Forecasters promise hot August and a warm Indian summer - the time of light clothes and of course open sandals. However, such shoes have their own requirements. Yellow damaged nails look sloppy, they need to be hidden in closed noses. Of course, this can spoil the joy of summer weather. Fungus is often the cause of these nails.
The fungus causes onychomycosis - one of the most unpleasant diseases. In addition, contrary to popular belief, it is not that safe at all. If left untreated, the fungus will develop, occupy large areas of human skin, and then can even damage a person's internal organs.
Elderly people are at risk
Doctors say that lovers of saunas and baths are most often infected with nail fungus, in which the surface is not thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The fungus "steams" in such places, separates from an infected person's feet, and can easily attach to another person.
However, you can pick up the mushroom in seemingly safe places - at a party, for example. If the hosts have nail fungus and the guest pulls their slippers on their bare feet, then the likelihood of infection is most likely.
Once in the human body, the fungus develops for a long time, and it is very difficult to notice its presence. The first step is to pay attention to changes in the color of the nail plate, it becomes cloudy or yellow, - says the head of the dermatological department, dermatologist.
Itching occurs between the toes and a pungent odor from the feet. It should be clarified that while the fungus manifests itself most often on the toenails, this does not mean that it is localized only there. The fungus affects the nails on the legs and hands as well as the skin of the feet, hands and the whole body. Peeling usually occurs on the skin - in the form of plates, rings, and it can be flour-like (when the grooves of the skin are sprinkled with flour, so to speak). The appearance of bubbles, which can fester and burst, is possible. Nails can thicken, collapse, separate from the nail bed, change color. In more advanced cases, even a person's internal organs suffer.
Men between the ages of 20 and 50 are considered a risk group for a fungal nail infection because they are more likely to become infected with nail fungus. However, doctors note that almost anyone can become infected with onychomycosis.
90% of nail fungus is caused by dermatophytes and molds. Dermatophytes are transmitted through direct contact (especially between family members) and through household items. Yeast causes disease when the immune system is weakened.
As doctors clarify, people with reduced immunity in particular become infected. People of early retirement or retirement age or who suffer from chronic illnesses are therefore at risk.
A complex approach
To treat nail fungus, like any other disease, you need to see a doctor. In addition, you must first pass an analysis - a scraping to determine what type of disease the patient is suffering from. Since the heart of the fungus (mycelium) is usually located deep under the nail plate and its spores are on the nail surface, at the same time it is necessary to comprehensively treat the fungus.
Lasers, ointments, and creams prescribed by doctors are considered effective treatments. And experts consider a pedicure as an assistant in treatment, not just an ordinary, but a medical pedicure.
The fact is that the fungus greatly changes the nails and makes them thick. This, of course, is ugly, but the main thing is that this shape of the nails complicates treatment, as it becomes much more difficult to get to the mycelium. A medical pedicure is a preparation for the high-quality treatment of nail fungus.
However, experts warn that such a pedicure simply cannot be done in a beauty salon. The removal of calluses, corns, cracks in the skin and the correction of fungal nails for subsequent operations can only be carried out in the clinic. In order to work with damaged feet, it is necessary to use a special device that is usually not installed in beauty salons - this is a medical technique. And the masters who perform this procedure have certificates in medical foot care, and often even in medical training.