If a person has a fungus on his feet, it is important to start treatment in a timely and adequate manner. The fact is that a fungal disease of the skin of the legs is contagious, and if you do not start fighting the disease right away, all members of the patient's family are at risk of getting an infection. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, it will depend on the type of pathology, the degree of damage to the skin, as well as on the general condition of the person.
Causes of the appearance of fungus on the legs
When it enters the skin of the legs, the fungus does not always cause mycoses, and in order for the first symptoms to appear, negative factors must affect the human body. The following negative causes influence the development of mycosis:
- weakening of the immune forces of the body;
- the use of heavy and toxic drugs;
- non-compliance with the rules of hygiene of the feet and toes;
- the presence of cracks, wounds and abrasions on the toes and feet, through which fungal spores can enter the body.
Places of infection with the fungus are the wet floors of swimming pools, baths and showers in gyms.
A fungal infection enters the body in a contact-household way, when an adult or a child comes into contact with a sick carrier or objects that are inhabited by fungal spores. Often, foot fungus can be picked up in public places - locker rooms, showers, pools, on the beach. The disease can also pass when wearing someone else's shoes, on which pathogen spores live. Failure to comply with elementary hygiene rules leads to undesirable consequences that provoke fungal pathologies of the feet and toenails. The carrier may not always be able to find out in time that he has a foot fungus, since the symptoms appear only under a combination of unfavorable circumstances. But such a person is still contagious, and this is dangerous for loved ones who are also at risk of getting an infectious infection.
Symptoms and types
Mycosis of the feet is of the following forms:
- quasimous;
- dyshidrotic;
- intertriginous;
- onychomycosis;
- candidal.
Squamous
The initial symptoms of a fungus of this form can be found only on one leg, however, with the progression of the pathology, a manifestation is observed on the other foot. The disease looks like a skin defect on which inflammation is formed, covered with peeling. Squamous fungus of the foot is not always characterized by itching and discomfort, so for many this disease goes unnoticed, and it is impossible to determine it without a laboratory test.
If the foot fungus is not cured in a timely manner, the infectious lesion passes to the shins, then it will be much harder to deal with the problem. Also, the fungus can be localized on the calves, however, these complications are rare.
Dyshidrotic
The first signs of a fungus on the legs of this form are characterized by the formation of bubbles on the arch of the foot, which gradually increase in size and reach a diameter of up to 10 mm. After the rash opens, it hurts, erosion occurs in its place. Damage sites hurt, there are cases of bacterial inflammation. After the skin on the diseased areas heals, the disease passes into a squamous form. With a dyshidrotic variety, the skin on two feet is rarely affected, if timely treatment is not started, a neglected form develops, in which the stages of remission will alternate with exacerbation.
intertrigous
Intertriginous or interdigital foot fungus is the most common form of skin disease.
This type of foot fungus is considered the most common. Most often, the skin between the 4th and 5th toes is affected. The disease manifests itself in the form of the formation of dead, scaly areas that exfoliate from the normal layer of the epidermis.
If you do not provide timely assistance, then the flaky places begin to get wet, the patient feels soreness and itching. Further, wounds and erosions form on the affected areas, which are difficult to eliminate.
If you do nothing and ignore the symptoms, the disease flows into a chronic form, which is prone to frequent relapse.
Onychomycosis
The disease is characterized by the fact that the fungus is localized on the nails and toes. First, the fungus of the toenails manifests itself in the form of a lesion of the free edge of the nail, on which spots and stripes of a yellowish tint form. There are the following types of nail and toe fungus:
- Hypertrophic. The nail plate becomes thickened, yellowed, easily destroyed. Under the damaged foci, the affected skin of the finger is visible.
- atrophic. The nail becomes thinned, quickly destroyed, and the dermis under it becomes keratinized.
- Onychomycosis caused by fungi. The nail plate becomes thinned, its color becomes black, brown, yellowish or green. The disease is a complication of the previous 2 types of pathology.
candida
The fungus infects the skin between the toes, without proper treatment leads to bacterial infections.
This type of disease is caused by yeast-like pathogenic fungi, the name of which is Candida. Foci of inflammation are often localized on the skin between 3 and 4 or 4 and 5 fingers. The tissues in these places become inflamed, edema develops, and a bacterial complication often joins.
Candida fungus is a type of microorganism that infects the mucous membranes and external skin of a person. Normally, Candida is present in the human body in limited quantities. However, with a decrease in immunity, it can show increased activity, causing inconvenience to the patient.
If the fungus is not removed at the initial stage, pustules, cracks and erosion are formed, which are difficult to get rid of even with the help of potent drugs.
Diagnostic methods
In order for the treatment of fungus on the legs to be effective, it is important to determine the pathogen and make an accurate diagnosis. To do this, it is worth visiting a doctor, who often, after the first visual examination, will be able to determine the pathology. If the skin pathology looks suspicious or does not go away with treatment for a long time, it will be necessary to take a blood and urine test, as well as undergo an additional diagnostic study that will help determine the types of pathogens and their susceptibility to antifungal drugs. To do this, a piece of dermis is taken from the damaged area and examined under a microscope. To check for malignant cells in the tissues, samples are taken from the damaged areas for a biopsy.
What to treat?
There are many fungal diseases, in order to distinguish them and prescribe the correct treatment, laboratory tests are carried out.
To cure foot fungus and prevent recurrence, you need to contact a healthcare professional for advice and undergo diagnostic measures. If the diagnosis is made correctly, you can start therapy, in which drugs of systemic and local effects are used.
It is effective to be treated at an unstarted stage, then during the period of therapy you can get by with means for external use in the form of creams, ointments and sprays. It is also possible to treat foot fungus with home remedies. If the disease has affected the deep layers of the dermis and the nail plates, it is recommended to use a systemic drug to combat the fungus.
Treatment with folk remedies is effective only in combination with the use of medications, otherwise the disease threatens with the development of dangerous complications.
Treatment with medications
An effective and effective medicine must be prescribed by a doctor. If you self-medicate and ignore the advice of a specialist, you can provoke serious complications that the most effective remedy will not immediately be able to cope with.
Therapy with folk remedies
Treatment of foot fungus with folk remedies at home should be agreed with the doctor. It is important to know that potent medicines are used to treat foot and nail fungus, folk remedies are allowed to be used as adjuvant therapy, since it is ineffective to fight the disease on your own at home. There are various recipes that use medicinal herbs that have antimicrobial, disinfectant and wound healing properties. A folk remedy for a fungus is affordable and inexpensive, but which home method is better to use and what kind of recipe is suitable in a particular case, you should consult a doctor. The best recipes are below:
- A decoction with herbs of chamomile, plantain and succession. Mix the ingredients, taking each 1 tbsp. l. Pour everything into a saucepan and pour 1 liter of hot water, bring to a boil and leave to simmer for up to 10 minutes. After the decoction, strain, and wash the affected hands, feet and other parts of the body before going to bed. The essence of the procedure is to carry it out regularly, then this method will be effective and help to treat the fungus more quickly.
- Infusion of onion and St. John's wort. Peel the onion and cut into 4 pieces. St. John's wort must be dried. Pour the onion and 50 g of St. John's wort 2. 5 liters of boiling water. Wrap the container with raw materials and leave to infuse for a day. In the evening, apply a compress from the infusion to the affected areas.
Prevention
The best preventive measure in the fight against the fungus that can prevent the disease is to strengthen the protective properties of the body. This method is inexpensive, but the most effective and efficient. Medicamentous and alternative methods of treatment must be agreed with the doctor, any self-medication can provoke dangerous complications, which are then much harder and longer to deal with.