Onychomycosis is an insidious disease, as many people do not recognize the first symptoms and turn to specialists when the disease is actively progressing. At this stage, it is impossible not to notice the marks, the nails begin to collapse, detach, the inflammation spreads to the skin, the areas located nearby become inflamed. To take timely action, you need to know what toenail fungus looks like.
Almost two-thirds of the world’s population has to deal with the manifestations of a fungal infection. Onychomycosis or nail damage is not just an aesthetic problem; in later stages, the disease begins to cause physical discomfort.
Difficultly difficult to treat onychomycosis, this disease responds better to treatment if you start taking measures in the early stages. And for that you need to know what the nails affected by the fungus look like.
Description of the disease
A fungal disease that affects the nails is called onychomycosis. The fungus penetrates deep into the plaque and destroys the keratin - the base of the nail plate. Fungal spores enter the intercellular space and begin to multiply rapidly.
If the infection is not treated, then the disease affects the nails, and in the absence of adequate therapy, it spreads to nearby areas of the skin.
INFECTION
Fungal spores are present in the environment. They are very resistant to external influences, spores do not die even at sub-zero temperatures. But nevertheless, active reproduction of fungi is possible only in a warm and humid environment, therefore, people are at greater risk when visiting public baths, swimming pools, gyms.
If among the visitors there is a person infected with onychomycosis, then in the things with which he was in contact, fungal spores remain, which remain active for a long time. And these spores affect the skin and nails of healthy people. To "catch" an infection, it is enough to walk barefoot on the floor, in which there are fungal spores.
Advice! Wooden surfaces are especially dangerous - floors, shutters in shower rooms, benches. The fact is that the tree has a porous structure, and even complete disinfection is not able to destroy the spores of pathogenic microorganisms.
But, of course, not every "encounter" with mushrooms ends with a disease. In most cases, the body's immune system successfully fights the infection. But if the body is weakened or the person does not observe the basic hygiene measures, then the likelihood of developing onychomycosis increases.
Factors contributing to the development of the disease
In order for the fungus to start its licensing activity, certain conditions must be met. Most often, the elderly are susceptible to the disease, they have a weakened immune system, therefore, onychomycosis in older people is observed more often than in young people. Risk factors:
- non-observance of hygiene rules, wearing very tight shoes, clothes and shoes made of synthetic materials;
- the presence of any skin damage, even a small scratch, is the "gateway" to infection;
- endocrine system pathology;
- chronic diseases that weaken the immune system;
- long-term use of drugs, especially hormones, cytostatics and antibiotics.
Advice! You can get onychomycosis in a beauty salon by doing a manicure or pedicure. If the master does not pay proper attention to sterilizing the instruments, then the files from a cutter can become a source of infection.
Disease-causing agents
To date, about fifty species of fungi that can cause onychomycosis have been identified. For this reason, you should not treat yourself. Drugs that are effective for one type of nail fungus may be useless if the disease is caused by pathogens of another type.
The complexity of the treatment lies in the fact that the infection is localized not on the surface of the nail, but under the nail plate. Therefore, the use of external medications does not always give the expected effect. If left untreated, the disease will continue to progress. Moreover, the more the disease starts, the more difficult it will be to cure.
Onychomycosis often appears on the feet. The infection can affect the nail of the first finger, but over time it can spread to other nails. Fungi on the hands are much less common, but this disease should not be considered rare.
clinics
The symptoms depend on the shape and stage of the lesion, so it is impossible to answer the question of what the fungus looks like on the nails.
The most common case
The initial stage is called normotrophic. At this stage, the manifestations are faint, so many patients do not pay attention to them. Most often, you can see the following signs:
- loss of transparency;
- the appearance of yellow spots, most often on the outer edge;
- sometimes there is a feeling that a "gap" has formed between the nail and the nail bed.
This lesion is called distal-lateral and is the most common. If no treatment is performed, then the process begins to progress. Subungual keratosis occurs. This phenomenon is characterized by increased growth of horny cells, as a result of which the nail becomes thicker.
Advice! Hyperkeratosis is a normal reaction of the nail to an infection. Moreover, the deeper the infection penetrates the nail plate, the thicker the nail becomes.
