Fungus on the skin of the feet is one of the most common infections. The fungus on the legs is distinguished by its vitality and ease of development. If you rely on statistics, then 20% of the world's population suffers from the fungus.
What is a skin fungus?
Fungal diseases are infectious diseases that affect the skin. The most common type of fungus is mycosis. In medicine, this skin disease is divided into several types.
The fungus can adapt to almost any habitat conditions. Fungal spores are able to live for a long time in ordinary clothes or shoes. In most cases, fungal infections are exposed to the feet and nail plates on the legs of a person.
How does mycosis proceed?
The causative agent of mycosis of the feet is the fungus Trichophyton rubrum, T. Mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. Mycosis can be contracted through contact with infected skin or after using any personal hygiene items.
Mycosis is characterized by the destruction of the skin in the form of peeling. This is due to the fact that the fungus penetrates deep under the skin, resulting in damage to the epidermis.
Yellow or white spots may appear on the nails. If the fungus affects the toes, then small bubbles with liquid form between them, which burst, healing is painful. Foot fungus is also accompanied by an unpleasant odor. Symptoms of mycosis can be different, depending on its type. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail.
The main forms of mycosis:
- Interdigital mycosis.
- Squamous-hyperkeratotic form.
- Vesicular form.
- Erased form.
- Nail fungus.
Interdigital mycosis
The most common localization of the interdigital fungus is the intervals between 3, 4, and 5 toes.
The main symptoms of interdigital mycosis:
- The formation of a crack, which is covered with a white flaky thick film.
- A small amount of fluid may be released from the crack.
- The appearance of diaper rash between the toes.
- Mild itching between fingers.
Initially, the fungus between the toes may be dormant without any symptoms. However, changes gradually begin to be observed - the skin becomes dry and rough, acquires a grayish tint, cracks appear in coarsened places.
In addition, there is a so-called "wet" fungus between the fingers. This form is characterized by the formation of bubbles filled with liquid. These bubbles burst, thereby creating the effect of a "wet" fungus. Such a fungus most often forms after wearing tight non-ventilated shoes, as well as during times of severe stress.
Squamous-hyperkeratotic form
Squamous-hyperkeratotic form of mycosis is characterized by severe peeling and keratinization of the skin. This form of mycosis is very common, however, people with atopic dermatitis most often suffer from it.
The main symptoms of the squamous-hyperkeratotic form of mycosis:
- Weak itching.
- The formation of cracks in the skin of the feet.
- Soreness.
- Dryness of the skin.
- Peeling of the skin.
- Erythema with clear boundaries.
- Yellow scales.
- Onychomycosis - damage to the nail plates.
Vesicular form
The vesicular form of the fungus is the rarest of all. Only 8% of all patients with mycosis are exposed to this type of disease. The vesicular form is characterized by the formation of rashes with liquid contents inside. When these vesicles burst, erosions appear, which can become infected.
The main symptoms of vesicular fungus:
- Formation of blisters of red or pink color.
- Inside the formations there is a transparent liquid.
- The size of the blisters can reach a maximum of 1 cm in diameter.
- The rash may be accompanied by mild itching.
- Wet blisters.
This form of mycosis is dangerous, as there is a high probability of harmful bacteria and infections getting under the skin. To determine the vesicular form of mycosis, it is necessary to undergo special studies and take a skin scraping for analysis, since this disease can be easily confused by external symptoms with eczema or pustular psoriasis.
Erased form
The erased form of the fungus is almost always the beginning of the development of foot diseases - mycoses.
With an erased form of the fungus, there are practically no visible symptoms, however, some of them can still be distinguished:
- The skin is slightly peeling between the toes.
- The formation of small cracks between the fingers that affect only the upper layers of the epidermis.
All these symptoms are not accompanied by itching or soreness, therefore, they do not cause any discomfort to a person.
Nail fungus
Toenail fungus is also a very common form of this disease. Such a fungus does not pose a particular threat to human health, but it can deliver a lot of discomfort.
Nail fungus symptoms:
- The appearance of dryness and peeling of the skin of the feet.
- Itching.
- Redness.
- Changing the shape of the nail.
- The color of the nails acquires a grayish-yellow tint.
- Cracking of the nail plate.
- Brittleness of the nail.
