Onychomycosis is an insidious disease, as many people do not recognize the first symptoms and turn to specialists when the disease is actively progressing. At this stage, it is impossible not to notice the signs, the nails begin to collapse, flake off, the inflammation spreads to the skin, the areas located nearby become inflamed. To act promptly, you need to know what toenail fungus looks like.
Nearly two thirds of the world's population faces the manifestations of a fungal infection. Onychomycosis or nail damage is not just an aesthetic problem; in the later stages, the disease begins to cause physical discomfort.
It is difficult to treat onychomycosis, this disease responds better to treatment if you start taking measures in the early stages. And for this you need to know how the nails affected by the fungus are.
Description of the disease
A fungal disease affecting the nails is called onychomycosis. The fungus penetrates deep into the plaque and destroys the keratin, the base of the nail plate. Fungal spores enter the intercellular space and begin to multiply rapidly.
If the infection is not treated, the disease affects the nails and, in the absence of adequate therapy, spreads to nearby skin areas.
Infection
Fungal spores are present in the environment. They are very resistant to external influences, spores do not die even at sub-zero temperatures. However, active reproduction of mushrooms is possible only in a warm and humid environment, so people are at greater risk when visiting public baths, swimming pools, gyms.
If among the visitors there is a person infected with onychomycosis, then on the things with which he was in contact, fungal spores remain, which remain active for a long time. And these spores affect the skin and nails of healthy people. To "contract" an infection, it is sufficient to walk barefoot on the floor, on which there are fungal spores.
Advice! Wooden surfaces are particularly dangerous: floors, grates in bathrooms with showers, benches. The fact is that the tree has a porous structure, and even thorough disinfection is not able to destroy the spores of pathogenic microorganisms.
But, of course, not all "encounters" with mushrooms end with a disease. In most cases, the body's immune system successfully fights the infection. But if the body is weakened or the person does not observe basic hygiene measures, the likelihood of developing onychomycosis increases.
Factors contributing to the development of the disease
In order for the mushroom to begin its licensing business, certain conditions must be met. Most often, the elderly are susceptible to the disease, have a weakened immune system, so onychomycosis in older people is observed more often than in young people. Risk factors:
- non-compliance with hygiene rules, wearing too tight shoes, clothes and shoes made of synthetic materials;
- the presence of any damage to the skin, even a small scratch, is the "gateway" to infection;
- pathology of the endocrine system;
- chronic diseases that weaken the immune system;
- long-term use of drugs, in particular hormones, cytostatics and antibiotics.
Advice! You can get nail fungus in a beauty salon by doing a manicure or pedicure. If the master does not pay due attention to the sterilization of tools, the files of a cutter can become a source of infection.
Causative agents of the disease
To date, about fifty varieties of fungi that can cause onychomycosis have been identified. For this reason, you shouldn't self-medicate. Effective medications for one type of nail fungus may be useless if the disease is triggered by pathogens of another type.
The complexity of the treatment lies in the fact that the infection is not localized on the surface of the nail, but under the nail plate. Therefore, the use of external drugs does not always give the expected effect. If left untreated, the disease will continue to progress. Moreover, the more the disease has begun, the more difficult it will be to cure it.
Onychomycosis often appears on the legs. The infection can affect the nail of the first toe, but over time it can spread to other nails. Fungus on the hands is much less common, but this disease shouldn't be considered rare.
Clinic
Symptoms depend on the shape and stage of the lesion, so it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of what the fungus looks like on the nails.
The most common case
The initial stage is called normotrophic. At this stage, the manifestations are weak, so many patients do not pay attention to them. Most often, you can see the following signs:
- loss of transparency;
- the appearance of yellowish spots, most often on the outer edge;
- sometimes there is a feeling that a "void" has formed between the nail and the nail bed.
This injury is called distal-lateral and is the most common. If no treatment has been done, the process begins to progress. Subungual keratosis appears. This phenomenon is characterized by increased growth of horny cells, as a result of which the nail becomes thicker.
Advice! Hyperkeratosis is a normal reaction of the nail to an infection. Also, the deeper the infection in the nail plate, the thicker the nail becomes.
