About 25% of the world's population currently suffers from mycoses. Often the disease manifests itself on the legs. Nail fungus on the big toe provides a lot of unpleasant moments and deprives a person of a normal, calm life. Also, it can spread to neighboring areas. How to cure a fungus on the big toe? Which drugs are most effective? You can find the answers to these questions in our article.
Reasons for appearing
A fungus on the skin of the big toe can be picked up in public places (baths, saunas, swimming pools, water parks and other institutions where people walk without shoes). It should be noted that fungal spores often get on people's skin, but not everyone gets infected. For an infection to take place, the microorganism must enter the skin cells, establish a foothold there, and begin to multiply. This is facilitated by wounds and microcracks. We may not see them, but to the fungus they are wide open doors.
It is also possible to get infected with it if one of the family members already has mycosis. This is observed when people do not follow the rules of personal hygiene, use a common towel, sleep in the same bed, have common shoes and socks.
The risk of infection with a fungus in public places is reduced if a person has a strong immune system.
Mycosis on the thumbnail can also appear after trying on shoes in stores or in the market, if you do it barefoot.
Other factors that contribute to a fungal infection:
- Poor foot hygiene.
- Excessive sweating (sweat is an excellent breeding ground for fungi).
- flat feet.
- Wear tight shoes.
- Age (over the years, blood circulation in humans is disturbed, immunity weakens).
- Performing a pedicure with non-disinfected instruments.
More often, the fungus first appears on the skin of the thumb as it can more easily develop in the soft layers of the dermis. If the disease is not treated, it goes to the nails. However, in some cases, onychomycosis is the underlying disease, and microorganisms spread to the skin already from the affected nail plate.
sign
Microorganisms that infect the nail plate secrete enzymes that contribute to its destruction. In this way, the fungus prepares space for its own reproduction and the growth of colonies. The symptoms depend on the stage of the disease.
Mycosis of the skin manifests itself in severe itching. This is the very first sign. Then a blister appears, filled with light exudate. The bubble bursts and a deep crack forms in its place. It is extremely painful, it even hurts a person to walk in shoes. In addition, the wound continues to itch. Dry, scaly skin forms around them. The rift can heal, but will soon reappear.
The disease does not initially manifest itself on the nail plate. A nail fungus on the big toe can be suspected from individual whitish spots and stripes. The photo above shows what the affected area looks like.
In the second stage, the nail fades (sometimes turns yellow), significantly thickens and curves. It can often grow into the skin and cause pain when walking and local inflammation.
In the third stage of onychomycosis, the nail becomes loose, it hurts to cut it. In some patients, it may peel off the skin. At this stage, the patient poses a significant threat to others as their nail plate becomes a collection point for fungal spores that spread easily over surfaces.
classification
Onychomycosis has three stages:
- The first is that the texture does not change, tone changes are not visible enough: stripes and spots may appear.
- The second - the plate becomes yellowish, ceases to shine, an unpleasant smell comes from the feet.
- Third - the plate loses its own texture, becomes loose, peels off the nail bed.
You can tell which fungus has affected it by the color of the nail:
- Yellowish spots indicate a dermatophyte lesion, while changes are limited to areas in the center of the plate and along the edges.
- The location of changes on the edges and flaking indicate damage caused by fungi of the yeast family.
- The darkening of the plate indicates the lack of blood flow to the finger and the attachment of mold.
treatment
The success of nail fungus treatment depends entirely on how early it is started. At the initial stage, local remedies can help cure mycosis, and in the subsequent stages and an ingrown nail only surgical therapy can help.
medication
The fungus on the thumbnail is treated with special varnishes, ointments and medicines that are taken orally. In the initial stages, the disease can be cured within 1-2 months, in later stages it can take six months or even a year.
Happy
The effect of therapeutic varnishes is associated with softening of the plate and disinfecting result. The varnish penetrates the nail plate and destroys the fungus.
ointments, creams and sprays
Such drugs are used in dermatomycosis and onychomycosis. They are very effective and side effects are extremely rare. It is recommended to apply these remedies once or twice a day.
oral preparations
Tablets for treating fungus of the big toe are used in later stages. With mycoses, only complex treatment will help. Oral preparations include tablets and capsules.
How to remove a nail
For a fungus on the big toe, removing the nail plate can provide an effective result. To do this, use means that soften the nail: patches, ointments, creams.
hardware pedicure
This is not a cosmetic procedure, but a medical one. Conduct it in medical institutions. Hardware pedicure is performed using a special nozzle with an abrasive coating. With the help of this procedure, you can get rid of the fungus on the big toe. The photo shows the performance of a hardware pedicure.
How is the procedure:
- The affected area is disinfected.
- Soften with special drugs.
- Remove the outer layer with nozzles.
The procedure is carried out very carefully, gradually removing the layers. If the healthy part of the nail is affected, this can provoke further spread of the fungus.
