You should contact a dermatologist or mycologist with a fungal infection of the nail plates or onychomycosis. The first doctor specializes in any skin problem. It has allergic, bacterial, viral and fungal lesions of the epidermis. Mycologist is a narrowly qualified specialist. It understands all types of fungi, treats mycotic lesions of any localization, conducts research and collects statistics.
When you need medical attention
A person is infected when fungal spores get on the skin or nail plates. You can "catch" pathogenic microorganisms in public places (sauna, swimming pool, beauty salon), from your family members, in a shoe store. Mushrooms love moist and warm environments. They are able to reproduce in shoes. This often happens when a person suffers from sweaty feet, ignores this fact, or ignores the rules of personal hygiene.
When a person comes in contact with fungi, he is not always infected. This is followed by a decrease in immunity. Normally, the body successfully fights the attack of billions of microbes every day. If the defense runs out, the problem can be expected.
Onychomycosis is a serious infectious disease. A person comes in contact with pathogenic fungi for a long time. Mycotoxins with toxic properties enter his body. It also has a negative effect on the immune system. Get rid of nail fungus as soon as possible. The longer a person lives with an infection, the more difficult and long the treatment will be. Onychomycosis is difficult to treat, becomes chronic, recurrent, and requires lifelong use of prophylactic agents.
When the first signs of mycosis of the nails appear, it is necessary to consult a doctor, ie:
- if covered with small spots, dots, streaks, pale inclusions;
- if the color of the nail plate has changed - yellow, brown, grayish or greenish;
- if the plate grows, improper cutting of the nails creates a "gateway" for infection;
- if the nails are worn - a sign of progression of onychomycosis;
- if a person suffers from ringworm - the fungus spreads easily from the skin to the nails;
- if there are people with onychomycosis among family members;
- If the nails have lost their luster, they become dull and heterogeneous.
Direct reasons to see a doctor are itching, sweating, dry skin on the feet. Excessive sweating and unpleasant foot odor may indicate a fungus that is developing.
Who goes first
When you decide to see a doctor, you should first make an appointment with a dermatologist. All paid and free hospitals have skin specialists. You can freely make an appointment with a dermatologist at the skin care center in your place of residence.
The dermatologist will perform a visual examination - identify signs of fungal growth, check the skin for other signs of mycotic lesions on the body. As a rule, the doctor prescribes tests (scratching the nails or skin) to confirm or deny the fungal disease.
If the specialist's suspicions are confirmed, additional tests may be scheduled - a general and biochemical examination of blood, urine and liver tests. Additional information is needed to determine the cause of the infection and to identify all possible comorbidities. Blood and liver diseases limit the use of certain drugs.
In advanced cases, a referral is made to consult a mycologist - if all toenails are damaged by onychomycosis, if the process of onycholysis (destruction of plaques) has begun, if some nails are no longer there, the patient has previously failed to treat himself. medication. The narrow-profile specialist will prescribe additional tests to determine the type of pathogen. Specific medications will be more effective for a particular type of fungus.
General principles of elimination of onychomycosis
Specialists prescribe several drugs for the treatment of nail mycosis. Among them:
- systemic antifungal agents;
- dosage forms with local effects;
- vitamin preparations;
- immunostimulants.
The doctor individually assesses the patient's lifestyle and hygiene culture. If necessary, give the necessary recommendations to reduce the duration of therapy.
Medical treatment must be carried out very seriously. The patient should take the medication orally in a timely manner and strictly follow the treatment conditions recommended by the doctor. Local remedies are used until the problem is completely eliminated. As a rule, use lasts 1-2 months after the disappearance of symptoms of onychomycosis. The following are prescribed as topical preparations:
- varnishes;
- gels;
- ointments;
- solutions.
Water-salt baths are recommended as adjuvant methods, removal of plaques with the help of special emollient ointments, and sometimes surgical assistance is required.
Immunostimulants and vitamins are selected according to the results of biochemical analysis. In some cases, nail fungus is the first sign of serious diseases of the internal organs or hematopoietic system.
Do not give the doctor's phone number immediately after the first consultation. The success of onychomycosis treatment depends on the control of the healing process. During the therapeutic course (up to 1 year) the doctor's consultation and examination will be repeated several times. One month after complete restoration, the modified nail plate should be re-taken immediately after re-growth. In order not to complicate the treatment process, the patient should give up decorative varnish and nail extensions.