At a later stage, complete damage to the nail plate is observed, signs of dystrophy appear. Gradually, the matrix is also involved in the process - the place where the nail grows. At this stage, even nail removal does not work, as the patient's nail plate has already started to grow.
Surface shape
In the initial stage, white spots appear on the nails in this form. Over time, they grow, capturing the entire surface of the nail. The plate becomes loose, stiff. If you scratch the nail with a hard object, then the scales start to separate.
Advice! This form of fungal disease occurs only on the toes, more often on the big toe, less often on the little toe.
Proximal sublingual
In this form, the affected nails look like this:
- the tissues surrounding the nail become red and inflamed;
- the roller swells, becomes painful;
- the cuticle begins to separate from the nail;
- Dystrophic changes appear in the nail, first grooves appear in the plate, then fragility appears and in an advanced stage the plate disappears.
Varieties of mushrooms
Manifestations of the disease also depend on the type of pathogen. Of course, it is possible to accurately determine the type of pathogen only after testing. The external signs are also different, but again, the symptoms are not diagnosed:
- Dermatophytes. Fungi from the genus Dermatophytes feed on keratin, meaning they "attack" the hair, nails and upper layer of the cornea. About 40 species of fungi of this species are known, but onychomycosis causes only about a dozen varieties of pathogens. The source of infection is a sick person, you can become infected through direct contact or when using common objects. Strips and spots first appear on the affected nails, then the edge of the nail gradually turns yellow and gradually remains behind the nail bed. The larger the spot area, the higher the infection rate.
- Yeast fungus. These are pathologies caused by fungi of the genus Candida. The causative agent of this type is opportunistic. That is, in a certain amount, the fungus is present on the surface of the skin and nails, but with a decrease in immunity, the fungus begins to multiply, causing inflammation. When the nails are damaged, the plaque gradually becomes thinner, turns yellow, and then turns brown and remains behind the nail bed. With this type of infection, nail folds are severely affected, they become red, swollen and become painful.
Advice! Usually, fungal infection develops gradually. Often, the disease lasts for years without progressing to an advanced stage. But when the nail plate is affected by yeast fungus, the disease progresses very quickly.
- Molds. The infection caused by the fungus is localized at the top of the plaque, without penetrating deep into the plaque. Therefore, this type of onychomycosis is easier to treat than others. The first signs of damage are a change in the color of the nail plate. Moreover, the nail takes on an unnatural color, it can become green or black. In the initial stages, dark spots appear on the nails, which gradually develop into spots, and over time, the entire plaque changes color.
If onychomycosis is not treated, pathogens are transferred to the skin of the feet, causing skin mycosis. In this case, symptoms such as itching, cracking of the skin appear. It becomes painful for the patient to put on shoes and walk.
What should I do?
What should you do if you notice signs of a fungal infection? Self-medication is not worth it. A dermatologist should be seen. The specialist will prescribe tests and make an accurate diagnosis. Parents of children should be especially careful. Of course, in children, nail fungus is not observed very often, but, nevertheless, such a disease occurs at any age.
Remember that the earlier treatment is started, the easier it will be to cope with the disease. If the fungal infection begins to be treated in the early stages, then it will be possible to make use of local remedies - oils, solutions. But you will need to be treated persistently, for a few weeks.
In advanced stages, it is necessary to apply not only oils, but also drugs of systemic action, namely tablets. Such drugs are taken orally, from the digestive tract, the active substances are absorbed into the bloodstream and carried throughout the body by the bloodstream. Thus, the infection will be destroyed from within.
At any stage of the disease, it will be very helpful to work on strengthening the immune system. Immunomodulators, if necessary, will be prescribed by a specialist. And the patient himself will have to create a rest regime, sleep more and walk every day. You also need to monitor your diet. The "favorite food" of mushrooms is sugar. Therefore, you should minimize the amount of sweets in your diet as much as possible.
So it will be helpful for any person to know what nail fungus looks like on the hands and fingers. Such knowledge will help to detect in time the signs of the disease and start treatment in the earliest stages. This will allow you to quickly cope with the disease and do without the use of systemic medications that adversely affect the liver.