The advantages of this method include:
- Quick removal of the affected nail parts.
- absence of pain.
- Achieving good permeability for medical ointments and varnishes.
But this type of pedicure has disadvantages:
- Allergic reactions can occur.
- There is a risk of infection.
laser
Laser technologies are much more promising than other methods of fungus removal. The beam heats up in a targeted manner and destroys harmful microorganisms without touching healthy tissue.
Removing nail plates with a laser takes a few minutes. If more than one finger is infected, the laser procedure will take longer. To remove a nail with a fungus, depending on the degree of damage, it can take several sessions. Healthy nails only grow back after six months.
surgery
In this procedure, the diseased nail is completely removed. Use this method only in cases where other methods could not help get rid of the disease. Removal of the nail on the big toe can destroy the fungus only if the patient undergoes complex treatment prescribed by the doctor after the operation.
The operation is contraindicated:
- People with poor blood clotting.
- Have infectious and other diseases in the acute stage.
- Intolerant of anesthesia.
- Suffer from diabetes.
- people with immune disorders.
- With dilated veins and permeable capillaries.
How is the operation performed
The procedure itself is painless for the patient as it is performed under anesthesia. The nail and the skin surrounding it are treated with iodine. The doctor inserts a special tool under the nail plate and isolates it from the skin. If a small area of the nail is affected, only that part is removed.
After the procedure, an antibiotic is applied to the wound and bandaged. The healing process takes several weeks. ligation required. Growing a new nail can take several months.
Possible consequences:
- Cutting, pain after the procedure.
- Infection.
- Irregular nail growth.
Restoration
As a rule, the doctor gives individual advice on wound care. However, there are some general tips:
- Bed rest after surgery for at least 1 month.
- An open wound must be treated regularly, new sterile bandages applied and medication (ointments, creams) used.
- After the procedure, the doctor prescribes drugs (anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antifungal).
prevention
To reduce the risk of infection with onychomycosis, the following recommendations should be followed:
- Fungus can be infected in the beauty salon. This happens with insufficient sterilization of manicure-pedicure instruments. You should visit salons that have a good reputation and many positive reviews.
- Accessories for a pedicure performed at home, it is advisable to have your own and not use strangers.
- If your feet sweat profusely, you should sprinkle them with talcum powder or powder and also wipe dry after bathing or showering.
- It is recommended to take vitamins that increase immunity.
- Frequent pedicure operations thin the nail plate, break its structure, which contributes to fungal infection.
- Acetone nail polish remover can also damage the nail plate.
- It is forbidden to wear someone else's shoes.
- Dry towel must be personal.
- Cracks in the feet are a risk condition for the occurrence of mycosis, so they need timely treatment.
home remedies
Those interested in treating a fungus on the big toe should remember that there are methods of traditional medicine that also show good results.
More often use such recipes:
- Lotions based on table vinegar. Take half a glass of water, glycerin and vinegar, mix. A gauze napkin is moistened in the resulting liquid and applied to the nails affected by the fungus for 25 minutes. The procedure should be played 2 times a day.
- coffee bath. Brew coffee (best of course) so that the drink comes out strong, then wait for it to cool down a bit. Legs must be lowered into the mixture for 25 minutes. The operation must be performed daily for 5 days.
- Iodine. It is a cheap drug, but it is considered a powerful antiseptic. They lubricate the affected areas with a cotton swab. It is necessary to carry out the procedure for a week, then take a break for 7 days and start the course again.
- Baths with sea salt. Put a tablespoon of salt in a bowl of warm water and soak your feet in it for 20 minutes.
- Bandage made from horseradish. It is necessary to take fresh horseradish roots and grate them on a fine grater. For a compress, a teaspoon of grated mass is enough. It is necessary to apply a bandage at night.
- Compress and bath with potatoes. You need potato skins. They need to be washed and boiled, mashed. The broth in which the purifications were boiled should be used for the bath. After that, the prepared puree is applied to the affected nails. bandage. When the product has cooled, rub the inner wax into the nails.
Folk remedies work only at the initial stage of the disease. They can be used as a prophylactic and in complex therapy.
reviews
People suffering from athlete's foot write that ointments, varnishes, sprays and other external remedies help with ringworm only in the initial stages. They are not suitable for the treatment of onychomycosis because they cannot kill all the spores of the fungus. Therefore, during treatment, after a visible improvement, it is certain that there will be relapses.
Patients are advised not to store shoes, socks and tights and to discard them during or after therapy.
Also, patients are advised to always go to the people who have contracted the fungus in their socks at home. Otherwise the spores of the fungus will spread throughout the apartment.
According to those trying to get rid of nail fungus, this disease is very difficult to treat. The course of therapy should be long. The most effective means for oral use, but all of them have a lot of side effects and contraindications.
All patients agree that it is better to take preventive measures than to treat the disease.