Nail fungus cannot be confused with anything in its advanced stage, when it is almost impossible to cure it. But if you know the early symptoms of nail fungus, it won't be too late to start fighting the infection and nail loss could be avoided. But in different cases, the fungus looks different, so first you need to understand a little about the nature and course of the disease.
General signs of the disease
Regardless of the type of fungus, variety, disease course and even stage, these symptoms will remain the same and will certainly indicate a developing or already ongoing nail fungus.
- A change in the color of the nail plate is a key sign from which the disease begins to develop. Shades can range from whitish to black, but the most common color of a fungal nail is brownish yellow.
- An unpleasant odor always accompanies nail fungus, although it may not be very noticeable in the initial stages. True, you will hardly smell your feet, and a specific smell will become noticeable already at the stage of development of the disease.
- Layering, crumbling, and peeling of the nail plate does not begin immediately, but it is these signs of nail fungus that set the alarm off for most people. If these symptoms are moderately expressed and appear locally, there is still a chance to return a healthy appearance to the nail.
- Painful sensations rarely appear in the initial stage and in the development stage, but as the disease progresses it is not possible to avoid discomfort and pain: in any case, it will appear either by deformation, or by a destroyed nail plate, or by the onset of inflammation with pus.
- The burning and itching of the skin should also not be ignored. Also, in the initial stage, it is these symptoms that can help recognize the disease, because in some cases it passes to the nail plate from the skin on the lateral or posterior ridges or cuticles.
On purpose
Onychomycosis is much more common on toenails, while the fungus gets on the hands much less often, most often after contact with the affected nails.
Foot fungus symptoms
It seems that you already know how to identify nail fungus, but this information is quite general, although it will help to accurately diagnose nail fungus. The fact is that there are more than 50 species of fungi that can cause it, and about 10 of the course of the disease. It is better to know in advance what awaits you in each of the possible scenarios.
More than 90% of all cases of onychomycosis infections on the legs are due to dermatomycetes, just under 10% - to yeast-like fungi and only a small part - to mold fungi.
Different types of nail fungus provide different symptoms.
- With a normotrophic fungus, the nail plate itself is not deformed, and the most obvious manifestation of the disease is a change in the color of the plate on the sides to yellowish-brown. At the same time, its thickness does not change, it does not crumble, and the natural shine does not disappear. If you do not go into the treatment of normotrophic fungus, it will affect an increasing area, the plate will begin to flake and may come off completely.
- Hypertrophic fungus causes thickening of the nail plate, leading to the formation of growths that look like claws. In the advanced stage, such a fungus causes discomfort and often pain when walking, and, of course, damage to the nails is accompanied by a change in color to grayish or yellow. Such nails lose their natural luster and begin to crumble and exfoliate.
- If you are faced with an atrophic fungus, the risk of losing the dish without proper treatment is extremely high. Such a fungus gradually destroys the nail plate, making it loose and exfoliating, as a result of which its atrophy occurs. In the initial stages, it is difficult to distinguish an atrophic course, as it is accompanied only by a loss of luster and a change in the color of the plate to yellow, brown or gray.
Less typical are distal side molds with blackening of the nail plate, pain, suppuration and atrophy of the nail plate in an advanced stage; a proximal fungus with white spots in the area of the growth zone and damage to the nail plate from the side of the cuticle, as well as a white superficial fungus, which manifests itself in the form of small white spots on the nail, gradually growing and occupying an increasing area.
On purpose
The older the person, the more susceptible he is to fungal nail diseases. Furthermore, the presence of the fungus can be influenced by climate, hygiene and sex.
Symptoms of a fungus on the hands
On the hands, the 3 main variants of the course of the disease do not differ from those found on the legs, only the distribution of the causes of onset is slightly different: about 30% and 45% are due to dermatomycetes and yeast fungi, respectively, little less than 15% are mold and even a small number of infections are caused by other fungal organisms.
The main symptoms are also the same for the plaques on the arms and legs, and the affected areas look similar. The only difficult point may be the question of how to recognize nail fungus in less frequent cases, such as rubromycosis or ringworm infection, but this is more of a task for qualified doctors.
Progression of the fungus
If at the initial stage the disease does not seem frightening, and thoughts about serious treatment are rarely visited, increasingly being replaced by folk methods, then at an advanced stage it will not be possible to do without long-term medical care. It also will not be able to guarantee that the nail will stay with you.
- It would be ideal to start treating the disease at an early stage, but it is almost impossible to determine it outside the laboratory: all symptoms have a barely noticeable manifestation. Although you can still see a couple of signs. If you notice something wrong with the skin, for example, cracks, blisters or burning may appear, this is a clear harbinger of onychomycosis on the nails. If you see that the color of the nail plate has started to change along the edges or from an edge, this is also a cause for concern.
- Usually, the fungus becomes noticeable at the stage of development, and in order to notice it as soon as possible, it is necessary to regularly perform at least one simple pedicure and monitor the condition of the nails and skin of the feet. During this period, the nail plate looks unhealthy, loses its luster, a significant color change begins, and closer to the onset of the advanced stage, the nail begins to deform, peel off and crumble.
- At an advanced stage, the nail will certainly actively collapse - delaminate, break, loosen up to the total destruction of the nail plate, and even damage the nail bed. In order for the disease to reach its advanced form, it must be ignored for quite a long time, enduring itching, discomfort, a disgusting appearance and an unpleasant smell, which people still do not often do. Therefore, this stage is typical of the rapid development of the fungus in old age or in the presence of certain diseases.
It is important to remember that untreated toenail fungus can turn into foot fungus and this disease is even more unpleasant and difficult to treat.
It is not so difficult to determine the presence of a fungus on the nails at least in the development stage, but it is better to entrust the determination of the cause and type of course to qualified professionals. Do not neglect the help of doctors and contact them at the first suspicion of a disease.