Mycoses occupy the second most common place among infectious skin diseases after coccal pyoderma, and mycoses of the feet occupy the first place not only among all mycoses, but also among all foot pathologies.They are caused by a wide group of pathogenic fungi.In recent years, there has been an increase in cases of mycoses, which is largely due to endogenous factors - an increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus and pathologies of blood circulation in the distal parts of the upper and lower limbs.
Some patients suffering from cutaneous mycoses consider them an aesthetic or temporary problem and do not even ask themselves the question of how to treat fungus on the skin of the body, trying only to hide the external manifestations of the infection under clothes, shoes or foundation.But you should not expect that the fungus will disappear on its own: in the absence of appropriate therapy, mycosis can quickly spread and affect all new tissues and areas of the body, and in addition, a person suffering from the disease poses a serious threat to others, especially to the family.The insidiousness of fungi is also manifested in the fact that they easily relapse if the therapy is not brought to a victorious end.
We will tell you in this article how and how to treat skin fungus and what symptoms indicate their presence.
Causes of the development of fungal diseases
Fungal infections are different, but the main causes of the disease are dermatophytes, yeasts and molds.There is a system that takes into account the depth of penetration and the localization of the infection, which distinguishes:
- Keratomycosis affects only the superficial stratum corneum of the epidermis and the hair cuticle.
- Dermatomycosis - deeply affects the skin and its appendages - nails and hair, but does not affect the subcutaneous tissue (the largest group, which includes onychomycosis and mycosis of the feet).
- Candidiasis - in addition to the above, it can affect the mucous membranes and internal organs (caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida).
- Deep mycoses are systemic mycoses that can infect the subcutaneous tissue, lymph nodes, ENT organs, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, brain and central nervous system in general (caused by yeast and yeast-like fungi).
- Pseudomycosis - affects only the stratum corneum, without affecting the nails and hair (caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium minutissimum, which was previously confused with the fungus).
The most common types of skin mycoses are dermatophytosis - dermatomycosis caused by fungi of three genera: Trichophyton, Epidermophyton and Microsporum.The majority of all lesions of the skin and its appendages in the epidermis are due to trichophytosis, epidermophytosis and microsporia, and most often the disease affects the skin of the feet and nails.How can you get a yeast infection?A number of factors can contribute to this:
- visiting public baths and saunas, swimming pools and water parks, public beaches, gyms, solariums and manicure / pedicure rooms, massage parlors, as in these places the risk of contact of feet or hands with contaminated surfaces is particularly high;
- trying on other people's shoes or using common shoes;
- insufficient foot hygiene, especially with excessive sweating;
- wearing closed shoes for a long time, which does not allow the foot to "breathe";
- cohabitation with a person who already suffers from skin fungus;
- Injury to the skin or nails with shoes that are too tight - fungi more easily penetrate the body through the damaged areas.
An essential factor is the increased humidity and temperature to which the feet are constantly exposed.It is in such conditions that fungi develop most actively, so fungal infections often occur either in regions with a subtropical climate, or where people are forced to wear warm shoes for a long time - in regions with a cold climate.The site of primary localization of the fungus in mycosis of the skin of the feet is usually the interdigital folds, but as the disease progresses, the lesion extends beyond them.
FYI
According to the Ministry of Health, for 2010, mycoses of the feet (including onychomycosis) and hands were registered in more than 220 thousand people.
Mycosis, however, affects not only the skin of the feet;the disease can appear almost anywhere, including the face.Large folds are often affected, especially the inguinal-femoral folds, legs and buttocks.
Mycoses of the skin have specific symptoms that are quite easy to notice, these are:
- Peeling and dryness are some of the first signs of infection.Individual scales first appear on the affected area, caused by the rejection of the upper layer of the epidermis.With deeper penetration of the fungus, active peeling occurs, which only intensifies over time.
- Spots of white or red color are round in shape with distinct edges.It is very important not to miss this symptom in the initial stage of the disease, since at that time the spot may be single and small in size.Later, new spots appear, which gradually merge with each other.
- Thickening of the skin.Affected areas become dense, rough and rough, often changing color: the skin turns from pink or white to yellowish or greyish.
- The appearance of small rashes, blisters filled with liquid.
- Partial hair loss.
- Itching and burning are some of the most common symptoms of skin fungus.It may be present all the time or appear only intermittently.Here it is important to understand that itching and burning can be a sign of other skin diseases, such as allergies.
