During this time, I probably tried all kinds of folk remedies and went to the doctor several times.In this article I will tell you what nail fungus is, why it occurs, why it is dangerous and how to get rid of it.
What is nail fungus?
Officially, this disease is called onychomycosis - fungal infection of the nail.In 60-70% of cases, it is caused by a specific dermatophyte fungus;Infection from mold and yeast fungi is less common.To survive, reproduce and grow, dermatophytes need the protein keratin.Therefore, these fungi live in the nail plates, in the stratum corneum of the hair and skin - keratin is produced.
Typically, the fungus begins to develop on the cut side of the nail.The tip of the nail gradually changes color: it becomes yellowish, light brown or milky.If left untreated, the infection spreads to the cuticle.The fungus can also start from the lateral surface of the nail.
There is also white superficial onychomycosis.Externally, it looks like white or dull spots on the surface of the nail.It spreads from the center to the edges;If the disease is not treated, it can cover the entire nail plate.
Sometimes, proximal onychomycosis occurs - it affects the nail in the cuticle and root area.It usually occurs in people with weakened immune systems.
When the nail is completely destroyed due to fungi, this condition is called general dystrophic onychomycosis.Externally, the nail looks terrible: it is thick, ribbed and an unpleasant dark color.
To be the cause
Nail fungus is a very common disease.OnyChomyCoz accounts for 50-60% of all nail problems.I don't know where I got the fungus from, but here are the ways the doctors gave me to get it.
Contact with a contaminated surface.Fungal pathogens love moisture and therefore live well in wet rooms - bathrooms or swimming pools.Sometimes fungi are brought as a bonus from beauty salons after a manicure or pedicure: just a microcut and poorly processed tools are enough - and this is where the disease occurs.Even if you put shoes on your bare feet after a sick person, you can get a fungus.
Intrafamilial infection.The fungus is highly contagious.If one household member is sick, other family members can become infected with onychomycosis.The risks increase if you share slippers, a common washcloth, or the bathroom floor.However, the fungus can be transmitted even from carpets, which is why it is so important for a person with naughty nails to follow their tricky rules.
Poor hygiene.If a person does not wash his feet well, does not cut his nails on time or rarely changes his socks, it will be easier for him to get a fungus.
Tight shoes.This is another factor that increases the risk of disease.When wearing tight shoes, blood gets to the feet and the roots of the nails are disturbed.Onychodystrophy can develop - a condition similar to nail fungus and often accompanies it.
Certain occupations.Nail fungus is more common in some professions, domestic workers, cooks, cleaners, car wash workers.They often come into contact with wet surfaces, wear rubber shoes and rubber gloves, and use chemicals that soften the nail plate.But the fungus likes all this very much and actively grows in such conditions.
Infectious diseasesIncrease the risk of infection as they weaken the immune system.Fungus is more common in people suffering from varicose veins, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease or malignant neoplasms.Smokers and obese people are also at risk.Excessive sweating - hyperhidrosis - also contributes to the spread of fungi.
Typically, the fungus occurs in people over 30 years old, especially in the elderly.Children get sick less often and respond better to local treatment: The nail plates are thinner and the nail itself grows faster.With a shorter exposure to the drug, the effect on children occurs faster.
Why is mushroom dangerous?
Nail fungus does not only spoil the appearance of your feet, it is a real disease that is dangerous for the body.If a toenail fungus is not treated, it will spread to the nails that are still healthy.In some people, a fungal infection can cause allergies - the mushrooms themselves become an allergen.
Dermatophyte fungi feed on keratin, so it is not enough for nail growth.Because of this, they become brittle, crumble and flake.Over time, "Keratin Debris" will begin to accumulate between the nail and the nail bed, which is formed when keratin breaks down due to fungal attack.This causes the nail to grow thicker and crooked.Although the nail is thick, it is still very fragile - it will catch on clothes and break easily.
Sometimes, with nail fungus, your feet start to sweat more than usual - this causes an unpleasant smell and you have to change your socks several times a day.
If an infected nail has been cleaned for too long, it will begin to separate from the nail bed.At first, it just hurts.Second, in place of the removed nail, a kind of wound will appear, a moist, warm environment - the kind that only dermatophytes love.They will grow there.
