Fungal diseases (mycoses) are caused by harmful microorganisms - fungi. A fungus of the skin on the legs and other parts of the body is called ringworm and is the second most common fungus. Despite the fact that there are many types of fungal microorganisms in the surrounding world, only a few of them provoke mycosis.
There are three fungal groups that can cause nail and foot skin fungus:
- anthropophilic - transmitted through tactile contact with an infected person, affect only human skin;
- zooanthropophilous - found both among people and among animals;
- candida are yeast-like fungi.
Infection with dermatomycosis can occur directly or indirectly. In the first case, this occurs through contact with contaminated soil, plants, or contact with a sick person or animal. With an indirect route, infection occurs when helping a sick person or animal through care items.
Some people are more susceptible to fungal infections because there are factors that increase the risk of contracting the fungus. The risk group includes:
- children - they have thin skin with immature protective mechanisms;
- people with a weak immune system - a weakened body practically does not resist fungi;
- people with nervous and endocrine disorders - the dysfunction of these systems leads to weak immunity;
- people with infectious diseases of a chronic nature - also reduce the body's defense mechanisms and weaken it;
- people with increased sweating of the feet - a congenital feature or acquired as a result of certain diseases or wearing poor-quality shoes;
- pathological changes in the composition of sweat - fungi in a sweaty environment have pathogenic properties and cause mycoses.
Fungal diseases of the feet
Today, doctors distinguish the following fungal diseases:
- epidermophytosis;
- rubromycosis;
- candidiasis.
A disease such as epidermophytosis affects the skin of the feet and nail plates. You can get infected in public places such as a sauna, bathhouse, gym. The epidermophytosis pathogen can be stored and transmitted by towels, washcloths, thermometers, sponges, mats, sports equipment, and general underwear. Men over 45 are more susceptible to this disease. contributes to the development of this mycosis.
Rubromycosis is caused by trichophyton fungi and is transmitted through bathing sponges, washcloths, shoes and socks used by the patient, sports equipment and other household items. With age, the risk of damage by trichophytos increases, children and adolescents rarely get sick with rubromycosis. The risk group includes athletes, visitors to public pools, miners, employees of saunas and baths, people who work in hot production shops.
The fungus of the latter type is less common than the above-described diseases. Microorganisms that belong to the genus Candida are always present in the human body and are not normally capable of causing infection. However, with a sharp decrease in the immune defense, they are converted into harmful ones and cause a fungal disease. Organisms of Candida penetrate into the human body from food (for example, pork, cottage cheese, kefir and others), as well as from the surface of objects that it touches.
Infection with candidal mycosis depends on the following factors:
- the ability to develop diseases of the nails and skin of one or another type of fungal microorganisms;
- a decrease in the body's immune defense, which is caused by frequent infectious diseases, cancer, AIDS, etc.;
- the presence of damaged skin areas caused by injury or exposure to harsh chemicals;
- high content of fungus indoors, for example, in a pastry shop.
Symptoms of mycoses
Epidermophytosis and rubromycosis of the skin of the feet are almost the same and have similar symptoms. There are the following forms of these diseases:
- scaly;
- dyshidrotic, caused by impaired secretion of sweat glands;
- intertrigue, resembling diaper rash on the skin;
- onychomycosis (nail fungus), which is divided into atrophic, hypertrophic, normotrophic.
Often, patients have a combination of various forms of mycoses, therefore, the above classification is conditional.
Foot fungus photo The scaly form of mycoses has another name - squamous. The disease immediately affects one foot, and over time it spreads to the second. First, there is a slight redness on the skin, which later begins to grow and flake off. Some patients report an itchy sensation, but not all. There are times when the patient is not worried about anything, and he does not turn to specialists.
With a dyshidrotic form of mycosis, a large number of bubbles with a diameter of 0.2-0.8 cm appear in the upper part of the foot. After a while, small bubbles merge into large ones, and then burst. In place of the bursting bubbles, erosion appears. At the next stage, the process of formation of bubbles and erosion spreads over the entire surface of the foot (top, sides, bottom). The bursting bubbles form one large erosion and diaper rash. The affected skin is itchy and painful for the patient. Gradually, erosion begins to peel off.
If you do not start timely treatment of the fungus, then bacterial infection begins. In this case, the liquid in the bubbles becomes cloudy and turns into purulent contents over time. The patient notes significant redness of the skin and its swelling, strong painful sensations. The patient's body temperature rises. This form of the fungus is characterized by a long course. During the period of illness, temporary improvements and relapses are observed. It should be noted that dyshydroscopic mycosis affects one foot.
