In addition to onychomycosis, there are many causes and diseases that can change the normal appearance of the nails.
Thick, cloudy white nails can be the result of psoriasis or unsuccessful use of harsh cosmetics. Separation and delamination of the nail plate occurs both with injuries and with trophic disorders of the lower extremities with varicose veins or endocrine diseases. Onychomycosis often begins not with changes in the nail plate, but with redness, itching, and peeling of the skin surrounding the nail. If a person does not pay attention to these symptoms, the fungus begins to grow, penetrating deeper tissues. under the nail bed. Fungal damage to the nail plate usually begins at the free edge, which hardens, becomes grayish-yellow, easily breaks and breaks. However, even in this case, it is possible to accurately determine the presence of a fungus with the help of only one laboratory study - microscopy.
The fungus appears only in the elderly and chronic patients.
Nail fungus is actually more common in patients with chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, etc. ), but all these diseases reduce the activity of general and local immunity, adversely affecting the skin's resistance to any infection. . Old age cannot be the cause of fungal diseases in itself, but as a person gets older, more and more health problems accumulate that contribute to the development of fungal infections. At the same time, completely healthy young people are not protected from onychomycosis. Sports fans can suffer from nail fungus. calluses, microtraumas of the skin of the feet and sweating create ideal conditions for the development of the fungus. Fungus can occur in those who have to spend most of the day on their feet, in closed shoes that do not allow excess moisture to evaporate. Smoking, frequent stress and excessive love of sweets increase the risk of developing a fungal infection.
Mushrooms usually shrink in a pool, sauna or beach.
In a sauna, pool, or beach, the risk of encountering a fungus is really high, as is the case everywhere with high temperatures and humidity, where spores of onychomycosis pathogens persist for a long time. However, this is far from the only chance to become infected with onychomycosis. The causative agent of a fungal infection can come into contact with the skin of a person who comes to the gym, beauty salon, shoe store, public transport, or simply wears someone else's shoes. However, contact with the fungus or its spores does not always lead to the development of infection, much depends on the condition of the skin and the body as a whole. And only if the fungus enters the optimal environment for growth and finds a weak spot in the immune defense of the human body, it can damage the skin and nails. Risk factors for the development of onychomycosis include dry calluses and cracks in the skin of the feet, increased sweating in the feet, tight and "non-breathable" shoes, as well as synthetic socks.
Fungal spores are everywhere, there is no effective defense against them.
Fungal spores can actually be found almost anywhere, even at home, so contact with it cannot be completely ruled out. And yet, even a person at high risk of developing mycosis has the ability to prevent the development of this infection. First of all, you need to carefully follow the rules of personal hygiene: only from your own shoes, towels, etc. It is equally important to carefully monitor the condition of the skin of the feet and nails - remove dry calluses in a timely manner, cut cracks, abrasions and nails properly. It is no longer possible to prevent excessive sweating of the feet, including the use of antiperspirant products for the feet. If the risk of onychomycosis is very high, you can prophylactically (once a week) cover your nails with a special antifungal varnish. After consulting your doctor, you can start taking drugs that increase immunity - interferon inducers, drugs based on plant adaptogens, multivitamin complexes.
The fungus is eternal. You can't get rid of it completely.
Onychomycosis is a common infectious disease that ends with the removal of the pathogen from the body. This can only be prevented by incorrect treatment or mistakes made by the patient himself. The characteristic feature of onychomycosis is the location of the fungus under the nail plate (in the nail bed). Not every LP can penetrate so deeply. Therefore, today it is recommended to use either specific forms of external agents or systemic antifungal therapy for the treatment of onychomycosis. In addition, treatment should be continued even if all signs of a fungal infection have disappeared. The drug can be stopped only after 3 repeated examinations (microscopy), which show that the fungus is no longer in the tissues. In addition, the use of antifungal agents should be combined with proper nail and foot care. this reduces the risk of new relapses.
It is useless to treat the fungus with foreign substances.
Modern forms of external preparations allow you to create a high amount of antifungal agent in the affected area. At the same time, foreign substances do not enter the systemic circulation, have a wider range of effects and the risk of developing resistance. Unfortunately, not all foreign drugs can penetrate the thickness of the nail, especially the tissue of the nail bed, where most of the pathogens are located. Therefore, it is recommended to combine local therapy with the removal of the nail plate or the use of keratolytic substances - urea or salicylic acid. This is especially important if onychomycosis is accompanied by nail hyperkeratosis. Generally, monotherapy with foreign substances is used in cases where 1-2 fingernails or 1/3 of the surface of the nail plates are affected. In other cases, external agents are used in combination with systemic antifungal drugs.
Antifungal pills are very dangerous and toxic.
Due to the long course of antifungal therapy (in some cases up to 12 months) there is a risk of side effects and toxic effects on the liver. Today, however, methods have been developed to minimize this danger. Thus, for example, some antifungal drugs are used in the pulse therapy regimen: ie. short, 5-7-10 day courses, with a 21-day break. There are systemic antifungals that can be taken only 1-2 times a week. When taken in therapeutic doses, there are antifungals with a high safety profile that do not adversely affect liver cells, even with long-term continuous use. Therefore, the most important thing is not to take systemic antifungal drugs without a doctor's appointment and supervision. Such funds should be prescribed only by a dermatologist.
If you choose the right medicine, the fungus can be treated within a week.
It is possible to stop the development of a fungal infection in a short time, only the infection occurred recently and the causative agent of onychomycosis did not have time to penetrate deep into the tissues surrounding the nail. Unfortunately, few patients seek medical attention at this stage, and in most cases, treatment of onychomycosis begins in the later stages, when the nail plate (or even several) is severely affected and the process of dystrophy or hyperkeratosis is active. in the surrounding tissues. In this case, although the treatment is combined with the complete removal of the affected nail plate, it cannot help solve the fungal problem quickly. nail restoration will take about 3 months. In a relatively short time, about 4-6 weeks, you can reduce only the most noticeable symptoms of onychomycosis. However, the causative agent of infection, especially in the form of spores, still remains in the tissues. And you can get rid of this unpleasant disease only after completing the course of treatment prescribed by your doctor.