Fungal disease is very often diagnosed in dermatology. Walking barefoot on the beach, the lack of changeable shoes when visiting saunas and baths, trying on other people's shoes, boots and more. contribute to the widespread spread of the disease on the toes. According to statistics, most often the damage to the nail plates begins with the thumb. This is due to the peculiarity of the anatomical structure of the nail and the significant nail space. If you seek medical help in a timely manner, the disease will not bring much discomfort and will be nothing more than a temporary cosmetic defect.
Symptoms of the disease
Once under the nail plate, the fungal infection quickly finds a breeding ground for itself and begins to actively multiply. During this period, the person may not experience any symptoms or may experience mild itching, redness in the nail area. In addition, the growth of colonies of pathogens leads to more pronounced signs, they are a reason to seek advice from a medical institution. If you treat toenail fungus in the initial stage, you can avoid many unpleasant complications. The main symptoms include:
- change in nail color;
- the appearance of spots under it;
- lack of natural shine;
- increased fragility;
- nail deformity.
The longer the disease is not treated, the more negative is the effect of the fungus: the body of the nail becomes thick, its shape changes significantly. Such a toe causes pain when trying to wear tight shoes or in case of accidental mechanical injury. In the future, the nail completely loses its healthy appearance, collapses, exfoliates and can separate from the nail bed.
Causes of fungus on the big toe
The causative agent of the disease are three groups of pathogenic fungi: yeast, mold and dermatomycetes. Their prevalence in the environment is extremely high, so there can be many ways of infection. However, not all people become infected through dangerous contact, as immunity works to protect health. Treatment for toe fungus is often necessary in people with reduced resistance to infections of this type. In addition, the disease can be provoked by:
- frequent thumb injuries;
- non-compliance with hygiene standards;
- the presence of fungal skin lesions;
- diabetes;
- Overweight;
- vascular diseases;
- varicose veins of the lower extremities.
Weak immunity occupies a special place among the predisposing factors. Past viral infections, frequent colds, sore throats, poisonings deprive the body of its defenses against fungal infection and increase the risk of infection. In addition, lack of nutrients and the frequent formation of cracks and other injuries in the area of the big toe reduce local immunity and can provoke disease.
Which doctor should I see?
If you have started to worry about any unpleasant symptoms related to toenails, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. Itching, redness, discoloration may indicate impending illness. Qualified assistance in this matter will be provided by a doctor.
It specializes in various skin diseases and will help to competently treat nail fungus on the big toe. First, a comprehensive diagnosis is made, including history taking, examination, and some laboratory tests. For a more complete assessment of the patient's condition, the dermatologist may ask a few additional ones
questions:
- How long have you been noticing changes in your nails?
- What was the first thing to worry about?
- Has the nail plate changed color?
- How long did it take to change the shape?
- What do you do for a living?
- Do you often visit saunas, baths?
- Have you ever had a fungal infection on your body?
After additional examinations, the patient will have to visit a dermatologist again. Based on the results obtained and the clinical picture, the doctor prescribes therapy for the disease.
Treatment
The effectiveness and duration of treatment of the disease directly depends on the early search for medical care and the right scheme. In the initial stage of the disease effective remedies are ointments and gels for external use containing an antifungal component. In this case, it is important to correctly identify the pathogen and deal with it. Other treatments are possible:
- complex therapy;
- physiotherapeutic effect;
- laser therapy;
- nail removal;
- elimination of concomitant diseases.
In more complex cases of pathology, an integrated approach is shown, including antifungal drugs for topical and internal use, a general tonic. An adjunct to medical treatment is a low-sugar diet. It is he who creates favorable conditions for the reproduction of parasitic fungi. For a faster recovery process, we recommend:
- take vitamin complexes;
- to lead an active lifestyle;
- perform daily disinfection procedures;
- strictly follow the treatment regimen;
- to give up bad habits.
An important place in the last stage of therapeutic measures is the prevention of relapses and strengthening immunity. It is not recommended for patients to walk barefoot on the beach, to try on other people's shoes and to allow frequent sweating of the feet.
Possible complications
Aesthetic defect is far from all that a fungus is capable of. In advanced conditions, the nail becomes excessively large, extremely painful, grows into the adjacent skin, it is possible to join a secondary infection and purulent lesion. The treatment of nail fungus in this case will be a long and laborious process. In addition to the local negative impact, pathogens have a destructive effect on the whole organism, the following are possible:
- allergies;
- dermatitis;
- blood poisoning;
- intoxication;
- somatic diseases.
When mushroom strains reach large numbers, their waste products turn into poison, poisoning humans and depriving the immune system of defenses. In this condition, the likelihood of various viral or bacterial lesions is very high. There is a significant deterioration in overall health and performance.