And advanced nail fungus is expensive to treat.Most likely, a person will need to take medication and change all their shoes after completing treatment.In the early stages of OnyChomyCoz, it can be disinfected using special disinfectant solutions, then after recovery from an advanced disease, all old shoes will have to be thrown away to avoid re-infection.
Fungi significantly reduce the quality of life.I felt physically uncomfortable: my feet did not sweat, my nails were thick, falling and breaking.Even in the summer I had to wear closed shoes so as not to scare others.In addition, the fungus limited my activities a lot: I couldn't really play sports or go to the pool.I have read that some people have such a sense of shame that sometimes they slip into severe depression.Fortunately, I didn't get to that point.
What are the symptoms of nail fungus?
What happens to your nails and feet when you get a fungus?
The nail color changesyellowish, white or brown spots appear.This is more common in the early stages of infection and is associated with a build-up of keratin debris under the nails.Nails look dull and don't shine like they used to.
The structure changes:The nail thickens or begins to grow in waves.When cutting, the cut turns out unevenly, the nail breaks into separate parts.
An unpleasant smell appearsfeet sweat more.
I suspect a late blight.On the middle leg of the left foot, the nail became very thick and stronger than the rest.I stopped going to the doctor for a long time and did not get any treatment, so the infection spread to my other nails - they turned yellow.
How I looked at mushrooms myself
When I suspected a mushroom, I thought it was nonsense.I did nothing for about a year, hoping it would go away on its own.Then I decided that I should try to get rid of him, but I still did not understand the full complexity of the situation.I decided that it would be enough to coat my nails with the magic polishes and drops advertised on TV and everything would go away.
I realized that drops and varnishes did not help, I started doing foot baths.They wrote on the Internet that these are miracle procedures that will get rid of fungus forever.I don't like going to doctors, so I believed these recommendations.
I soaked my feet in soda and liquid soap solutions, iodine in water, and even took coffee baths several times.Then I found out that it is better to replace the liquid soap with brown laundry soap - when I fried it, the aroma in the apartment was not described.I cut and file the steamed nails and then filled a bowl of scrapings and files with vodka.I collected the pieces of nails in a paper napkin and threw them in the trash.I also painted my nails with aloe juice and propolis.These procedures took even more time, so in the end I simply refused treatment.
As I realized later, self-medication was my big mistake, because it took more than a year.But it did not bring any results: the fungus, apparently, only began to spread.This was due to my laziness and lack of understanding of the situation.
How the doctor diagnosed me
The infected nails continued to grow and thicken.When I put on socks and any shoes, I felt discomfort, it even made it a little difficult.
And then my wife and I booked a trip to Turkey.This was another reason I went to the doctor - I was embarrassed to show my legs to anyone.
I made appointments at the skin and venereal disease clinic to see a mycologist.By the appearance of the nails, he said that it was very similar to a fungus, but he still sent me for tests.
They were asked to cut off the infected nail and submit it for examination, and they also ordered a general blood test.As explained by the doctor, if the fungus is confirmed, in my case it is necessary to take pills.And some have contraindications that can be determined by blood count.
How I treated nail fungus under the supervision of a doctor
Three drugs are used to treat fungal infections: those based on Terbinafine, fluconazole and iTraconazole.All these drugs destroy the fungal cells, which eventually leads to a decrease in their number and the death of the pathogen.Such drugs are officially called antimics.Like antibiotics, they must be taken strictly in a course.This means that it will not be enough to take a tablet and wait for the symptoms to disappear - it is important to complete the course of treatment.
The specific type of medicine is carried out by the doctor, depending on the type of fungus, the degree of damage to the nail, the patient's well-being, possible contraindications and other factors.
Often, in addition to tablets, external treatment is prescribed in the form of creams, ointments, sprays - this helps to speed up the process.Such drugs can also help patients who, for various reasons, cannot take systemic antimics.
Sometimes photodynamic therapy is prescribed - when the nail is covered with special substances, then it is exposed to a cold light beam and prevents the spread of infection.They can offer laser treatment - it is believed that the laser beam penetrates all layers of the nail and burns the mycelium of the fungus.But scientists still have little evidence that the laser actually works.
