How to cure foot fungus

Mycosis or fungal infection of the foot is a pathology that occurs in 40% of people. There can be many reasons for the development of infection: from violations of hygiene rules to the development of serious diseases of internal organs and systems. Toenail fungus can be cured using medications and folk methods, but only with prior diagnosis and consultation with a dermatologist.

How to identify foot fungus

With the development of mycosis of the foot, damage to the dermal tissue occurs. The first signs of the disease do not have a pronounced intensity, so they are often perceived as normal roughening and irritation of the skin of the legs.

Despite the prevalence of the pathology, not many people know how to recognize foot fungus. Mycosis of the feet appears 3-5 days after infection. The longer the fungus progresses, the more pronounced its symptoms will be.

Symptoms of fungal infection of the skin of the feet:

• at the earliest stage, the patient notices severe peeling of the skin, which, even after standard foot treatment and the use of creams, is not completely eliminated;
• itching gradually begins to bother you, which intensifies every day and causes severe discomfort;

• Along with itching, a sour odor occurs, which occurs when a fungus develops on the skin; it is accompanied by a strong odor of sweat (due to dysfunction of the subcutaneous glands, sweating increases);
• There is also a change in the shade of the skin of the foot, the epithelium acquires an unnatural color at the site of the lesion: bluish, greenish or even gray-black (in advanced cases).

With mycosis of the feet, onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nail plates) often occurs, so the patient’s nails may begin to break, deteriorate and change color. In rare cases, general health worsens (temperature rises, constant weakness and apathy bother you).

Important!It is impossible to independently determine the stage and type of fungus, so if you have a dermatological disease, you must visit an experienced specialist.

Why is foot fungus dangerous?

Many people suffering from foot fungus do not take it seriously, believing that the disease will go away on its own, or until it causes unbearable pain, they do not seek to get rid of the infection.

Note!The peculiarity of mycosis of the feet is that the fungal infection is contagious, and since a person often walks without shoes, the patient exposes a large number of people to the risk of infection.

Mycosis of the foot does not cause life-threatening complications, however, if the disease is not treated, complications may arise:

• transition of the disease to a chronic form;
• weakened immunity;
• increased risk of developing other skin pathologies.

Dermatological complications include:

1. allergy;
2. focal or regional spread of rash;
3. generalized skin lesions;
4. formation of papules, erythema, eczema.

Complications occur in patients who neglect treatment of foot fungus. If therapy is started on time, the disease is eliminated without consequences.

What causes foot fungus?

Mycosis of the feet occurs due to infection. Fungal spores have the ability to maintain vital activity even in the absence of contact with the skin.

Before answering what causes foot fungus, it should be noted that experts identify several groups of people susceptible to fungal infections.

• with weakened immunity;
• with vascular diseases;
• violating hygiene rules.

With foot fungus, the most common causes of infection are:

1. diseases associated with immunodeficiency;
2. rarely changing socks, wearing low-quality shoes;
3. visiting public bathing places (without observing personal hygiene);
4. nail fungus;
5. increased sweating of the feet.

One of the factors in the development of foot fungus is the psychosomatics of the disease. Experts confirm that a violation of the psycho-emotional state greatly affects the immune system, weakening it. A weak immune system is not able to resist the fungus, so the risk of developing mycosis increases.

Is foot fungus contagious?

Experts in the dermatological field of medicine have proven that mycosis of the feet is a disease that occurs after contact of the skin of the feet with fungal spores.

The peculiarity of this type of infection is the long-term survival of spores that fall on any surface. Moreover, even on the skin of the foot, fungal spores can remain dormant for many years, and when favorable conditions arise, they can be activated.

It is the ability to maintain infection activity in a spore state for many years that poses the greatest danger. It is impossible to completely prevent infection. The fungus grows in a humid environment, so maintaining hygiene standards is the most effective way to prevent infection.

Important!Considering how foot fungus is transmitted, you should also think about the risks of infection of people in contact with the patient, especially those who live with him.

How is foot fungus transmitted?

Fungal infection is transmitted through household contact. The main method of infection is when spores get on the healthy skin of the feet.

How is foot fungus transmitted? There are two types of foot fungus infection.

1. Direct: contact of the foot with an infected surface, contact with the feet of a patient, contact with an animal whose fur contains spores.
2. Indirect: contact with personal belongings of a patient with mycosis (socks, shoes, towel, etc. ), contact with care items for an infected animal.

In 60% of cases, infection occurs when visiting public places (saunas, baths, beaches, etc. ). There is also a danger when performing a pedicure procedure if the items used in the salon are not handled properly.

Types of foot fungus

Depending on how foot fungus is transmitted (to which area the spores attach), different forms of infection can develop.

Dermatologists identify the main forms of foot fungus, which differ in the location of the affected area.

1. Interdigital. Mycosis affects the skin between the toes. With this form, two stages are distinguished: intertriginous and squamous. Most often, the infection becomes chronic, since the area between the fingers has the most favorable conditions for the proliferation of fungal spores.
2. Plantar. The epithelial layers on the sole of the foot are affected by mycosis. A characteristic sign is severe keratinization, cracking and peeling of tissue.
3. Dyshidrotic. The most painful form of fungus on the feet, accompanied by the formation of vesicles and bubbles on the sole of the foot, which, when bursting, lead to secondary infection.
4. Deep mycosis. With deep mycosis, a large area of the foot is affected with the infection penetrating deep into the skin.
5. Onychomycosis. This form may be the cause or consequence of a fungal disease of the skin on the legs. With onychomycosis, the nail plates on the feet become infected.

The most common form of pathology is interdigital. However, deep and dyshidrotic mycosis, which are difficult to completely cure, are considered dangerous.