Do not ignore the appearance of cracks and calluses on your feet.Although they themselves are not symptoms of a fungal disease, through them the fungal infection enters the body much faster.
How to cure skin fungus
Two approaches to combating skin fungi can be conditionally distinguished.One is non-medical, in which various traditional medicines are used, the second is pharmacological.
The so-called home methods include the use of baths with infusions of medicinal herbs, treatment of skin fungus with iodine, soda solution or vinegar... The effectiveness of such treatment of skin fungus has not been clinically proven.If it can help, it is only in the very early stages of the development of the disease, since most folk remedies cannot penetrate into the deep layers of the epidermis, where the fungal colony is usually located.Therefore, with any mycosis, you should not waste time and worsen the situation, but instead you should consult a doctor for diagnosis and prescription of adequate therapy.
A significant effect is achieved by systemic treatment of skin fungus on the body using drugs in the form of capsules or tablets.Modern products contain substances that can stop the growth of new spores, block cell division at the DNA/RNA level, and destroy fungal cell membranes.However, systemic antifungals (also known as systemic fungicides and fungistatic drugs) have many side effects and contraindications;cannot be taken together with certain drugs - diabetic, antihistamines, contraceptives.Restrictions on the use of tablet forms are, for example, blood diseases, kidney or liver pathologies.In addition, it is recommended to follow a strict hypoallergenic diet during treatment.All this narrows the options for systemic therapy.
Creams, sprays and solutions are an effective (clinically proven) method for local treatment of skin fungus and onychomycosis, which does not have many contraindications.It has a high cure rate, is used at any stage of fungal infection, and can be used in conjunction with systemic therapy to reduce the dose of oral medications.
Antimycotic components in gels, ointments and solutions are mainly allylamines, azoles or pyrimidines, which inhibit the vital activity of fungi, deprive them of nutrition and stop their development and spread to other areas of the skin.Local therapy with these drugs allows to create high concentrations of the active substance in the skin, on the surface of the nail and in its cavities, which remain for weeks after the end of the treatment.It is important that during the use of external agents, the active substance almost does not enter the systemic blood flow and therefore has no negative effect on the body as a whole.
Many local antifungal drugs have an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect, soften the skin, remove itching and redness, are easily applied to the affected surface, and sprays and solutions are convenient for treating even hairy parts of the body in case of damage.The duration of treatment with external means and the frequency of their application are determined by the attending physician.
Ringworm is easier to prevent than to treat, but if signs of skin fungus are noticed on the body, treatment should begin immediately.It is important not to start the process and take appropriate measures in time, but you should start by contacting a specialist.It is the doctor who will tell you how to cure skin fungus quickly.Attempts at artisanal treatment in this case can only worsen the situation.
Antifungal skin cream
As a medicine for the treatment of fungal skin infections, you can choose a cream based on naftifine (1%), which is part of the class of allylamines.The mechanism of action of the drug is based on the ability of the active substance to slow down the synthesis of ergosterol, the building material that builds the cell wall and membrane of the fungus.As a result, the mycelium loses its ability to grow, which gradually leads to the death of the entire colony.
The drug is active against all the main pathogens of mycosis and can be prescribed for trichophytosis, epidermophytosis, microsporia, candidiasis and aspergillosis of the skin, pityriasis versicolor, sporotrichosis.The cream has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, reduces the likelihood of secondary bacterial infections and helps to eliminate the symptoms of inflammation, especially itching.
The cream penetrates deep into the skin and creates a stable concentration of the antifungal agent in its different layers.After application to the skin, less than 6% of naftifine enters the systemic circulation.
Indications for use of the drug are:
- fungal infections of skin folds and smooth skin;
- interdigital mycoses;
- onychomycosis (nail fungus);
- cutaneous candidiasis;
- pityriasis versicolor;
- ringworm (with or without itching).
The cream has few contraindications.These include individual intolerance to the components, as well as pregnancy and breastfeeding, since the safety and effectiveness of the drug in this category of patients have not yet been studied.Use the cream with caution in children.
Method of use: for affected skin, it is enough to apply the cream once a day on the affected surface and adjacent areas after cleaning and drying.The duration of treatment is from two to eight weeks (for candidiasis - four weeks).
In order to prevent relapses, it is recommended to continue the therapy for another two weeks after the disappearance of clinical symptoms.
The cream in aluminum tubes (30 g) is available without a prescription.You can also order the product online.