Onychomycosis is an infectious nail disease caused by pathogenic fungi. According to statistics, it occurs in every tenth person on Earth. About a third of all nail pathologies are fungal infections. More than 30% of cases occur in patients older than 65 years. Toenail fungus is 3 to 5 times more common than fingernail fungus.
Causes of onychomycosis of the nails
The disease begins with infection of the nail plates, which often occurs in public places - swimming pools, saunas and baths. Scales with spores of the pathogen fall on the floor, benches, paths and carpets. Warm, moist environments allow fungi to survive and multiply, especially on unpainted wooden objects. Wearing tight shoes increases the chance of infection.
If one of the family members is sick, then there is a high risk of transmission of the disease through a towel, carpet or grid in the bathroom. Fingernails are mainly infected by combing the affected areas of the skin. The risk of the disease increases with repeated nail injuries, decreased blood circulation in the extremities, and with severe comorbidities (diabetes, AIDS, systemic blood diseases).
Symptoms and types of onychomycosis
There are three forms of the disease: atrophic (onycholytic), normotrophic, and hypertrophic onychomycosis. The characteristic symptoms are:
- the appearance of white or yellowish spots in the thickness of the nail plate;
- inflammatory process in the periungual roller;
- atrophy of the nail with separation of the bed;
- Dystrophic processes in the nail plate.
With atrophic onychomycosis, the nail plate becomes gray-brown, atrophies, separates from the bed. Loose layers form in the exposed area. The hypertrophic form is characterized by subcutaneous hyperkeratosis, which causes pain when walking, changes in shape and destruction of the nails. The nail plates become dull and thickened. With normotrophic onychomycosis, the nail does not thicken and retains its shine. Stripes and spots appear on the nail plate, changing its color.
Nail fungus treatment
Onychomycosis begins to be treated immediately after diagnosis, since the infection develops rapidly. Local antifungal drug therapy is effective only in the initial stages. With the development of the disease, the use of systemic agents is necessary.
In order for systemic treatment of toenail fungus to be safe and effective, several rules must be followed:
- Therapy can be started only after confirming the diagnosis and consulting a doctor, since antifungal agents have a number of serious side effects. Dose self-selection is unacceptable.
- During treatment with systemic antifungals, the use of other medications, except vital ones, should be limited.
- The affected areas of the nail must be removed after smoothing them with keratolytic patches.
- To prevent digestive disorders during the treatment period, foods that can cause bloating are excluded from the diet: black bread, dairy products, cabbage, legumes.
- You should choose comfortable shoes that do not squeeze the foot.
Treatment of onychomycosis of the nails at home
Traditional medicine offers various recipes for remedies that will help speed up recovery, but they should only be used in combination with the main treatment.
- Treat the affected nails 2 times a day with a 5% iodine solution. During application, a slight burning sensation should be observed. With severe pain, treatment should be discontinued.
- To facilitate the separation of infected nails and promote regeneration, a 20% propolis tincture is used, which is applied to the lesions 2-3 times a day.
- Take a small piece of kombucha and stick it to the nails of a washed and steamed foot. Leave overnight, remove in the morning, rinse with water and remove the softened areas of the nail. Treat the affected areas with an antiseptic. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
- Grate the head of garlic and make compresses, applying gruel to the infected nails for 10-15 minutes.
Prevention and prognosis of nail onychomycosis
To prevent the disease, you must observe personal hygiene, do not use someone else's clothes, shoes and towels. In bathrooms, swimming pools, and saunas, walk only in slippers, avoiding contact with places of potential accumulation of the pathogen (wood floors and carpets). It is necessary to wear comfortable shoes, avoid damage to the nails and combat excessive sweating of the feet.
The prognosis is favorable, depending on the severity of the disease, full recovery takes from several weeks to a year. The effect of therapy increases when damaged nails are removed. Reinfection is possible if the rules of personal hygiene are not followed.
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