- The formation of a crumbling mass under the nail.
- The formation of voids under the nail plate.
- Bad smell.
If the foot fungus has become severe, then the patient's temperature begins to rise. Foot fungus, like any type of mycosis, can provoke the development of psoriasis or eczema.
What does skin fungus look like on feet?
Despite the fact that foot fungus is a very common disease at the present time, not everyone knows exactly how it looks. Many infected people do not even attach much importance when the first signs of a fungal infection appear. As mentioned earlier, there are several types of fungus.
Each type has its own symptoms:
- At the initial stage of infection, redness, slight swelling and cracking appear on the skin.
- At the middle stage of the development of the fungus, peeling of the skin appears. The foot is covered with spots of white, pink or white.
- If the disease has already passed to the highest degree of its development, then the nail plates on the toes begin to collapse and change their usual color. The skin on the feet begins to peel off in large pieces. Deep and painful cracks appear.
A photo
Symptoms of foot fungus
To determine the fungus on the legs, it is necessary to determine the attention to the basic symptoms:
- Redness of the affected areas of the skin.
- Peeling of the skin.
- Formation of blisters with liquid content.
- Nails change their color and shape.
- Fragility and delamination of the nail plate.
Diagnostics
At the first manifestations of the symptoms of the fungus, you should consult a dermatologist. Sometimes, in order to establish an accurate diagnosis, a visual examination is not enough.
Some symptoms may indicate the presence of another skin condition. Therefore, a specialist in such cases should take a scraping and do a microscopy. Only after conducting such studies can we clearly speak about the presence and form of a fungal disease.
Treatment
It is necessary to start treating a fungal disease only after a complete diagnosis by a specialist, who must prescribe various drugs for the treatment of this disease. Treatment of fungus on the legs can consist of several methods.
These methods include:
- systemic therapy.
- local therapy.
- Folk remedies.
It is worth taking a closer look at each of them.
Systemic therapy
Systemic therapy refers to the use of various antifungal drugs. Such drugs penetrate the bloodstream and kill the fungal infection. Such funds are able to penetrate into the nail platinum, which can stay for several weeks, gradually killing the fungus.
Effective remedies for foot fungus
Terbinafine and itraconazole are considered effective antifungal agents. These systemic drugs can cure the patient in two weeks.
It is important to note that systemic therapy is not indicated for the following individuals:
- Pregnant women.
- Nursing mothers.
- Persons suffering from liver diseases.
- Elderly people with comorbidities.
Ointments and creams
Systemic treatment of fungal diseases is recommended to be combined with local therapy. This method of treatment includes various creams and ointments, which can also have an antifungal effect. However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that if creams and ointments are used without the use of systemic drugs, then the treatment may be ineffective.
Local drugs to combat fungal infections are divided into 20 forms. In addition to creams and ointments, various sprays, gels, foams and varnishes are also used to treat foot fungus.
When using local treatment of the fungus, it is worth remembering that after applying any remedy to the skin, the legs do not need to be washed during the day.
Folk remedies
You can also cure the fungus of the skin of the feet with the help of folk remedies. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with them in more detail.
Folk remedies for the treatment of nail fungus:
- At night, a piece of kombucha is applied to the affected nails.
- Attach a cut Kalanchoe leaf to the nails overnight.
Folk remedies for the treatment of fungus between the toes:
- Wash the skin between the fingers and grease with birch tar.
- Make a decoction of plantain, yarrow, wormwood and chamomile. Make foot baths from the prepared broth.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Lubricate the affected areas of the skin with onion juice at night.
- Make a compress for the night from propolis tincture 20%.
Folk remedies for the treatment of foot fungus:
- Twice a day do foot baths with sea salt.
- Three times a day, take foot baths from a decoction of chamomile, oak bark and calendula.
Prevention
The fungus of the skin of the legs most often causes sweating. Even in the cold season, the causative agent of a fungal disease is well preserved. But high temperature can kill the infection, so one of the methods of prevention is boiling. Another method of prevention is the disinfection of shoes with formalin. With this action, the fungus dies after 20 minutes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that a fungal disease of the skin of the legs does not harm human health. The fungus only creates discomfort. However, this infection should not be ignored. If the disease becomes severe, it can lead to soreness and the development of other infections.