, diseases begin to progress, which until then were only stimulating factors for the reproduction of bacteria. The course of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and thyroid gland is complicated.
- In the event that the nail begins to thicken, this indicates that the disease is progressing. Usually, when large growths appear on the nail plate, the treatment of the fungus takes a long time. And only an integrated approach can guarantee a good result.
Treatment Specificity
When a fungus appears in the nails of the big toe or if the foot is affected, treatment must be timely and complete.
Thumb fungus in a child is best treated with safe folk remedies at the very beginning of the development of the disease. Or check with your doctor first.
As for adults, the treatment of the fungus of the big toe can be carried out both with the help of pharmaceutical preparations and with folk remedies. Let's dwell on this in more detail.
pharmacy preparations
In case the fungus on the thumb has gone too far, the problem should be treated not only with local remedies. It is advisable to consult a specialist about taking pills. Today there are a huge number of them, so it is important to choose the most suitable for you.
The most popular tablets based on Terbinafine and Ketoconazole. But the fact is that tablets have many contraindications. Therefore, in no case should they be consumed by people with kidney or liver failure, and also by those who have heart problems. Care should be taken when taking such tablets simultaneously with other drugs. This is especially true for hormonal drugs.
Sprays, gels, and ointments are used for topical treatment of the fungus. It is also recommended to select them together with the attending physician. They perfectly help to fight nail fungus at the initial stage of the development of the disease. Medicated varnishes, which should be applied directly to the affected nails, are an excellent help.
Varnishes are capable of destroying the structure of the cell membrane of a pathogenic fungus in the shortest possible time. It is also useful to apply such funds for the prevention of the disease, since they have absolutely no side effects and are completely safe.
But if the nail is so affected that you need to remove it, there are special solutions for this. These substances are applied to a previously steamed affected toenail, after which the sore spot is closed with a plaster and bandage. After a few hours, everything is painlessly removed.
Removing a diseased nail is an excellent alternative to surgery. After all, along with the stratum corneum, pathogenic microorganisms are killed and removed. And special auxiliary components allow a new healthy nail to grow as actively as possible.
popular recipes
You can simultaneously treat nail fungus and folk methods. There are a lot of them. Consider a couple of the most common and effective. So daily warm baths with salt help well. They help soften the skin and disinfect the nail.
Kill fungus and fresh garlic juice. You need to mix warm vegetable oil with garlic gruel, let it brew for a day.
Lubricate the sore toe and affected foot skin daily at bedtime for a month for a complete cure. Please note that the visible results after the first two procedures should not stop, as it is necessary to completely remove the entire infection.
Fighting toenail fungus is extremely difficult if the disease begins.
Therefore, it is recommended to act immediately after detecting the first symptoms. Simultaneous treatment with pharmacy and folk remedies will certainly give a good result.