Feet are a favorable place for the development of pathogenic bacteria, since they spend a lot of time in shoes and sweat. Therefore, mycotic sores are a common companion of many people. The sensitive skin near the little finger on the soles of the feet is most commonly affected. Nail fungus is no less common. However, the most common variant is interdigital mycosis, which occurs in adults and children. The disease is transmitted through the household route. Conventional saunas, baths, swimming pools and personal care items can become sources of pathogens. Therapy of pathology is quite long, but the initial stage of pathology is successfully treated at home with medicines and folk remedies.
Causes of mycosis
There are several factors that contribute to the development of an unpleasant pathology.
- Excessive sweating of the feet.
- Regularly wearing uncomfortable shoes in which the skin melts.
- Violation of hygiene regulations.
- avitaminosis.
- weakened immunity.
- metabolic disease.
- Various dermatological and internal diseases (diabetes mellitus, varicose veins, etc. ).
Interdigital mycosis often affects young children because their skin is more sensitive than that of an adult.
Important: wounds, ulcers, cuts and microcracks on the legs are a favorable environment for the development of a fungal infection.
symptoms
Symptoms of a fungal infection:
- The initial stage is characterized by redness of the skin between the fingers, which indicates the beginning of inflammation.
- Unbearable itching, peeling, unpleasant odor appear.
- In addition, the nails are involved in the pathological process, they turn yellow, peel off.
- The patient experiences a burning sensation.
- The epidermis between the fingers becomes wet and looks like a continuous, non-healing wound.
- The weeping surface dries up, cracks form in this place.
If you do not start treatment at this stage, the disease will go into a neglected form, which can cause complications in the form of bacterial infection.
Medical treatment
It is almost impossible to quickly get rid of a fungal disease. Treatment lasts from 1 to 3 months, the time depends on the severity of the pathology. It is necessary to address the problem internally and externally.
Pharmaceutical preparations:
- Inside, systemic antifungal drugs are usually prescribed. The funds are available in the form of tablets and capsules. They are also effective in advanced stages of the disease. It is important to know that such drugs have a toxic effect on the liver, so they are contraindicated in young children, pregnant and lactating women, and with caution are prescribed to the elderly and patients with liver failure.
- External means are available in the form of ointments, solutions, sprays, creams. Inexpensive, but effective means - ointments with sulfur and zinc. Particular attention is paid to ointments from the group of allylamines, since they can be used to treat children from 2 years old, pregnant women. The advantage of these drugs is the absence of toxic effects on liver cells. The duration of the therapeutic course is usually 10 days, after which there is a 10-day break, then therapy is resumed.
It is strictly forbidden to independently select drugs. If the disease has affected all family members, then it is necessary to contact a specialist who will prescribe a suitable drug for everyone.
alternative therapy
Most doctors advocate the use of folk recipes as part of the complex therapy of the fungus between the toes:
- Fungal bacteria do not tolerate saline solutions, so daily baths with the addition of sea or table salt will not only help to cope with the disease, but also soften the epidermis of the feet. Procedures should be carried out in the evening. Add 50-60 g of salt for 3 liters of water.
- A good result is wiping the affected areas with wine vinegar. This should only be done with a cotton swab. Do not rub the product with your fingers.
- Iodine has excellent antiseptic properties. You can use it to lubricate the affected areas twice a day. To prepare medicinal baths, a few drops of iodine are dissolved in a small amount of water, feet are lowered for 15 minutes. The duration of treatment is 14 days. A reaction may occur in patients prone to allergic manifestations, therefore, before the procedures, an individual sensitivity test should be carried out.
- A solution of manganese is used to treat the areas affected by the fungus. The color of the resulting liquid should be pale pink. A cotton swab is moistened in it and the lesions are lubricated. The procedure is performed daily before bedtime.
- Soda solution effectively fights fungal infections. It is used for daily washing of feet instead of regular soap. A popular method is the use of therapeutic soda baths. For 2 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of soda are taken. Feet are immersed in a warm solution and held for 10-15 minutes. The minimum duration of treatment is 2 weeks.
- Onion juice has long been considered the best tool in the fight against fungus. To use it, it is necessary to squeeze the juice of a large onion, moisten a cotton swab in it and apply it to the affected area for several minutes. In order to avoid irritation, the composition for the therapeutic effect must be washed off the skin after a period of time.
- The combination of tea and vinegar perfectly copes with the disease. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to brew a tablespoon of black tea in a glass of boiling water, cool, strain and add 10 ml of 9% vinegar. It is recommended to use the tool daily before bedtime to lubricate diseased areas of the epidermis.
- The antiseptic properties of boric acid are successfully used in the fight against fungal diseases. The product in the form of a powder can be used as a powder at night, and the solution can be added to the baths. For 2 liters of water you need 20 ml of solution. Do not keep your feet in the water for more than 15 minutes. Such a remedy has its own contraindications and is not used to treat children, pregnant women and patients with renal insufficiency.
- Glycerin in combination with vinegar has a good therapeutic effect. The ingredients are mixed in equal parts in a glass container. Apply a cotton swab dipped in the solution to the affected areas daily.
- On the basis of vinegar and glycerin, you can prepare a homemade ointment. To do this, you need to take a tablespoon of olive oil, dimethyl phthalate, vinegar and glycerin. All components should be thoroughly mixed and rubbed into the affected areas of the epidermis overnight. Wash off with soap in the morning.
- The recipe for an ointment based on pork fat is popular. To get it, you need to mix 50 g of fat, 15 g of birch tar and 10 g of powdered sulfur, melt the mixture in a water bath and rub it into the foci of inflammation every day.
- The healing properties of propolis will help get rid of the problem forever. The recipe consists of 100 ml medical alcohol combined with 50 g propolis. The composition is carefully changed and applied to the affected areas in a thick layer. To get the best result, it is necessary to wrap the feet with a film and put on socks made of natural fabric. At the beginning of therapy, the condition of the skin worsens, but after the completion of the entire course, the therapeutic effect will be noticeable. The tool should not be used by people suffering from allergies to bee products.
- Honey-based healing ointment. To prepare it, you need to take 30 g of honey, 10 g of apple cider vinegar and 20 ml of eucalyptus essential oil. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and leave for 3 days. Apply the ointment daily for 2 weeks to treat the affected epidermis.
- Compresses of sea salt and crushed mint leaves in a 1: 2 ratio are good for the disease. The compress is applied at night.
- One of the simple recipes is to rub garlic juice on your feet daily until full recovery.
- Porridge from fresh burdock leaves must be applied to sore spots at night, fixed with a bandage or put on socks.
- Applications from the infusion of celandine and meadowsweet in a ratio of 2: 1 are effective. The duration of treatment with this remedy is 14 days. The recipe should be used with caution, since celandine is a poisonous plant and can cause an allergic reaction.
- Traditional healers recommend fighting the fungus with potato baths. To do this, the peel of the vegetable is boiled in plenty of water, the raw materials are removed, and the resulting broth is used to steam the legs. The duration of the procedure is at least 30 minutes. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the pathology and is usually 2 weeks.
Many folk recipes allow everyone to choose the right one for themselves. The use of home remedies is only permitted after consultation with your doctor. It is imperative to conduct a test for individual sensitivity to the chosen folk remedy.