If you have a problem with the nail plates, it is important to know which doctor treats toenail fungus so that you can see a specialist without waiting for complications.It is difficult for a person who encounters a fungal infection for the first time to understand the name of this specialist.Dermatologists and mycologists deal with the problems of fungal diseases, so it is not difficult to turn to a therapist.
What is nail fungus?
Diseases caused by parasitic microorganisms are called pathogenic fungi.The disease affects the horny skin (nails) and the skin of the feet around them, develops quickly, brings discomfort and discomfort.Dangerous parasites living in the body poison it with toxins and can worsen the general condition.You can get infected by wearing someone else's shoes, not following foot hygiene, walking barefoot on the beach or in the pool.People with such problems should know which doctor treats nail fungus in order to get the right treatment to prevent complications and eliminate the unpleasant disease.
Symptoms of the disease
Which doctor treats toenail fungus symptoms depends on how badly the plate affected by the fungus is destroyed and the nature of the lesion.The following characteristic signs of the appearance of a fungus are distinguished:
- normotrophic type: stripes, ochre-yellow or white spots on the sides of the nail, ease of separation of the plate from the skin, a person suffers from itching of the skin under healthy nails;
- hypertrophic: thickening of plates, loss of gloss, collapse, dullness, severe deformation, dark yellow or gray color;
- atrophic: brown-gray color, shine, pallor, necrosis and destruction of the nail bed of the toes;
- lateral and distal: loss of color, transverse yellowish grooves, collapse, roughness, open nail bed of the fingers, swelling, redness, thickening, pain in the skin of the foot, advanced cases can be characterized by the appearance of pus;
- proximal: bleaching, destruction;
- total: complete destruction of the toenail due to lack of therapy;
- white surface: white spots, collapse, delamination, pain.
Which doctor treats nail fungus?
Knowing which doctor deals with toenails is helpful for any toenail fungus patient.In this case, a therapist will not help;you should contact a specialist.This doctor is a dermatologist, he consults at the initial stage of the disease.In advanced cases, a consultation with a mycologist is required - this is a specialist who treats nail fungus in a highly targeted manner.
Dermatologist
This doctor can prescribe the right treatment and eliminate the nail fungus.His specialties allow him to treat skin problems including viral and infectious lesions, dermatitis, eczema and parasitic diseases.The latter includes fungal infection.If the condition has not progressed, you should contact a dermatologist at a local clinic or dermatovenerological dispensary and register for the first examination.According to indications, he can send the patient to a mycologist.
Mycologist
In difficult cases, the answer to the question of which doctor treats toenails is to contact a mycologist.This is the name of the same dermatologist who only treats fungal infections of the skin, hair and nail plates.Not every clinic, even in the city.Consultation with mycologists includes the treatment and prevention of fungal diseases: onychomycosis, candidiasis, microsporia, trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, foot mycosis.You should contact them after the recommendation of the dermatologist.
How is the appointment going?
Once you find out which doctor treats toenail fungus, don't hesitate to make an appointment.During the first visit, the nail specialist interviews the patient about how long ago the problem appeared, how he felt, and the patient's lifestyle.After collecting information, a preliminary examination of the affected areas of the foot is performed, a diagnosis is made and the stage of infection is determined.
External signs cannot always indicate a type of fungus, so scraps of dead scales are taken for examination in the laboratory.The obtained medical material is examined under a microscope and placed in a nutrient medium.It is necessary to see a doctor as soon as possible to treat the fungus, which is useless for the patient and his body.
Repeated consultation
After receiving the tests from the laboratory, a second consultation is conducted.A mycologist or dermatologist tells the cause of the growth, the presence of the fungus, its type and prescribes the correct treatment.Medicines are selected depending on the individual characteristics of the patient.The treatment procedure for the disease is long, so you need to visit a specialist several more times to monitor the therapy and prevent infection in the patient's body.
Treatment Options
After studying the etiology of the fungus affecting the nail plate on the toes, treatment is prescribed.It is not recommended to choose drugs independently, because there is a risk of side effects.The main antifungal drugs and methods of treatment used:
- oral - tablets, capsules for a comprehensive effect on the parasite from the inside;
- local effects - applied externally, which include ointments, creams, compresses, drops, varnishes;
- special laser treatment - improves penetration of agents and tissue microcirculation;
- Surgical removal of the nail is recommended in extreme cases where recovery is impossible.
Popular effective drugs, divided into groups according to their effect on the fungal pathogen, are:
- Antifungal varnishes.
- Preparations for plate removal (sometimes required to treat fungi).
- Antifungal tablets.
- Creams, ointments, sprays.
- Other means: medicinal liquids, tea tree oil, etc.