Interdigital form

With interdigital fungus, symptoms appear after 2–3 days. Subsequently, the signs of infection become more and more pronounced. It is almost impossible to identify foot fungus at the initial stage on your own. Signs of the disease are similar to insufficient hydration of the feet.

Note!In case of infectious lesions of the feet, interdigital fungus on the feet of children is diagnosed in 70% of cases. Children move a lot, often spend time outside and are often without shoes or socks.

Considering that the signs of the disease in the first days are uncharacteristic, how do you know if there is a fungus? In folk medicine, there is a special method that helps to identify infection at the initial stage: lower your feet into a manganese solution and wait 20 minutes.

If after the procedure the color of the entire skin has changed, but the areas between the fingers remain the same shade, most likely there are pathogenic microorganisms on the dermis.

Stages and their manifestations

Interdigital mycosis progresses in three stages. Each has features of manifestation. The more advanced the infection, the more obvious the signs become. Gradually, the disease brings not only discomfort, but also painful torment.

initial stage

At the initial stage, the patient begins to be bothered by peeling skin on the legs in the space between the toes. The plantar area of tissue from the little finger to the third finger is more affected.

How does the squamous-hyperkeratotic stage manifest?

At the squamous-hyperkeratotic stage, the processes of keratinization and peeling of the affected epithelial particles begin on the surface of the foot. The skin around the localization sites becomes red, the burning sensation and the feeling of constant itching intensify.

At the intertriginous stage, swelling between the fingers is noticeable, erosion occurs in the keratinized areas, and suppuration may begin. The symptoms of the previous stage intensify.

Dyshidrotic stage

At the dyshidrotic stage, blisters form, the area of the lesion increases, spreading further along the foot. The fungal infection also affects the nails.

Interdigital fungus on the feet should not be allowed to develop; treatment should be started at the first suspicion. In this way, serious complications leading to the risk of developing purulent infections can be avoided.

How to treat foot fungus

A dermatologist will answer how to remove foot fungus. Treatment of the disease can have many nuances, since there are many types of fungal infection. The specialist prescribes diagnostics and individually determines what the toenail fungus found in the patient is afraid of.

For fungal infections of the feet, two methods are used:

• medicinal;
• folk

Drug therapy is the main one. Treatment at home with folk remedies is an additional effect on the pathological process, eliminating symptoms.

Therapy for mycosis can last several months. It will not be possible to eliminate the disease in a couple of weeks.

Medication method

When choosing antifungal drugs, you should think not only about how to quickly cure foot fungus. Some drugs can only eliminate the signs of the disease without destroying the spores located deep under the layers of the epithelium. Incompletely treated mycosis can quickly provoke a relapse.

Ointments

You can treat nail fungus at home by using topical products. Ointments are effective at the initial stage of the disease; in advanced forms they are used in combination with tablets.

Dermatologists recommend ointments containing disinfectant, anti-infective and regenerating substances for foot fungus.

Symptoms and treatment of fungal infection are interconnected, since the use of antifungal ointments is aimed at eliminating signs of pathology and jointly providing an antifungal effect.

Important!The effectiveness of the topical agent is noted at the first stage of treatment, however, with significant lesions of the feet, the use of ointments alone may not be enough.

Pills

Systemic antifungal drugs have a general effect. The dosage of the active substance in tablets is usually much higher than in ointments. The advantage of the tablet form of the drug is that the medicine has a stronger effect and not only eliminates the infection, but also prevents relapses.

If you treat foot fungus at home, you can take pills, but medications have contraindications, so taking them is permissible only in consultation with your doctor.

Important!Tablets are contraindicated in childhood, breastfeeding, and during pregnancy.

Antifungal medications rarely cause side effects, have minimal contraindications and allow you to overcome mycosis in the shortest possible time.

Also, to treat fungus, ointments, solutions or sprays are used in conjunction with taking tablets.

Traditional method of treatment

There are many methods for removing foot fungus using folk remedies. Keeping in mind how foot fungus is transmitted, we can conclude that home therapy methods should be aimed at eliminating the infection from the surface of the foot. Folk remedies also have an antisymptomatic effect.

Note!Treatment with folk remedies is not used as a replacement for medications. Alternative medicine is recommended only as complementary therapy.

According to reviews, methods for removing foot fungus will help you get the most effectiveness.

Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide

Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide - pharmacy hydrogen peroxide is mixed with alcohol and table vinegar. Everything is in equal proportion. A cotton swab is moistened in the resulting solution and the skin at the site of the foot lesion is generously treated with it. The course of treatment lasts up to 1 month. The procedure should be performed daily in the morning and evening hours.

Celandine juice

Celandine juice - after the preparatory procedures for cleansing the skin of the feet, make a solution for the bath. After this, they begin to use celandine juice. When freshly picked, the plant exudes juice from its stem, which eliminates skin infections. Celandine juice is used to treat all affected areas of the foot for a month. The product should be applied 2 times a day.

Soda baths

Foot baths with soda have a preventive and therapeutic effect. Place your feet in a container with two liters of water in which two tablespoons of baking soda are dissolved for a quarter of an hour. Afterwards, the feet are not washed, but simply dried with a towel. Baths are done for at least two weeks.

How to treat foot fungus using folk remedies or medications, of course, is decided by the patient himself, but it is better to prefer joint therapy, which will allow you to achieve quick and lasting results in the fight against mycosis.

Knowing how foot fungus is transmitted, the patient should understand that treatment of the disease consists, first of all, in prevention. If prevention is not followed, foot fungus can develop again. To prevent relapse, it is necessary to maintain hygiene, strengthen the immune system and adhere to the dermatologist’s recommendations regarding the treatment.