There are many reasons why toenail fungus develops. In most cases, the infection is transmitted through home contact. Especially often the disease strikes in the summer, when everyone wears mostly open shoes. Also, in a warm, humid environment, bacteria multiply much faster and become more active.
Most often, the condition develops in people who like to walk barefoot in public places such as swimming pools, baths and saunas, changing rooms on the 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 foot hygiene.
It is recommended to wash your feet as often as possible with warm soapy water and be sure to dry them, in the summer use powders so that the skin does not sweat so 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 do not allow air to pass through. This creates a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria.
It is advisable, if possible, to buy shoes made from natural materials, wash and air them constantly.
Symptoms of a fungus on the nail
Foot fungus symptoms are fairly easy to spot. After all, they appear almost immediately, when the infection is introduced into the body. But the problem is that people don't always attach importance to early changes, thus delaying 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 fingers can increase. In this case, an unpleasant smell will be observed, which is almost impossible to remove. As the disease progresses, it will intensify even more, causing great discomfort.
- The 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 also crumbles. At the same time, nail files and nail scissors do not help solve this problem.
- As the disease progresses, the skin around the nail plate begins to become inflamed. A feature of the fungus is severe itching and burning. This is especially improved if the foot is constantly in the shoe. In the summer, the itch is not that 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 case the nail starts to get thicker, 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.
Specificity of the treatment
When a toenail fungus appears on the big toe or if the foot is affected, treatment should be prompt and thorough.
Thumb fungus in a child is best treated with safe folk remedies at the very beginning of the development of the disease. Or consult your doctor first.
As for adults, the treatment of the big toe fungus can be carried out both with the help of pharmaceutical preparations and with home remedies. Let us dwell on this in more detail.
Pharmacy preparations
In the event that 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 yourself.
The most popular tablets based on Terbinafine and Ketoconazole. But the fact is that the tablets have a lot of contraindications. Hence, in no case should they be drunk by people with kidney or liver failure and also by those who have heart problems. Care should be taken to take such tablets at the same time as other medications. This is especially true of hormonal drugs.
Sprays, gels and ointments are used for topical treatment of the fungus. It is also recommended to be selected together with the attending physician. They perfectly help to fight nail fungus at the initial stage of the development of the disease. Medicinal varnishes, which should be applied directly to the affected nails, are a great help.
Paints are able to destroy 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, as they have absolutely no side effects and are completely safe.
But if the nail is affected to such an extent that it needs to be removed, then there are special solutions for this. These substances are applied to a pre-steamed affected nail, after which the sore spot is closed with a plaster and bandage. After a few hours, everything is painlessly removed.
Removing an unhealthy nail is a great 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.
Folk recipes
You can simultaneously deal with nail fungus and folk methods. There are a huge number of them. Consider a couple of the most common and effective. Hence, daily warm baths with salt help well. They help soften the skin and disinfect the nail.
Kills mushrooms and fresh garlic juice. You should mix hot vegetable oil with garlic gruel, let it brew for a day.
Lubricate the sore toe and affected foot skin every day before bed for a month for complete care. Note that the visible results after the first two procedures should not stop, as it is necessary to completely get rid of the entire infection.
Fighting toenail fungus is extremely difficult if you start the disease.
Therefore, it is recommended to act immediately after detecting the first symptoms. Simultaneous treatment with folk remedies and pharmacy will certainly give a good result.