In the most advanced cases, the nail is completely removed surgically.
The doctor prescribed me iTraconazol tablets - 2 tablets 2 times a day.
I endured the course of treatment, only experiencing severe drowsiness for two weeks - then I traveled to work two hours each way and slept on the train all the while.There was no problem with digestion.
The nail itself had to be broken by hand.It was suggested to prepare a bath with laundry soap and soda, and then apply a scrub to the nail.With a small spatula, I spread it on a quarter of a cotton pad, put it on the nail, wrapped it with a bandage and a plaster, and I was gone for a day.During this time, the upper hard layer of the nail softened a little, after which I broke it off.Then he immediately reapplied the composition;There were at least five such approaches during the entire treatment period.The glue helped, the nail became noticeably thinner.This made it easier to cut.
Three weeks later, the doctor scheduled a follow-up appointment.Then he prescribed a cream based on econazole nitrate - it has a local effect and, like tablets, destroys fungal cells.You need to spread the cream on the nails twice a day, and this time I was no longer lazy.
What's on the nails now?
I had treated my nails for a year and a half.In July 2020 I started seeing white spots on them again.This time I immediately went to the doctor and found out that the infection had occurred again.Now it is still the initial stage, so local remedies can help - the same varnishes, drops and creams.
Re-infection should not be confused with disease relapse.Re-infection occurs when you get an infection from the outside environment, that is, in fact, it is not different from the main infection.As for relapse, the most common reason is incomplete treatment.Then the infection remains in the central nails: Externally, it may not be noticeable, but over time, the growth will certainly be visible.
This is a misdiagnosis in the beginning.For example, my doctor said that in medical practice there are situations where nail fungus is confused with nail psoriasis.Both of these diseases are very similar in external symptoms in the initial stages.
How to prevent nail fungus
Prevention of fungi is directly related to the causes of its occurrence.Take the cause, turn the meaning around it, and get recommendations for prevention.
Always wear shoes in publicEspecially where it is humid - near the gym, shower, bath, swimming pool.
Don't wear someone else's shoes.Rubber flip-flops with an open toe can be dangerous in terms of fungal infection.It is better to disinfect shared shoes at a skating rink or bowling alley with a special solution.When buying shoes, try them on the toe or heel only.
Do not wear tight shoes.No beauty is worth the health of your skin and nails.
Keep your feet dry.If their feet get wet, try to wash them, dry them and put them in clean socks as soon as possible.The shoes themselves must be dried.
Maintain good foot hygiene.Just splashing them with water during your daily shower is not enough.It is advisable to have a separate washcloth for your feet and wash with soap and wash thoroughly all over and do not apply only once to the ankles and the top of the feet.
Trim your nails carefully.Try to avoid injuries and microcuts - they will be entry points for any infection, not just fungus.Only use your own scissors and do not share them with everyone in the family.
If you do manicures and pedicures, sterilize your tools.- This is also important in terms of other infections.For example, I treated my documents and scissors with an alcohol spray.I made sure that my wife sterilized the master tools in the manicure room - usually this is done with hot steam.
How much does nail fungus treatment cost?
To treat nail fungus, you need to see a dermatologist - if he specializes in fungal diseases, he is called a mycologist.Such a doctor will be able to diagnose, assess the severity of the infection and choose treatment.Taking pills on your own can be ineffective and even dangerous.
You can contact a dermatologist under the compulsory health insurance policy: To do this, you need to make an appointment at a regular clinic or dermatovenerology dispensary.Consultation, examination and diagnosis will be free.
If you are treated in private medical centers, you will have to pay for everything.The cost of testing nails for fungi depends on the method of analysis.
Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, is an infectious disease that can be easily contracted in public showers, swimming pools, gyms, shoe stores and nail salons.The sooner you start treating nail fungus, the better and faster the result.It may be possible to take only topical means and not take pills.
Only a doctor can choose the right treatment.Prescribing pills on your own based on reviews and recommendations from the Internet is a dubious tactic.It is important to complete the treatment, no matter how lazy you are.To prevent nail fungus, it is important to maintain foot hygiene and not wear someone else's shoes on your bare feet.