Launched mycoses can pass from one form to another, for example, dyshidrotic to scaly or vice versa.
Intertrigiocyte epidermophytosis and trichophytosis are most common. This form of mycoses can develop on its own or occurs against the background of a scaly disease. At first, the intertrigue disease is localized between the fourth and fifth toes. Sometimes - between the third and fourth.
Photo of the fungus between the toes The main symptom of this form of mycosis are cracks with a whitish rim around, which is a peeling surface layer of the skin. The space between the toes gets wet. The patient feels a burning sensation and itching at the site of the lesion. Over time, painful erosion occurs at the site of the lesion. In most cases, the intertrigiotic form of mycosis is chronic, subsiding in the cold season and exacerbating in the warm one. Gradually, the skin becomes loose and weakened. The immune mechanisms are reduced and the body becomes more susceptible to streptococci. This leads to purulent inflammation of the epidermis, which are accompanied by swelling, painful sensations and an increase in temperature.
Onychomycosis photo The defeat of a fungal infection of the nails and toes is called onychomycosis (see photo). First, the free edge of the nail plate is affected - yellow spots and stripes appear on it.
There are three types of onychomycosis:
- hypertrophic - the affected nails become thicker and yellow. The nail plate is easy to crumble, the skin under it is also prone to peeling;
- atrophic - the nail plate becomes thinner, and under it is the keratinized epidermis;
- normotrophic - caused by mold fungal microorganisms and develops against the background of other forms of mycoses. In the process of the disease, the nail can turn green, black, yellow or brown. In some cases, this type of onychomycosis is complicated by purulent inflammation.
With candidiasis, the interdigital areas of the foot are affected. Yeast erosion occurs there, and the skin swells and turns red. A rim of dead cells of the epidermis is observed along the edges of the affected areas. Small blisters or abscesses may also appear.
Foot fungus treatment
At the first signs and symptoms of mycosis of any kind, you need to visit a dermatologist.
For the treatment to be effective, it is important to contact a qualified specialist in a timely manner, who will correctly determine the type of fungus that has affected the foot. The type of pathogenic fungus depends on how to treat it.
The doctor must prescribe a comprehensive treatment, which includes several drugs for skin fungus. The complex should include the following drugs:
- external remedies for fungus (antimycotic ointments, creams, varnishes, etc.);
- antimycotic drugs for skin fungus;
- antihistamines that relieve itching;
- vitamin and mineral preparations to enhance immunity;
- antibacterial agents (only if there is an infection of bacterial origin).
If the form of the fungus on the skin is not very advanced, then the doctor may prescribe external broad-spectrum antimycotics. Such drugs act on different etiologies of mycosis and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Good results of treatment are provided by the remedy for the fungus "Lamisil", which has been effectively used for more than ten years. 
If the lesion is localized between the fingers, the ointment from the fungus is applied to the cleansed skin once a day. Treatment lasts for 7-10 days and ends when the symptoms of mycosis completely disappear.
In case of lesions of the skin of the foot, a medical pedicure is first done in order to remove the keratinized epidermis. Hardware pedicure can be done by a specialist or on your own at home. In the latter case, it is necessary to use salicylic compresses and wraps. To do this, you need to make a foot bath with the addition of baking soda and soap. From the steamed skin, you need to remove the stratum corneum and cut off the affected nails. In this case, it is important to dispose of the scraped off scales and cut nails, and also to process the tool after use, since through all this the fungus sows.
Weeping mycosis can be lubricated with brilliant green, boric acid solution, or medical blue. With advanced forms, corticosteroids are used against the fungus.
Of the drugs for the treatment of fungal diseases, the following drugs can be prescribed: "Clotrimazole", "Miconazole", "Pimafukort", "Mifungar", "Fungicide", "Triderm", "Candide-B", "Exoderil", "Daktarin", " Kanesten ".
Before applying one or another remedy for the fungus to the affected area, it is necessary to remove the inflammatory process and remove keratinization. After applying a foam, gel, spray or ointment against the fungus, you do not need to wash your feet for the next 24 hours, so as not to wash off the protective layer created by the drug.
Timely therapy of skin fungus on the toes and nails gives greater efficiency and costs the patient much less than the treatment of his relapses.