At a later stage, complete damage to the nail plate is noted, signs of dystrophy appear. Gradually, the matrix is also involved in the process - the place from which the nail grows. At this stage, even the removal of the nail does not give any results, as the patient's nail plate is already starting to grow.
Surface shape
At the initial stage, whitish spots appear on the nails in this form. Over time, they grow, capturing the entire surface of the nail. The plate becomes loose, rough. If you scratch your nail with a hard object, the scales start to separate.
Advice! This form of fungal disease occurs only on the toes, more often on the big one, less often on the little finger.
proximal subungual
In this form, the affected nails look like this:
- the tissues surrounding the nail become red and inflamed;
- the roller swells, becomes painful;
- the cuticle begins to separate from the nail;
- dystrophic changes appear in the nail, first grooves appear on the plaque, then fragility appears, and at an advanced stage the plaque disappears.
Variety of mushrooms
Manifestations of the disease also depend on the type of pathogen. Of course, it is possible to accurately determine the type of pathogen only after testing. The external signs are also different, but still the symptoms are not diagnosed:
- dermatophytes. Fungi of the genus dermatophytes feed on keratin, that is, they "attack" the hair, nails and upper horny layer. About 40 varieties of fungi of this type are known, but onychomycosis causes only a dozen varieties of pathogens. The source of the infection is a sick person, you can get infected through direct contact or when using common objects. Stripes and spots first appear on the affected nails, then the edge of the nail gradually turns yellow and gradually lags behind the nail bed. The larger the area of the spot, the greater the degree of infestation.
- Yeast mushrooms. These are diseases caused by fungi of the genus Candida. The causative agent of this type is opportunistic. That is, in a certain amount, fungi are present on the surface of the skin and nails, but with a decrease in immunity, the fungi begin to multiply, causing inflammation. When the nails are damaged, the plaque gradually becomes thinner, turns yellow and then turns brown and lags behind the nail bed. With this type of infection, the nail folds are severely affected, turn red, swell and become painful.
Advice! Usually, the fungal infection develops gradually. Often the disease lasts for years without entering an advanced stage. But when the nail plate is affected by yeast fungi, the disease progresses very quickly.
- Molds. The infection caused by mold is localized on the top of the plate, without penetrating deep into the plate. Therefore, this type of onychomycosis is easier to treat than others. The first signs of damage are a change in the color of the nail plate. In addition, the nail acquires an unnatural color, it can turn green or black. In the initial stages, dark spots appear on the nails, which gradually develop into spots, and over time, the entire plaque changes color.
If onychomycosis is not treated, the pathogens transfer to the skin of the feet, causing skin mycoses. In this case, symptoms such as itching, cracks in the skin appear. It becomes painful for the patient to put on shoes and walk.
What should I do?
What should you do if you notice signs of a fungal infection? Self-medication is not worth it. A dermatologist should be seen. The specialist will prescribe tests and make an accurate diagnosis. Parents of children need to be especially careful. Of course, in children, nail fungus is not observed too often, but, nevertheless, such a disease occurs at any age.
Remember that the earlier treatment is started, the easier it will be to cope with the disease. If you begin to treat the fungal infection in the early stages, it will be possible to do this with the use of local remedies: ointments, solutions. But you will need to be treated persistently, for several weeks.
In advanced stages, it is necessary to apply not only ointments, but also drugs of systemic action, that is, compresses. Such drugs are taken orally, from the digestive tract, the active ingredients are absorbed into the bloodstream and are transported throughout the body with the bloodstream. Thus, the infection will be destroyed from the inside.
At any stage of the disease, it will be very useful to work on strengthening the immune system. Immunomodulators, if necessary, will be prescribed by a specialist. And the patient alone will have to establish a rest regime, sleep more and walk every day. You also need to monitor your diet. The "favorite food" of mushrooms is sugar. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the amount of sweets in the diet as much as possible.
So, it will be useful for every person to know what nail fungus looks like on the hands and feet. Such knowledge will help to timely detect the signs of the disease and start treatment in the early stages. This will allow you to quickly cope with the disease and do without the use of systemic drugs that adversely affect the liver.