One of the most common foot diseases is foot mycosis, or as it is also called, mycosis. According to medical research statistics, several types of this lesion of the skin and nails have been identified.
The main thing is to immediately consult a doctor when a fungus appears in order to have time to protect your body from bacteria and everyone around you.
What does foot fungus look like?
Many have heard that there is such a disease as mycosis and that it occurs in almost 80% of the population, but rarely has anyone encountered this problem personally. There are cases when infected people, simply not paying attention to the symptoms, may not start treatment on time, which leads to disastrous consequences. But in addition to the infected body, the people around it can also suffer.
You can study in more detail the stages of localization of bacteria on a person's foot using a photo, but it should be noted that in addition to visual effects, there are symptoms that will also differ in the degree of infectivity of the body.
The initial stage of the manifestation of foot fungus will not be very noticeable, but a burning sensation, itching and a small red area may already indicate that the fungus has begun its active activity.
The next phase is more serious and affects both the foot and the nail plate. The nail begins to change (becomes yellow, gray, thickened). In addition, small white streaks and spots may appear on the nails, which is usually a good reason to consult a doctor for a diagnosis.
The last stage is severe peeling of the skin, the nail slowly begins to move away from the hole, ulcers and ulcers may appear. All this leads to the complete destruction of the upper layer of the epidermis, internal cracks begin to be exposed.
This is what foot mycosis looks like at each stage of development. And as you can see from the photo, the consequences of fungal infection of the nails and feet can be sad.
Fungus on toes
A fungal infection of the skin between the toes is called athlete's foot, and the fungus itself is called Tinea pedis. This fungus is generated by contact with an already infected person or by using someone else's hygiene products.
Symptoms of the disease
- The skin between the fingers becomes very dry and vulnerable, small scales appear;
- The appearance of small purulent vesicles with liquid on the skin, and if one of them bursts, an unpleasant sensation appears on the skin;
- Nails change, the structure becomes more fragile;
- There may be an unpleasant odor on socks and shoes due to the manifestation of fungi; It's quite biting and specific.
Depending on the degree of development of fungal bacteria, epidermophytosis can occur in four stages:
Bland
At the first signs of peeling on the feet, you should immediately consult a dermatologist. These are the first signs of fungus. Further development of the bacteria occurs on the fingers, between the fingers and on the nails. The following symptoms are redness of the skin, small cracks on the heels and feet, itching and burning at the site of greatest localization of the disease.
Squamous-hyperkeratotic
The squamous-hyperkeratotic phase of the disease is caused by mild swelling of the skin of the feet, which also causes severe peeling of the feet and skin between the toes.
Severe itching and burning spread over the entire foot area, including the nails. The color of the nail plate changes from light yellow to grayish, which leads to the destruction of the upper layer of the plate itself.
The hyperkeratotic phase of the fungus has the following symptoms: a rash all over the skin of the foot, with red to blue blisters, which later flake severely and cause pain when walking.
If you do not consult a doctor, the infection cooperates and turns into a serious source of infection. The whole process is accompanied by an unpleasant odor from the feet.
Intertriginousthe phase is characterized by the appearance of deep cracks on the heels, accompanied by pain, and by the appearance of erosive ulcers. The pain increases significantly, which prevents the person from standing on the leg normally.
Dyshidroticthe phase is characterized by small purulent vesicles that develop with enormous speed, covering the entire area of the foot and toes in a few days. The pustules may open on their own, causing red erosions to appear. After the skin dries slightly, a small amount of fluid may leak from the wounds.
The main thing is that when a fungus appears on the legs, immediately understand the symptoms and promptly consult a dermatologist. Symptoms of the fungus and a visual examination should give an accurate picture of the process occurring on the legs. But you should not start self-medication, as this usually leads to ineffective consequences, which give rise to even stronger localization of the disease.
To prescribe the correct course of treatment, the doctor will need to know the stage of development of the fungus and identify the type of pathogen. But first, the patient must undergo a diagnosis, as a result of which the whole picture of the course of the disease will be clear.
How to treat foot fungus
It should be remembered that, depending on the stage of the disease, treatment will be prescribed, which must be comprehensive.
Before starting treatment with local drugs, it will be necessary to alleviate inflammatory processes and keratinization phenomena.
To help you get rid of unwanted fungal bacteria, you should know the correct procedures:
- For external use use creams, ointments, sprays, solutions, paints;
- Mandatory course of taking antifungal drugs;
- In case of severe burning and itching, you should purchase sedatives to relieve pain symptoms;
- Since the immune system weakens when fighting the fungus, it will be necessary to follow a course of vitamins and minerals, which will help the body fight the infection more forcefully;
- If concomitant infectious diseases occur, the dermatologist will prescribe a course of antibiotic treatment.
To determine specific drugs, the dermatologist must know the complete picture of the course of mycosis; it is necessary to take into account the age of the infected person, the reaction of the fungus to certain drugs and the degree of infection of the foot areas. into account.
Most medical reference books can clearly show all stages of the progression of foot fungus in the form of a photo with a description of the symptoms, so that a person can determine them independently. After a visual examination and comparison with photos of the course of mycosis, the patient should immediately seek medical help from a specialist.
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